The Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Data Innovation Challenge, launched by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), invites innovative solutions that can strengthen the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI) Data Ecosystem and accelerate research in childhood and AYA cancers.
The challenge supports new data resources, analytical tools, AI/ML approaches, and methods for integrating and analyzing diverse cancer datasets to improve understanding of disease biology, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Phase I offers a total prize pool of up to $17 million, with as many as 30 winning entities eligible to receive up to $566,665 in cumulative milestone prizes. National Institutes of Health
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must compete on behalf of an affiliated institution or organization, rather than as independent individuals.
- Participating entities must be incorporated in and maintain their primary place of business in the United States.
- Individuals or groups of individuals may participate as part of an eligible entity.
- Entities may submit one proposal to Track 1 and one proposal to Track 2.
- Applicants must register as an entity before participating.
- Awardees must participate in the collaborative network facilitated by NCI/CCDI.
Funding Details
- Total Phase I Prize Pool: Up to $17 million
- Up to 30 winning entities may be selected across both tracks.
- Milestone 1: $100,000 per winning entity
- Milestone 2: $150,000 per winning entity
- Milestone 3: $316,665 per winning entity
- Maximum cumulative prize: $566,665 per winning entity
Deadline
- Milestone 1 Deadline: November 13, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET
- Milestone 2: June 15, 2027
- Milestone 3: December 14, 2029
- Milestone 1 winners will be announced on December 15, 2026.
Further Information
- For the complete challenge rules, eligibility requirements, milestone structure, submission requirements, and judging criteria: NCI — Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Data Innovation Challenge