Funding Principles

Principles for strategic funding

Children’s Cancer CoLab is committed to being a strategic funding entity dedicated to accelerating high-impact, collaborative research and innovation in childhood cancer. Through targeted and tactical funding, we aim to support collaborative initiatives that that deliver meaningful outcomes and enhance research and innovation.

Our approach helps research projects build strong foundations for future success. We support projects that demonstrate feasibility, generate preliminary data, and develop compelling evidence that elevates their research. This strategic approach positions projects to secure substantial follow-on funding through traditional grants, partnership investments, and other leveraged opportunities, ultimately enabling broader and longer-term impact.

Our commitment is guided by five core principles:

1. Patient-driven
2. Strategic and tactical
3. Transparent and accountable
4. Collaborative
5. Milestone-based funding

These principles are integral at every stage of funding, from eligibility and application through to selection and ongoing project support, ensuring that resources are allocated to initiatives with the greatest potential to transform outcomes for young cancer patients and their families.

To ensure fairness, accountability, and the highest standards of integrity, Children’s Cancer CoLab establishes clear eligibility criteria, funding guidelines, and conditions from the outset. This method provides a definitive framework for participation, reinforcing our commitment to a robust and equitable funding process.

Our proactive approach also aims to build trust and enable stronger partnerships with the applicants, ensuring that resources are utilised efficiently and effectively while maintaining a focus on achieving tangible results and outcomes.

Our funding principles will be reviewed and updated annually at the end of each funding round, incorporating feedback from our CoLaborators, the Scientific Advisors, and our Board of Directors, as part of our commitment to continuous improvement and transparency. Updated principles will be available in July each year. If you have any questions, contact programs@cccolab.org.au.

Patient-driven

A fundamental principle of Children’s Cancer CoLab is to listen to the voice of those with a lived experience of childhood cancer, incorporating patient / survivor and family / carer perspectives into all aspects of our Impact Programs. This includes the identification and prioritisation of unmet needs to inform the planning and implementation of our Impact Programs.

Involvement of patients and families in proposal development

By involving childhood cancer patients / survivors, their families, and caregivers, it is expected that the proposed research will align with real-world experience and address the most pressing needs in paediatric oncology.

• Relevant Impact Programs: Next-Generation Therapies, Safer Therapies and Future Leaders

• Critical / Mandatory: Survivorship and Living Well

Involvement of patients and families in funding review

In alignment with other funding entities, Children’s Cancer CoLab will include the view of patients and families, by inviting members of the Patient and Family Advisory Committee (PFAC) to review plain language summaries of proposals. Therefore, applicants will need to articulate the unmet need/s the project intends to address, and the approaches it would undertake, in plain language. PFAC representatives will provide feedback on the proposals, and it is expected that the applicants will respond to the feedback in the final application. Children’s Cancer CoLab will create guidelines and evaluation criteria to help PFAC representatives review and score proposals. Their scores will comprise 20% of the total score.

• Relevant Impact Programs: Next-Generation Therapies, Safer Therapies, Survivorship and Living Well and Future Leaders

Strategic and tactical

CCCoLab is committed to outcomes-driven funding, ensuring that resources are directed towards areas of greatest unmet need and potential impact. This commitment is particularly vital in the field of paediatric oncology, which often lacks financial market incentives. Prioritising and strengthening resources and working collaboratively is vital to success.

Funded initiatives must prioritise childhood and adolescent cancer

All proposals must demonstrate a clear pathway from research to tangible outcomes for childhood and adolescent cancer patients and survivors. Children’s Cancer CoLab expects applicants to provide evidence of how their proposals will address specific challenges within childhood cancers. Proposals should articulate their alignment with patients’ / survivors' lived experiences, ensuring that no project loses sight of the ultimate goal: transforming lives and health outcomes for childhood and adolescent cancer.

Proposals transferring adult oncology treatment and/or care approach must ensure the model is applicable to children and adolescent populations. If the research advances to a clinical setting, these patients must receive priority consideration.

Proposals from primarily adult oncology-based research groups must include demonstrated ‘collaboration’ with at least one childhood and adolescent cancer researcher or research group. Named collaborators should be formally listed as team members, with the budget appropriately allocated to support their contributions.

