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Canadian Investigator-Initiated Trials Program

Cancer Research Society

The Cancer Research Society (CRS) is launching its first-ever national program entirely dedicated to investigator-initiated oncology clinical trials in Canada.

Led by the CRS, with the Canadian Cancer Society and the Terry Fox Research Institute as co-leads, this program aims to empower Canadian doctors and researchers to design and conduct cutting-edge clinical trials.

This unprecedented collaboration also brings together Lotte & John Hecht Memorial Foundation, Génome Québec, SickKids Garron Family Cancer Centre, Kindred Foundation, Childhood Cancer Canada, BioCanRx and Institut du cancer de Montréal, all committed to advancing clinical research and turning promising ideas into tangible results for patients.

The program aims to foster the development of innovative treatments, improve patient care, and address priority clinical questions, including those related to rare and understudied cancers.

Most cancer clinical trials are funded by the pharmaceutical industry, focusing primarily on developing and testing new drugs. While these trials are essential, many important questions remain underfunded and unanswered for patients.

Investigator-initiated trials are different. Designed and led by doctors and researchers, they address clinically relevant questions that may not be fully explored in industry-led trials. These trials allow researchers to:

Explore innovative therapeutic approaches
Play a vital role in advancing cancer care
Investigate new methods to improve supportive and survival care
Generate evidence in rare or understudied cancers
Accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into tangible benefits for patients

Program Objectives

This national program aims to:

Advance new treatment options, particularly for rare, underserved and low survival cancers
Evaluate innovative approaches to deliver more precise and effective care
Improve patient outcomes and quality of life, including reducing treatment-related side effects
Enhance early detection and diagnosis, enabling more timely interventions
Strengthen prevention strategies aimed at reducing cancer incidence

Important: This program is intended for researchers and does not involve patient recruitment or facilitate connections with clinical trials. Thank you for your understanding.

Proof-of-Concept Trials

$500,000 / 3 years

Early-stage exploratory clinical studies aimed at demonstrating feasibility and generating preliminary data.

Full Clinical Trials

$2 million / 5 years

Advanced clinical trials with the potential to influence clinical guidelines or standards of care.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

🔑 1. Top-Tier Scientific Excellence (Most Decisive)

CRS is strongly peer-review driven, so:

Clear, hypothesis-driven research is essential
Strong preliminary rationale (data helps but not always required)
Methodological rigor and reproducibility

👉 Weak science = immediate rejection, regardless of topic

🎯 2. Clear and Direct Cancer Relevance

Funded proposals:

Address core cancer problems, such as:
- Tumor biology
- Metastasis
- Resistance mechanisms
Or contribute to:
- Prevention
- Early detection
- Survivorship

👉 Indirect or loosely connected projects rarely succeed

🔄 3. Translational Potential (Critical Differentiator)

CRS prioritizes research that:

Bridges basic discovery → clinical application
Has a plausible path to:
- Biomarkers
- Therapeutic targets
- Clinical studies

👉 Pure basic science must still answer:
“How could this eventually benefit patients?”

🧬 4. Strong Mechanistic Insight

Winning proposals often:

Go beyond description → explain how and why
Focus on:
- Molecular pathways
- Genetic/epigenetic mechanisms

👉 Mechanistic depth is a major scoring advantage

⚖️ 5. Balanced Innovation (Novel but Feasible)

High-value proposals:
- Introduce new ideas or approaches
- But remain achievable within grant scope

👉 Overly risky without feasibility = rejected
👉 Too incremental = low scores

🤝 6. Interdisciplinary & Collaborative Strength

Higher success rates seen in:

Projects combining:
- Biology + clinical research
- Data science / AI + oncology
Multi-institution teams

👉 Collaboration signals broader impact and feasibility

🧪 7. Feasible Study Design & Clear Aims

Typically:
- 2–4 well-defined aims
Must include:
- Realistic timeline
- Logical experimental flow

👉 Vague or overcomplicated aims are a major weakness

👩‍🔬 8. Investigator Strength (Relative to Career Stage)

Senior investigators:
- Strong publication and funding track record
Early-career:
- Clear independence trajectory
- Strong mentorship

👉 CRS supports both, but credibility matters

🌍 9. Alignment with CRS Strategic Priorities

Higher success when aligned with:

Prevention and risk factors
Environmental exposures
Precision oncology
Survivorship

👉 Targeted calls significantly increase success odds

📈 10. Potential for Future Impact & Funding

CRS favors projects that:

Generate:
- High-impact publications
- Follow-up grants (CIHR, NIH, etc.)
Contribute long-term to cancer research

👉 Think of CRS as launchpad funding

📊 What Actually Wins (Practical Ranking)

🔥 Decisive factors:

Scientific excellence
Clear cancer relevance
Translational potential

⚖️ Major differentiators:

Mechanistic depth
Innovation + feasibility balance
Collaboration

📌 Supporting factors:

Study design clarity
Investigator credibility
Strategic alignment

💡 Insider Insight

Compared to other cancer funders:

Cancer Research Society sits between:
- AACR (science-heavy)
- ACS (impact + population)

👉 CRS expects:
“Strong mechanistic science with a believable path to real-world impact”

Specialties

Cancer

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible clinical trials may include, but are not limited to:
• Cell-based therapies, biologics, and immunotherapies:
Antibodies, tumour-targeted vaccines, engineered cell therapies, immune-based
interventions, and novel targeted therapies.
• Treatment optimization studies:
Modified treatment sequences, dose or schedule optimization, combination therapies,
radiotherapy innovations, or surgical approaches.
• Biomarker- or diagnostic-driven interventions:
Genomic or molecular stratification, predictive/prognostic biomarkers, biomarker-based
treatment assignment, or response-monitoring strategies.
• Pediatric and adolescent/young adult cancers (AYA) oncology trials:
Studies addressing rare pediatric cancers, age-specific clinical needs, or care gaps in
adolescents and young adults.
• Supportive care, survivorship interventions, and device-based approaches:
Approaches to improve symptom management, reduce treatment-related toxicity,
enhance quality of life, support long-term survivorship, or evaluate supportive care–
relevant medical devices.
• Prevention and early detection clinical studies:
Trials evaluating chemoprevention, vaccines, screening innovations, or diagnostic
biomarkers when conducted in an interventional, clinical setting.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Cancer Research Society

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 625 President-Kennedy Avenue Suite 402 Montreal QC H3A 3S5

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