ALSF Grants Guide 2026: Funding Pediatric Oncology Research

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), a premier philanthropic organization that has funded more than 1,500 research projects since its inception in 2005.

​For  medical professionals, scientists, and students seeking to make a tangible impact in the fight against pediatric cancer, the ALSF offers some of the most prestigious and supportive funding mechanisms in North America. ALSF grants are meticulously designed to fill critical voids in current pediatric cancer research, providing the necessary financial runway for both nascent ideas and established laboratories.

​Whether you are a medical student looking for your first summer research experience, a clinical fellow transitioning to an independent investigator, or a junior faculty member building your laboratory, ALSF has a tailored funding track. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about applying for ALSF’s flagship research grants—including the POST Program, the Young Investigator Grant, and the highly coveted 'A' Award.

​Quick Summary Box

Opportunity Overview

​ALSF takes a deliberately visionary approach to funding. Unlike traditional federal funding avenues (such as standard NIH R01 grants), which often require extensive preliminary data and a proven track record, ALSF is willing to bet on the best and brightest minds who propose transformative, outside-the-box ideas.

​The ALSF pediatric cancer research grant ecosystem is divided into several tiers, designed to capture talent at every stage of the academic medical pipeline:

1. ​Pediatric Oncology Student Training (POST) Program: Designed to foster the next generation of researchers, this grant introduces undergraduate, graduate, and medical students to the field of pediatric oncology. It provides summer funding for a hands-on research internship under the guidance of an established ALSF-affiliated mentor.
2. ​The Young Investigator (YI) Grant: This three-year award is a launchpad for early-career researchers, such as postdoctoral fellows, clinical fellows, or instructors. It aims to fill the critical need for startup funds, allowing less experienced researchers to pursue promising ideas and generate the preliminary data necessary for larger, independent grants in the future.
3. ​The 'A' Award: The crown jewel for junior faculty. This competitive four-year grant is aimed at early-career scientists (Assistant Professors) who are establishing their independent research programs. ALSF expects 'A' Award applicants to propose high-risk, high-reward projects with the potential to fundamentally shift our understanding or treatment of childhood cancers.

​All proposals submitted to ALSF are reviewed by independent panels of scientific experts according to the peer-review standards recognized by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

​Benefits

​Securing an ALSF grant provides much more than just a financial injection into your laboratory; it grants you entry into a prestigious network of elite cancer researchers.

​Financial Support Breakdown

Note: ALSF typically does NOT allow indirect costs (institutional overhead) or tuition remission to be drawn from these specific grant funds. All funds must go directly toward the research and the researcher.

​Beyond the Funding

• ​Protected Research Time: ALSF mandates that Young Investigators and 'A' Awardees have a minimum of 75% protected, non-clinical time. This is a great benefit, as it legally requires your department to shield you from excessive clinical or administrative burdens so you can focus on science.
• ​Access to the CCDL: Grantees have opportunities to collaborate with ALSF’s Childhood Cancer Data Lab (CCDL), empowering researchers to harness massive datasets and bioinformatics tools.
• ​Networking and Summits: Grantees are routinely invited to ALSF Researcher Summits, which are exclusive gatherings that foster collaboration across institutions, accelerating the pace of discovery.

​Eligibility Criteria

​ALSF enforces strict eligibility criteria to ensure funds are appropriately targeted at the intended career stages. All eligibility requirements must be met at the time the application is submitted.

​For the 'A' Award:

• ​Must hold a terminal degree (MD, PhD, MD/PhD, DO, MBBS).
• ​Must be within five years of their first faculty appointment as an Assistant Professor.
• ​Degree Timeline: MD and MD/PhD applicants must be within 10 years of their terminal research degree or the end of their post-graduate clinical training (whichever is later). PhDs must be within 10 years of their terminal degree.
• ​Instructor Exception: If the applicant is currently an Instructor, they must have a firm, written commitment from their Department Chair guaranteeing an Assistant Professor position within one year of receiving the award.
• ​Must guarantee 75% protected time for research.

