Molecular and Precision Oncology Innovation Award – Project Submission

The Molecular and Precision Oncology Innovation Award supports novel or emerging approaches that address an important unmet need in childhood cancer and related disorders. It recognises scientific or technological innovation across molecular diagnostics, genomics, biomarkers, advanced imaging, radiomics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, digital or computational pathology, and integrated precision-oncology approaches. Projects should have the potential to improve diagnosis, disease classification, risk assessment, treatment selection, response monitoring, prediction of relapse, access to personalised treatment or patient outcomes. The emphasis is on a new and clinically relevant question, rather than routine use of an advanced test or technology.

• Every application must include at least one current PHO Chapter member in good standing with a substantive role in the project.
• The PHO member may be Principal Applicant, Co-Investigator, clinical lead or substantive pediatric oncology collaborator.
• Eligible collaborators may include molecular scientists, pathologists, geneticists, radiologists, bioinformaticians, data scientists, artificial intelligence or imaging experts, researchers, academic institutions, laboratories and technology developers.
• A non-PHO investigator may lead or initiate a proposal only after establishing meaningful collaboration with an eligible PHO member before submission.
• The project must be directly relevant to childhood cancer or related disorders and have a credible pathway towards clinical translation.
• Proof-of-concept, development, validation and early translational projects are eligible; completed clinical implementation is not mandatory.
• Projects involving patients, samples or patient data require appropriate institutional and Ethics Committee approvals before commencement.