• Critical / Mandatory: Future Leaders, Next-Generation Therapies, Safer Therapies, Survivorship and Living Well and Innovation Accelerators

Supporting early-stage innovation

As a strategic and tactical funder, Children’s Cancer CoLab is committed to supporting early-stage innovation backed by strong scientific rationale that has the potential to secure larger follow-on grants. The focus is on identifying and nurturing exceptional ideas that may not receive funding from traditional sources due to their early-stage nature or novel approaches. We strongly encourage research that seeks to build the preliminary data, proof-of-concept evidence, and research track record to successfully compete for major funding opportunities from national and international agencies.

• Relevant: Next-Generation Therapies, Safer Therapies and Survivorship and Living Well

Championing awareness and sustainability

All funded projects and individuals are expected to actively support Children’s Cancer CoLab and our major funders in raising awareness of childhood cancer and advancing our mission – thereby promoting long-term sustainability. This includes collaborating with us to promote funded initiatives and achievements, including but not limited to social media content, case studies, public awareness campaigns and media engagement.

• Critical / Mandatory: All Impact Programs

Creating an ecosystem for research and innovation

Children’s Cancer CoLab's Impact Programs are designed to interconnect with each another, creating an ecosystem that accelerates paediatric oncology research. Proposals should also demonstrate how the project aligns with different elements of the Impact Programs, making effective use of existing data, resources, and infrastructure. Where possible, proposals should clearly articulate how their research outputs will contribute to shared community data and/or resources, enhancing collective knowledge and impact. This approach ensures that research outputs leverage and enrich the community’s shared assets, further strengthening and expanding the available data and resources for future initiatives.

• Relevant: Next-Generation Therapies, Safer Therapies, Survivorship and Living Well and Innovation Accelerators

Fostering a talent pipeline to advance research

A key objective for Children’s Cancer CoLab is to attract, develop, and retain a pipeline of talented researchers and clinician-researchers who are committed to advancing childhood cancer research and improving outcomes for children and young people. This includes supporting emerging researchers, as well as encouraging the participation of new talent who may not have traditionally worked in the paediatric oncology field, in order to bring fresh perspectives and innovative approaches to this important area.

• Relevant: All Impact Programs

Cost effectiveness and budget refinement

Proposals will be rigorously assessed for their effective use of funds, ensuring alignment between requested budgets and projected impact. Following review feedback, budgets may be collaboratively refined to optimise resource allocation, balancing project needs with strategic priorities.

• Relevant: Next-Generation Therapies, Safer Therapies, Survivorship and Living Well and Innovation Accelerators

Leveraged funding to maximise impact

Securing additional support from external funders helps expand the overall resources available for paediatric oncology research, increasing the potential for broader and more sustainable advancements in the field. Proposals that leverage funding from other sources will be viewed favourably for all Impact Programs.

• Relevant: All Impact Programs

Transparent and accountable

Children’s Cancer CoLab is dedicated to upholding transparency and accountability in the allocation of grant funding across all Impact Programs. While most themes, such as research-supporting and people-supporting initiatives are administered through an open and competitive grant process, the infrastructure-supporting theme is implemented via targeted proposals. This approach focuses on engaging individuals or organisations with established systems and platforms, aiming to build on existing strengths and avoid unnecessary duplication. It also upholds the integrity of the grant processes, aligns with best practice in managing conflicts of interest, and fosters trust and accountability within the research community.

All applications, whether they are through an open, competitive process or targeted proposal process, will be reviewed and assessed by our independent and multidisciplinary expert reviewers – including our Scientific Advisory Committee and other subject matter experts as required.

The information below provides an overview of our general grant funding process. Specific guidelines for individual Impact Programs, including objectives, eligible activities, applicant requirements, and selection criteria, will be developed and shared with potential applicants before each funding round begins. These program-specific guidelines will ensure alignment with strategic priorities while providing clarity on evaluation metrics and application expectations.

Independent and multidisciplinary expert review and conflict of interest management

All proposals, whether open or targeted, are evaluated by a multidisciplinary panel of independent experts. Clear policies are in place to identify, disclose, and manage conflicts of interest, ensuring decisions are fair, unbiased, and scientifically rigorous. This underpins the ways in which Children’s Cancer CoLab will administer the grant funding for all its Impact Programs.