​For the Young Investigator Grant:

• ​Must not have achieved an appointment higher than Instructor (Assistant Professors are ineligible).
• ​Clinical Fellows: Automatically eligible for the duration of their training and their first three years at the Instructor level.
• ​Non-Clinical Postdocs: MDs must be within 7 years of their degree; PhDs must be within 4 years of their degree.
• ​A strong mentorship plan must be in place.
• ​Must guarantee 75% protected time for research.

​For the POST Program:

• ​Must be an enrolled undergraduate, graduate, or medical student.
• ​Must commit to 8 to 10 full, consecutive weeks of research during the summer (typically between May and August).
• ​The chosen mentor must be a current or former ALSF grantee.

​Eligible Healthcare Professions

​ALSF grants are highly inclusive of various scientific and medical backgrounds, provided the applicant’s research focuses exclusively on pediatric oncology. Eligible professions include:

• ​Physician-Scientists: MDs, DOs, and MBBS degree holders (including clinical fellows, instructors, and junior faculty).
• ​Basic Scientists: PhDs operating in postdoctoral or early-faculty roles in fields like genetics, molecular biology, bioinformatics, and pharmacology.
• ​Dual-Degree Holders: MD/PhDs navigating the complex bridge between bench science and bedside clinical trials.
• ​Future Professionals: Current medical students (MD/DO candidates) and graduate students are highly encouraged to apply via the POST program to kickstart their academic careers.

​IMG/International Applicant Considerations

​You do NOT need to be a United States citizen to apply for or receive an ALSF grant.

​However, there is an institutional geographic restriction: The applicant's sponsoring institution must be based in the United States or Canada.

​For International Medical Graduates (IMGs) and foreign-born scientists, this means that as long as you have secured a position (fellowship, postdoc, or faculty) at a U.S. or Canadian academic, non-profit, or research institution, you are fully eligible. You will be evaluated on the merit of your science and your career trajectory, not your visa status (whether you hold a J-1, H-1B, or O-1 visa).

​Required Documents

​Preparing an ALSF grant application is a rigorous process that mirrors NIH R-level grant applications. Expect to compile the following:

1. ​Full Research Proposal: Details your scientific rationale, specific aims, preliminary data (if any), research design, methodologies, and statistical analysis plans.
2. ​Career Development Plan: Essential for Young Investigator and 'A' Award applicants. You must articulate how this grant will transition you to the next stage of your independent career.
3. ​Mentorship Plan and Mentor’s Biosketch: Required for YI and POST grants. ALSF heavily weighs the mentor’s track record in funding and trainee success.
4. ​Applicant Biosketch: Must be in the standard NIH format, highlighting your publications, honors, and prior research experience.
5. ​Detailed Budget and Justification: A line-by-line breakdown of how the funds will be utilized (adhering to the NIH salary cap and ALSF restrictions).
6. ​Letters of Support: Most critically, a letter from the Department Chair or Division Chief explicitly guaranteeing your 75% protected research time and confirming your academic appointment status.
7. ​ORCID iD: All applicants must have a registered ORCID profile linked to their application.

​Application Process

​ALSF handles all grant submissions digitally through a centralized system. Follow these steps meticulously, as failure to adhere to administrative guidelines will result in an automatic rejection without scientific review.

1. ​Establish Your ORCID iD: ALSF requires all applicants to have an ORCID iD. If you do not have one, visit orcid.org to register for your unique digital identifier. This will be used to track your academic outputs globally.
2. ​Register on ProposalCentral: Navigate to ProposalCentral, the platform ALSF uses for grant management. Create a new profile or log in with your ORCID credentials to auto-populate your academic history.
3. ​Locate the ALSF Grant: Once logged into ProposalCentral, click on the "Grant Opportunities" tab. Search for "Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation" and select the specific grant mechanism you are applying for (e.g., 'A' Award, Young Investigator, or POST).
4. ​Complete the Application Sections: Work through the digital forms. You will need to input project metadata, build your budget, and upload all required PDF documents (Research Proposal, Biosketches, Career Development Plan, and Letters of Support).
5. ​Route for Institutional Approval: This is the most critical logistical step. Grants cannot be submitted directly by the applicant; they must be signed off by your institution's Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) or signing official from the grants/sponsored research office.
6. ​Final Submission: Once the AOR has reviewed and signed the application digitally, ensure the final package is submitted through ProposalCentral before the 8:00 PM Eastern Time deadline.

