Lung cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer deaths worldwide, yet it receives disproportionately low research funding compared to other cancers.

Additionally, leptomeningeal disease, a rare but devastating complication of cancer, has no effective treatments and presents significant unmet clinical needs.

Pioneering Breakthroughs, Changing Lives in Lung Cancer.

The Global Lung Cancer Impact Challenge is a ground-breaking philanthropic initiative designed to support research that addresses significant gaps for the unmet clinical needs in lung cancer, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and leptomeningeal disease.

The Challenge seeks to close these gaps by identifying and funding innovative projects that could revolutionize how lung cancer and leptomeningeal disease are diagnosed, monitored, and treated.

We aim to support and accelerate research that has the potential to address these disparities and drive meaningful advancements that improve patient outcomes.

Why This
Challenge Matters?

Lung Cancer Funding Gap:

More than 2.5 million people were diagnosed with lung cancer in 2022, making it the most common form of cancer. It was also the biggest killer, with 1.8 million deaths, 18.7% of all cancer-related mortality.

Despite its devastating global impact, lung cancer research receives considerably less funding than other major cancers such as breast or prostate cancer.

This has limited progress in developing innovative approaches for diagnosis, treatment, and care.

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Unmet Needs in Leptomeningeal Disease:

Patients with leptomeningeal disease are often excluded from clinical trials due to their complex condition, leaving them with few options for effective treatment.

Current treatment strategies are largely palliative, offering limited improvements to survival or quality of life.

There is a critical need for breakthrough research to address this neglected area, particularly for innovative diagnostic tools and therapeutic approaches.

What
Sets This Challenge Apart?

Inclusive Approach: Open to researchers at all career stages and from all geographic regions, encouraging global collaboration and innovation.

Addressing Critical Needs: Prioritizes funding for areas with significant unmet needs, such as leptomeningeal disease, where patients have been historically excluded from trials and lack effective treatment options.

Support in navigating future funding for your research, accelerating patient access.

Funding Opportunities

The Global Lung Cancer Impact Challenge Portal offers tiered funding opportunities to support research projects across different Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs).

Our aim is to provide flexible, targeted funding to advance impactful research in lung cancer and leptomeningeal disease at every stage of development.

Funding Focus:
Transformative, high-impact projects with significant potential to revolutionize lung cancer and leptomeningeal disease care.

Funding Categories

  • Funding Range:
    Up to $200,000

    Project Type:

    • Early-stage exploration and foundational research.

    • Generating initial data to test novel hypotheses or innovative ideas.

    • Discovering new diagnostic biomarkers, therapeutic targets, or disease mechanisms.

    • Validating early stage concepts and conducting proof of concept studies

  • Funding Range:
    Up to $500,000

    Project Type:

    • Generating initial data to test novel hypotheses or innovative ideas

    • Validating early-stage concepts and conducting proof-of-concept studies.

    • Small-scale preclinical experiments or prototype development.

    • Refinement of lead molecules, diagnostics, or innovative therapies.

  • Funding Range:
    Up to $1,000,000

    Project Type:

    • Validating early-stage concepts and conducting proof-of-concept studies

    • Advanced preclinical studies, including animal models, efficacy, and safety evaluations.

  • Focused on projects requiring substantial funding for clinical translation or commercialization.

    Funding Range:
    Uncapped

    Project Type:

    • Validating early-stage concepts and conducting proof-of-concept studies.

    • Small-scale preclinical experiments or prototype development.

    • Refinement of lead molecules, diagnostics, or innovative therapies

    • Advanced preclinical studies, including animal models, efficacy, and safety evaluations.

    • Clinical studies

Who should apply?

The Challenge is open to individual researchers and teams from diverse backgrounds and disciplines globally.

We welcome applications from those seeking to address key challenges in lung cancer and leptomeningeal disease, focusing on:

  • Early detection and diagnostic technologies.

  • Improved monitoring of disease progression.

  • Novel therapeutic approaches that can meet unmet patient needs.

Expression of Interest

  1. Click on the SUBMIT EOI APPLICATION button to submit information about your research project.

  2. Provide details about your project using the linked questionnaire with information about:

    • Scientific and technical merit

    • Uniqueness / Innovation

    • Potential patient impact.

    • Funding requirements and project milestones

    • The need for philanthropic funding

  3. Proposals will be reviewed by a panel of experts based on the above criteria areas and alignment with challenge objectives.

  4. Shortlisted applicants will be provided with a link to submit a full application 4-6 weeks post application close deadline

  5. Deadline for Submissions: EOI submissions are required by COB 12th May 2025

Behind the Challenge

The Global Lung Cancer Impact Challenge is backed by a family office with a long-standing commitment to advancing medical research through philanthropy. With a history of supporting groundbreaking scientific initiatives, the family has dedicated significant resources to accelerating progress in lung cancer research.

This commitment is deeply personal, shaped by firsthand experiences with the challenges and loss caused by lung cancer. In response, the family has allocated a substantial pool of funds to drive innovation, support pioneering researchers, and improve outcomes for underserved lung cancer patients worldwide.

Through this challenge, they seek to transform outcomes by advancing breakthrough research, expanding access to life-saving treatments, and driving tangible improvements in patient care.