• Relevant: All Impact Programs

Open and competitive funding processes

Funding opportunities are advertised publicly and assessed through a merit-based process, ensuring equal opportunity and impartiality for all applicants. All CoLaborators will be notified of the funding opportunity, with the information being made publicly available via email and/or on Children’s Cancer CoLab website and social media. All proposals will be treated equally, with eligibility screening based on proposed activities and budget, followed by assessment from an expert panel with no conflicts of interest, in accordance with established funding guidelines. Noting that the same process will also apply for grant funding made through partnership with Children’s Cancer CoLab's partner organisations.

• Relevant: Next-Generation Therapies, Safer Therapies, Survivorship and Living Well and Future Leaders

Targeted proposals for infrastructure-supporting initiatives

While these initiatives are delivered through targeted proposals from organisations with existing, proven systems or platforms, all proposals undergo rigorous review and assessment by subject matter experts, including Scientific Advisory Committee members. Each proposal must directly address every key principle (avoiding duplication, utility and accessibility, governance, value, and long-term sustainability potential) as part of the evaluation criteria.

• Critical / Mandatory: Innovation Accelerators

Transparency in grant-funding process

All information relevant to how proposals will be reviewed and assessed for funding, including the Impact Program-specific funding guidelines, Children’s Cancer CoLab funding principles, and grant conditions, will be made available to potential applicants prior to the commencement of each funding round, ensuring clarity and transparency throughout the grant-making process.

• Relevant: All Impact Programs

Collaborative

CCCoLab recognises that interdisciplinary, multi-site collaboration is important for advancing research. Applicants are encouraged to leverage expertise from different fields and locations to cross both geographical boundaries and diverse disciplines to enhance the scope of research outcomes.

Avoid isolated or duplicative efforts

Applicants must demonstrate awareness of other national and international parties that could strengthen the outcomes of the proposed project or initiative. Proposals should clearly show familiarity with existing work in the field and explain how the project builds upon or addresses gaps in current knowledge. Duplication of efforts in establishing systems and platforms waste precious resources and prevent genuine collaboration. Collaboration is strongly encouraged at the local, national, and international levels, and proposals that aim to complement or connect with existing initiatives will be given preference.

• Relevant: Next-Generation Therapies, Safer Therapies and Survivorship and Living Well

• Critical / Mandatory: Innovation Accelerators

Collaboration between CoLaborators

Paediatric oncology is a specialised field where collaboration among Consortium Partners, known as our CoLaborators, is essential to maximise local impact. Proposals will be evaluated based on the inclusion of other researchers and/or clinicians from another CoLaborator/s, with penalties imposed on applications that fail to address obvious collaboration opportunities.

• Relevant: Next-Generation Therapies, Safer Therapies and Survivorship and Living Well

• Critical / Mandatory: Future Leaders and Innovation Accelerators

Interdisciplinary collaboration to attract researchers into paediatric oncology

Efforts to engage researchers from outside the field of paediatric oncology are strongly encouraged. Integrating expertise from multiple disciplines and introducing fresh perspectives can foster innovation and help address complex challenges within paediatric oncology. Given the highly specialised nature of paediatric oncology, our Impact Programs are designed to attract and retain leading experts in the field.

To strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration (i.e. paediatric oncology and any non-paediatric oncology), proposals from primarily adult oncology-based research groups (or other disciplines) must demonstrate collaboration with at least one paediatric oncology researcher or research group. Collaborators will be formally listed as team members, with the budget appropriately allocated to support their contributions.

• Critical / Mandatory: All Impact Programs

National and international collaborations

Whilst national and international collaborations are encouraged to foster diverse expertise and broaden research impact, greater merit will be awarded to proposals that demonstrate Victoria's leadership in driving the national or international research agenda, managing resources, and achieving impactful outcomes, as opposed to Victoria serving as a supporting partner in a national or international initiative.

In alignment with Children’s Cancer CoLab’s funding partner requirements, whilst interstate / international collaboration is encouraged, grant funds should support activities within Victoria. Payments to third parties outside Victoria or Australia will only be considered by Children’s Cancer CoLab on a case-by-case basis if the necessary activity or service is not accessible locally or cannot be sourced in Victoria at a reasonable price or value.

