If there’s one thing this year has made clear, it’s this: the needs in childhood cancer research are growing — and evolving — faster than ever.

We’re seeing unprecedented demand for research funding. Applications to Children’s Cancer Research Fund have increased by 103% since 2024, with 2025 setting a new record and 2026 surpassing it.

That kind of response tells us something important. Not only are researchers eager to move the field forward — here’s where they believe the biggest gaps still exist:

Survivorship is the next frontier.

More children are surviving cancer than ever before. But survival is only part of the story.

Researchers are increasingly focused on understanding what comes next. In fact, survivorship-related research applications have increased by 129% since 2024, reflecting growing interest in the long-term effects of treatment, mental health, fertility, financial hardship and the best way to deliver lifelong care to childhood cancer survivors.

Researchers are urgently calling for more work to understand the long-term effects of newer therapies — from heart health and fertility to mental health and the lasting financial strain families carry. There’s also growing focus on how to deliver the right care at the right time, so survivors don’t just live — they thrive.

We’re responding by increasing our focus on survivorship research — prioritizing studies that look beyond treatment and into what it takes for kids to live full, healthy lives after cancer.

Basic science still holds the keys to breakthrough.

While new treatments often make headlines, they all start in the lab.

Researchers are doubling down on basic science to identify new treatment targets, map critical cellular pathways and better understand how tumors outsmart the immune system. These foundational discoveries are what make the next generation of therapies possible — especially for the hardest-to-treat cancers.

That’s why we continue to invest in early-stage, high-impact, multi-year research — funding the foundational science that fuels future cures.

The research workforce is at risk.

Behind every breakthrough is a scientist. And right now, that pipeline is under pressure.

In 2025, we saw a noticeable increase in retirements and departures across the field, paired with a continued decline in young researchers entering childhood cancer research. Without sustained support, childhood cancer research is at risk of losing not just momentum, but an entire generation of innovation.

We’re committed to sustaining the research pipeline — supporting early-career fellows, fostering collaboration between prominent institutions and ensuring promising scientists have the resources to stay in the field and continue their work.

These insights aren’t theoretical.

They’re coming directly from the researchers doing the work — the ones submitting bold ideas, asking hard questions and pushing toward better answers for kids with cancer.

But here’s the reality: not every promising idea gets funded.

With growing funding uncertainty and more researchers seeking support, the need for philanthropy has never been greater.

That means potential breakthroughs — the ones that could change how we treat childhood cancer, support survivors or close critical gaps in care — are at risk of being left behind.

Where donor support changes everything.

Every dollar helps move an idea forward — from early discovery to real-world impact. From lab to lifeline for kids and families who need it most. It also helps sustain the pipeline of researchers whose work will shape the next generation of breakthroughs.

Because kids with cancer aren’t just waiting for answers.

They’re counting on us to find them.