Frequently
Asked
Questions

  • The Global Lung Cancer Impact Challenge is an initiative to identify and support breakthrough research focused on improving the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of lung cancer and leptomeningeal disease (LMD). The challenge provides an accessible funding pathway for researchers globally, regardless of tenure or institution, to accelerate innovative projects with the potential to improve patient outcomes.

  • Lung cancer is one of the most underfunded major cancers, despite being the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. NSCLC accounts for over 80% of lung cancer cases, yet advancements in diagnosis and treatment remain critically needed.

    Leptomeningeal disease is and area of significant unmet clinical need, with:

    • Poor prognosis and aggressive disease progression

    • No effective treatments currently available

    • Frequent exclusion from clinical trials, limiting research advancements

    By targeting these areas, we aim to support the advancement of scientific breakthroughs where they are most urgently needed.

  • The challenge supports advancements in the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of leptomeningeal disease (LMD) regardless of the primary tumor origin.

    LMD remains a critical unmet need across multiple cancer types, and we recognize the importance of research that:

    • Improves early detection and accurate diagnosis of LMD

    • Develops effective monitoring tools to track disease progression and treatment response

    • Identifies novel therapeutic approaches that could improve patient survival and quality of life

    Researchers working on LMD in any cancer type are encouraged to apply, provided their work aligns with the challenge’s overarching goal of driving meaningful advancements for patients facing LMD.

  • The challenge follows a two-stage application process:

    1. Expression of Interest (EOI): Applicants submit a brief proposal via the application portal outlining their research concept, expected impact, and high-level funding needs.

    2. Full Application: Shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit a detailed proposal, including:

      • Scientific rationale and supporting data

      • Proposed methodology and milestones

      • Detailed budget justification

      • Planned activities and execution strategy

    Only applicants who pass the EOI stage will receive a link to the full application portal.

  • We welcome applications from:

    • Academic researchers

    • Early-career scientists and postdoctoral fellows

    • Established investigators     

    • Students

    • Research-driven organizations

    • Multidisciplinary teams with innovative approaches

    There are no restrictions based on tenure or institution, ensuring that high-potential ideas can be supported regardless of their origin.

  • We are looking for projects that could significantly advance the field in one or more of the following areas:

    • Early and accurate diagnosis of NSCLC or leptomeningeal disease

    • Novel monitoring techniques to track disease progression and treatment response

    • Therapeutic advancements that improve patient survival and quality of life

    • Breakthrough technologies or approaches that could transform treatment paradigms

    • Significant improvement to quality of life

    Projects should be innovative, feasible, and demonstrate a clear pathway to impact.

  • Funding is structured based on Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) to support projects at different stages of development:

    • TRL 0-2: Up to $100K
      Early-stage concepts, foundational research, hypothesis validation

    • TRL 1-3: Up to $500K
      Proof-of-concept studies, preclinical validation, prototype development

    • TRL 2-4: Up to $1M
      Advanced preclinical work, translational research, regulatory planning

    • Uncapped Funding
      Larger, high-impact projects at any TRL level that demonstrate exceptional potential for patient impact

  • The review process consists of:

    • Expert panel evaluation: A panel of leading scientists and clinicians with expertise in lung cancer, neuroscience, and translational medicine will assess applications.

    • Conflict of interest management: All reviewers will declare conflicts of interest before evaluation.

    • Confidentiality protections: We recognize the importance of confidentiality in research and respect the proprietary nature of certain projects. However, as a philanthropic grant program, we are unable to enter into individual confidentiality agreements (CDAs) with applicants. To ensure fairness and transparency in the review process, all submissions should be made with the understanding that they may be reviewed by an expert panel under standard confidentiality commitments.

    Applications will be evaluated based on:

    • Scientific and technical merit – Is the project based on sound scientific principles?

    • Potential for patient impact – Could this significantly improve NSCLC or LMD outcomes?

    • Feasibility and execution – Are the objectives achievable within the proposed timeline?

    • Funding justification – Is the requested budget appropriate for the proposed work?

  • The funding for this challenge comes from a philanthropic fund structure, designed to accelerate investment into high-impact lung cancer research.

    • Shortlisted applicants will receive detailed information on the funding source and structure as part of institutional philanthropy diligence requirements.

    • This information will be provided under a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA).

    Our aim is to ensure transparency and trust in the funding process while protecting the privacy and integrity of our philanthropic partners.

  • Applicants must submit their Expression of Interest (EOI) through the Global Lung Cancer Impact Challenge Portal. Shortlisted applicants will then be provided a link to submit a full application.

  • Applications are due by May 12 2025 and will be reviewed on a rolling basis

  • Shortlisted applicants will be notified in  4-6 weeks following the application deadline invited to submit a full application in July 2025.  Grant disbursements will begin in August 2025.

  • No, co-funding is not required. However, projects that can leverage additional funding sources may be viewed favourably in terms of sustainability and long-term impact.

  • Applicants will have the option to subscribe to updates and announcements about future funding rounds through the application form.

This is your chance to drive impactful change in lung cancer and leptomeningeal disease care.
By participating, you can secure the funding needed to advance your research and improve the lives of patients who urgently need better solutions.

Together, Let’s Close the Gap in Lung Cancer Research.