• Relevant: All Impact Programs

Milestone-based funding

Children’s Cancer CoLab employs a milestone-based funding model designed to ensure resources are directed toward the most promising and impactful initiatives in childhood cancer research. This model integrates rigorous outcome measures with dynamic resource allocation. Funding is disbursed in instalments and contingent upon meeting predetermined performance benchmarks (project milestones), enabling Children’s Cancer CoLab to closely monitor progress, mitigate risks, and adapt swiftly to emerging opportunities.

Establish milestones with measurable deliverables

Applicants are required to propose clear milestones that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound. Proposals should demonstrate how these milestones align with the project’s goals and show feasibility within the proposed timeline. This underpins how Children’s Cancer CoLab sets up funding agreements for its Impact Programs to ensure funded projects and initiatives remain on track to deliver outcomes and impacts.

• Relevant: All Impact Programs

Embedding agile monitoring in critical review processes

Our funding mechanism incorporates critical review points with structured decision-making processes. All proposals will be requested to identify at least two specific milestones or time points during the project when progress will be reviewed or assessed to ensure the project is on track for successful completion. Each review point should include clearly defined, measurable outputs that are directly linked to the expected research outcomes.

However, these checkpoints are not designed as rigid go / no-go gates that terminate projects failing to meet specific milestones. Instead, these review points serve as opportunities for continuous communication between researchers and the expert review panel to assess what approaches are working effectively and identify areas requiring adjustment. Significant changes will be considered by the Scientific Advisory Committee before the project can proceed.

This nimble approach allows for real-time course corrections, methodology refinements, and strategic pivots while maintaining project momentum and maximising the potential for success.

• Relevant: All Impact Programs

Evaluate project / program outputs and outcomes

All projects will be monitored against agreed milestones and deliverables to assess whether they are achieving the expected outcomes. Progress will be regularly reviewed to ensure alignment with project goals. Additionally, outputs from individual projects will be aggregated and analysed to determine the overall outputs and outcomes of each Impact Program, in accordance with the program’s evaluation framework. The specific metrics used to evaluate both project-level and programmatic outcomes will be integrated into the project reporting templates, ensuring consistent and comprehensive assessment across all initiatives.

In alignment with the ‘shared commitment to impact’ funding principle, all funded activities / initiatives are expected to deliver benefits to paediatric oncology research and care, ultimately improving outcomes for young cancer patients. To support this, Children’s Cancer CoLab requires that all projects and initiatives report on outputs and outcomes that are specific to their activities as well as broader impacts that may contribute to the overall goals of the Impact Program.

• Relevant: All Impact Programs

Accelerated support for demonstrated success

Projects that demonstrate exceptional progress and achieve their first-round objectives will be eligible for enriched funding in subsequent rounds to continue building their evidence base. This success-based enhancement mechanism recognises high-performing initiatives by providing further resources that enable expanded scope or accelerated timelines. Successful first-round participants gain access to this enhanced funding pool through a streamlined evaluation process, ensuring that proven concepts can systematically strengthen their evidence foundation and establish the comprehensive data sets necessary to compete successfully for major external funding opportunities. This enriched funding remains within the strategic and tactical funding framework, designed specifically to bridge the gap between early innovation and large-scale research grants rather than serving as large-scale funding itself.

• Relevant: Next-Generation Therapies

Reinvestment of project funding from unmet milestones

Projects that are unable to meet established milestones and cannot propose viable alternative approaches for the Scientific Advisory Committee's consideration will be subject to early termination. In such cases, the remaining allocated funding will be returned to Children’s Cancer CoLab's central funding pool, ensuring that financial resources can be efficiently redirected to support other promising projects and initiatives within the research portfolio. This approach maximises the impact of available funding by preventing resources from being tied up in projects that are not progressing as anticipated. Importantly, researchers whose projects are terminated under these circumstances are encouraged to refine their approaches and submit new applications in subsequent funding rounds, fostering a culture of scientific advancement rather than penalising initial setbacks.

• Relevant: Next-Generation Therapies

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