Childhood cancer is complex. More than a dozen major types of childhood cancer exist, and each diagnosis can involve different biology, treatment challenges, and research questions.
Finding better treatments and cures requires more than a single researcher, laboratory, or institution working alone. It requires collaboration—bringing together experts with different areas of knowledge, sharing discoveries, and working toward a common goal: improving outcomes for children with cancer.
At St. Baldrick’s, we believe the strongest science happens when the brightest minds work together.
What is Collaborative Childhood Cancer Research?
Collaborative research brings together scientists, physicians, and institutions to tackle complex scientific challenges together.
Instead of researchers working independently, researchers share resources, expertise, and findings to better understand childhood cancers and identify potential new treatments.
This approach is especially important in pediatric cancer research because many childhood cancers are rare, making it difficult for any one researcher or institution to study them alone. By bringing together researchers from different institutions and specialties, scientists can uncover new insights and move promising discoveries closer to children who need them.
Why Collaboration Can Accelerate Discoveries
Progress in cancer research is often built on years of discoveries. One researcher’s findings can provide the foundation for another scientist’s breakthrough.
Through collaboration, researchers can:
- Share data and discoveries more quickly
- Combine expertise across different areas of science
- Test new ideas and approaches faster
- Develop innovative treatments for children with cancer
Collaborative research helps create a connected network where ideas, data, and expertise can move more freely. This approach allows researchers to learn from each other’s work, identify new opportunities, and address scientific challenges from multiple perspectives.
This is especially important in pediatric cancer, where many cancers have unique characteristics that differ from adult cancers. Children need research specifically focused on their diseases and treatments designed with their unique needs in mind.
St. Baldrick’s Commitment to Collaborative Research
St. Baldrick’s has long recognized the importance of bringing researchers together to tackle childhood cancer’s toughest challenges.
Through our consortium research grants and support of collaborative initiatives like the Pediatric Cancer Dream Team and EPICC (Empowering Pediatric Immunotherapies for Childhood Cancer), St. Baldrick’s has invested more than $61 million in collaborative childhood cancer research.
This includes:
- $7.5 million supporting the original Pediatric Cancer Dream Team from 2013–2017
- $8 million supporting the continued Dream Team collaboration from 2018–2022
- $2.9 million supporting the St. Baldrick’s EPICC Team from 2022–2027
- $42.6 million in St. Baldrick’s consortium research grants to date, bringing together researchers across institutions
These investments reflect a simple belief: when researchers share knowledge and work together, they can make progress that would not be possible alone.
The Impact of Bringing Researchers Together
Collaborative research has helped advance new approaches in some of the most challenging childhood cancers, including leukemia, brain tumors, neuroblastoma, and other hard-to-treat diseases. St. Baldrick’s has seen the power of this approach through collaborative efforts like the St. Baldrick’s-SU2C Pediatric Cancer Dream Team and St. Baldrick’s EPICC Team, which brought together researchers across institutions and disciplines to accelerate progress.
Through these efforts, researchers have:
- Advanced immunotherapy approaches for children with cancer, including discoveries that contributed to the first FDA-approved immune cell therapy for children with cancer
- Supported more than 45 clinical trials, helping researchers evaluate new approaches and bring promising treatments closer to patients
- Expanded understanding of how childhood cancers develop and respond to treatment
>>> A Decade Of EPICC Progress In Kids’ Cancer Research
The impact of research is measured not only in discoveries made in the laboratory, but in the opportunities those discoveries create for children and families.
Together, We Can Move Research Forward
Every discovery starts with a question—and every question needs the support, collaboration, and resources to move it forward.
By funding collaborative research, St. Baldrick’s is helping researchers pursue bold ideas, uncover new possibilities, and bring us closer to a future where every child with cancer has the best chance to survive and thrive.
Support Childhood Cancer Research
Frequently Asked Questions
What is collaborative childhood cancer research?
Collaborative childhood cancer research brings together researchers from multiple institutions and disciplines to share knowledge, data, and discoveries. This approach helps scientists work together to address complex challenges and accelerate progress toward better treatments.
Why is collaboration important in childhood cancer research?
Childhood cancer includes many different diseases, each with unique challenges. Collaboration allows researchers to combine expertise, share resources, and develop new approaches that may not be possible through individual research efforts.
How does St. Baldrick’s fund childhood cancer research?
St. Baldrick’s funds the most promising childhood cancer research through competitive grant programs, including consortium grants that bring together researchers from multiple institutions to tackle shared scientific challenges. Learn more: Why St. Baldrick’s Funds the Full Journey of Childhood Cancer Research.
How much has St. Baldrick’s invested in collaborative research?
St. Baldrick’s has invested more than $61 million in collaborative childhood cancer research, including consortium research grants and support of collaborative initiatives like the SU2C-St. Baldrick’s Pediatric Cancer Dream Team and St. Baldrick’s EPICC Team.
