The Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) ‘A’ Award supports early-career investigators who are launching careers in pediatric cancer research. This $100,000 two-year award is specifically aimed at clinicians and scientists within their first five years of independent research who wish to establish a focused pediatric oncology research program. ALSF is one of the leading funders of childhood cancer research in the United States and takes a deliberately high-risk, high-reward approach to grant selection. The ‘A’ Award is designed to generate the preliminary data that allows emerging pediatric cancer investigators to compete successfully for larger independent grants. Applications are submitted via ProposalCentral.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Applicants must hold an MD, PhD, or equivalent doctoral degree
- Must be within the first 5 years of their first independent faculty appointment (assistant professor or equivalent) at time of application
- Must be employed at a non-profit academic, medical, or research institution in the United States or Canada
- Proposed research must focus directly on childhood cancer (all pediatric oncology types eligible)
- Applicants may not simultaneously hold another ALSF ‘A’ Award
- Only one ‘A’ Award application per institution per review cycle is allowed in some tumor focus areas; check current RFA for institution limits
- Applications must be submitted through ProposalCentral
Funding Details:
- Up to $100,000/year for 2 years (up to $200,000 total)
- No indirect costs allowed; funds must support direct research costs
- Allowable costs: salaries, consumables, core facility fees, and research-related travel
- Award period: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2028
Deadline:
- Full application deadline: April 2026 (check ProposalCentral for exact date; LOIs were due December 2025 for this cycle)
- Award decisions announced: June 26, 2026
- Apply via ProposalCentral: search “Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation”
Where to Go for Further Information: