On World Cancer Day, we recognize that childhood cancer knows no borders, and we celebrate that St. Baldrick’s Foundation donors and volunteers are making a difference for kids around the world.
While most of the dollars raised – and granted – by the St. Baldrick’s Foundation are within the U.S., here are some big ways your impact spans the globe for kids.
International Fundraising and Partners
When St. Baldrick’s head-shaving events or fundraisers are held in other countries, St. Baldrick’s enters into an agreement with an appropriate partner organization in that country to accept all the funds raised, minus a percentage only to cover our costs. This gives donors in those countries the assurance of knowing their dollars will be put to work in their own country to help Conquer Kids’ Cancer.
International Grants
Recognizing that great research knows no boundaries, here are some of the ways the St. Baldrick’s Foundation grants research dollars beyond the U.S.
- Children’s Oncology Group (COG): One of the largest St. Baldrick’s grants each year goes to this cooperative research group that unites more than 10,000 experts in childhood cancer at more than 200 leading children’s hospitals, universities, and cancer centers across North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia. Each member institution receives a share of this grant, depending on the number of children enrolled in COG clinical trials. In this way, St. Baldrick’s helps to cover the costs of treating children on these trials, which ultimately result in continually improved outcomes for kids.
- Consortium grants: These grants involve researchers at a group of institutions, all collaborating on a big project, usually for five years. Many of these involve research institutions outside the U.S.
- International Scholars: The St. Baldrick’s Foundation funds researchers from low- or middle-income countries (as classified by the World Bank) to train in the U.S. or another high-income country. St. Baldrick’s International Scholars are committed to continuing their childhood cancer research in their home country.
One example of this is Dr. Joseph Lubega’s work in Africa. With St. Baldrick’s support, Dr. Lubega became one of the first trained pediatric oncologists in all of Uganda, where the need is great – as it is across Africa. During his training, beginning in 2013, he founded and now leads the East Africa Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Fellowship program at Mekerere University in Kampala. Twenty people have now graduated from the program in Uganda, and they are leading pediatric cancer care and research at nine different centers across Africa. These pediatricians are now seeing more than 2,500 new children each year, in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, and Botswana.
In addition to supporting Dr. Lubega, St. Baldrick’s is currently funding International Scholars in Egypt, Jordan, Uganda, India, Canada, China, Malawi, Kenya, and El Salvador.
Read more about the global impact of St. Baldrick’s International Scholars
St. Baldrick’s Robert J. Arceci Innovation Award: The goal of these awards is to give doctors the freedom and flexibility to think outside the box – to explore avenues that may be left unexplored otherwise. The grants are unrestricted, making them unique in cancer research. And they are big awards, at $250,000 a year for 3 years.
This unique award was in memory of Dr. Robert J. Arceci, renowned for encouraging researcher to think differently – and for his support of international collaboration. From 2016 through 2020, this award was made each spring to a researcher from the U.S. or Canada, and each fall was awarded to a researcher from another country. This program is currently on pause due to a pandemic-related decrease in revenues.
What we learn from childhood cancer research – whether it is done in the U.S. or other countries – will ultimately change the future for children everywhere.
Join us and help us save the lives of kids with cancer.
