IMPACTUS
$300,000/year for 3 years

Impactus is an independent, coordinated, collaborative national initiative of the Robert Connor Dawes Foundation. Bringing together like-minded charities, philanthropists, stakeholders and the research community, Impactus aims to understand and track the status of paediatric brain cancer research in Australia and how it connects globally.

In addition, it will address the discovery research deficit and bridge any identified gap, to ultimately improve the odds for children with brain cancer.

If you are interested in becoming a funding partner please contact us.

THE GRACE MONEY MOLECULAR ONCOLOGY GRANT
$117,000 over 2 years

We are providing $117,000 in funding for a molecular oncologist position at the Royal Children's Hospital specialising in solid tumours that affect the brain.

Pictured: Grace and Liam Money

THE GIDEON GRATZER PHD SCHOLARHIP
$90,000 over 3 years

Awarded to one recipient at any children's cancer institute in Australia, to research paediatric brain cancer in the areas of translational, discovery or clinical research.

Pictured: Gideon Gratzer and Rebecca Goldstein

AIM BRAIN PROJECT
$2 million invested

$2 million invested in our Robert Connor Dawes Foundation initiative (along with our funding partners the Federal Government and CarriesBeanies4BrainCancer). 

World-class molecular diagnostic testing is available to every child in Australia and New Zealand. This world-leading technology helps doctors better understand and classify individual tumours. With a clearer understanding of each tumour, specialists can create better, more personalised treatments based on both the placement of a tumour and its molecular build. This project is now in its third year and has resulted in an enhanced diagnosis of approx. 30% of cases.

Pictured: Dr. Christine White, Hudson Institute

THE ROBERT CONNOR DAWES CLINICAL TRIALS PROGRAM
$1.25 million over 5 years

We have committed to $1.25 million over five years with funds going towards the Australian Brain Cancer Mission (ABCM) and The Australian and New Zealand Children’s Haematology/Oncology Group (ANZCHOG) to help accelerate and participate in global trials to help build Australian infrastructure across the nine Australian children’s hospitals, allowing kids around the country equal access to paediatric brain cancer trials. Money raised during Connor’s Run 2020 will go towards our $1.25 million pledge to fund new research projects; a combination of pre-clinical studies and trials-based studies.

We have joined forces with the Financial Markets Foundation for Children (FMFFC), the Australian Federal Government, and Carries’ Beanies 4 Brain Cancer (CB4BC) to pledge a total of $10 million over five years for paediatric brain cancer clinical trials. 

Pictured: Nick Gottardo, ANZCHOG Study Chair

ROBERT CONNOR DAWES CERN FELLOWSHIP
Collaborative Ependymoma Research Network (CERN) - $120,000 over 2 years

In partnership with our US charity RCD USA, we’re funding a fellowship for the best and brightest researcher investigating Ependymoma. We are now funding our second RCD Fellow.

Dr. Chan Chung, PhD (pictured) from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center is our 2020 Recipient for Ependymoma Research based on the grant proposal entitled “Targeting childhood Ependymomas by interrupting metabolic pathways”. 

ROBERT CONNOR DAWES RESEARCH PROGRAM
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) - $500,000 over 5 years

Headed up by Dr. Misty Jenkins (pictured) the program will investigate how immunotherapy – treatments that harness the body’s own immune system to fight their cancer - can be tailored to treat paediatric brain cancer. Our funding is now in its third year and the lab is optimistic they may be able to take their research to an early phase clinical trial in the next two years.

ALFIE CHIVERS CRISPR PROJECT
Hudson Institute - $226,000 over 2 years

In memory of Alfie Chivers, we will be funding a CRISPR project at Hudson Institute of Medical Research led by Dr. Gabrielle Bradshaw (pictured).

Discovered by scientists in the US and Europe in 2012, CRISPR technology is a tool for editing the genome (an organism’s complete set of DNA, like an instruction manual for all of our genes). It enables scientists to easily alter DNA sequences to uncover the role of specific genes in diseases – such as identifying mutations driving resistance to cancer treatment in patients.

ZOE STANLEY EARLY PHASE CLINICAL TRIAL COORDINATOR
Royal Children's Hospital - $120,000 over 2 years

The appointment of a dedicated Brain tumour Clinical Trials Coordinator, Rebecca Sgambellone (pictured) will help allow clinicians to open studies offering new and exciting therapies to the children of Victoria with brain cancer.

ZERO CHILDHOOD CANCER PROGRAM
Children’s Cancer Institute Australia - $150 000 over 6 years 

Personalised medicine is literally the cutting edge of cancer treatment. Through new discoveries about how DNA and cancer are linked, individually targeted therapies can be investigated for each child.

Pictured: David Ziegler, Sydney Children's Hospital

MUSIC MATTERS GRANTS
RCD Foundation $250,000 (to date) 

Providing patients throughout Australia (referred via various children’s hospital referral programs) with accredited music therapy at home to help the heart sing and the mind heal.

Pictured: Our Head of Music Therapy, Sarah Punch with recipient, Pippa.