Tips to Increase Your Chances

1. ​Align with the mission: Your proposal must focus on childhood cancers. Do not submit a proposal that is primarily focused on adult oncology (e.g., adult breast or prostate cancer) with a minor footnote about a rare pediatric application. It will be rejected.
2. ​Embrace the "High-Risk, High-Reward" ethos: ALSF reviewers are looking for transformative ideas. Don't be overly conservative. If your idea could cure a stubborn pediatric cancer subtype, clearly articulate the profound impact, even if the pathway to get there is challenging.
3. ​Nail the Mentorship Plan: For early-career awards, reviewers look at the mentor as much as the applicant. Ensure your mentor provides a highly personalized, detailed plan for your career advancement, not just a generic boilerplate letter.
4. ​Clearly Define Translational Potential: While ALSF funds basic science, they are deeply committed to finding cures. Proposals that clearly articulate a pathway from the bench to the bedside—even if it is years down the line—often score better.

​Common Mistakes to Avoid

• ​Failing the Time Requirement: Do not try to bypass the 75% protected non-clinical time requirement. If your Department Chair’s letter says you will be in the clinic 3 days a week (60% clinical), your application will be disqualified.
• ​Budgeting for Unallowable Costs: Requesting funds for institutional indirect costs (overhead) or student tuition remission will flag your application as non-compliant.
• ​Ignoring Formatting Rules: Using a font size smaller than 11pt, ignoring margin requirements, or exceeding page limits will result in an administrative rejection before peer review even begins.
• ​Missing the Internal Institutional Deadline: Your university's grant office usually needs your final proposal 5 to 14 days before the ALSF deadline to process the institutional signature. Plan accordingly.

​Application Timeline

​ALSF grants follow a rigorous, months-long peer review process. While dates shift slightly from year to year, here is the verified timeline framework for the 2026 funding cycle.

Deadline

​Deadlines for ALSF grants are strictly enforced at 8:00 PM Eastern Time on the date of submission.

• ​POST Program 2026: February 17, 2026
• ​'A' Award 2026: June 16, 2026
• ​Young Investigator Grant: Mid-December annually.

​FAQs

​1. Do I need extensive preliminary data to apply for the 'A' Award?

While some preliminary data helps prove feasibility, ALSF specifically looks to fund innovative, high-risk ideas that might not yet have the extensive data required for an NIH R01 grant. The focus is on transformative potential.

​2. I am a medical student outside the U.S. and Canada. Can I apply for the POST program?

No. While you do not need to be a U.S. or Canadian citizen, the research itself must be conducted under a mentor at a U.S. or Canadian institution.

​3. Will ALSF pay for my institution's overhead (indirect costs)?

No. For the grants outlined in this guide ('A' Award, Young Investigator, POST), ALSF does not allow indirect costs. 100% of the funds must go toward direct research costs (salary, supplies, equipment).

​4. Can I apply if I research cancers that affect both young adults and older adults?

Your proposal must have a primary focus on pediatric/childhood cancers (patients typically under 19 years of age). Proposals focused solely or primarily on adult populations will be administratively rejected.

​5. What is the NIH Salary Cap?

ALSF adheres to the NIH salary cap. This means if you are budgeting for investigator salary, the base salary used to calculate your requested percentage of effort cannot exceed the current executive level cap set by the NIH for that fiscal year.

​Official Link(s)

• ​ALSF Applicants Portal & Guidelines: Get more details

​Final Thoughts

​For the global audience at MedOpportunities, the grants provided by Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation represent a golden ticket into the elite echelons of pediatric oncology research. Whether you are an IMG fellow striving to establish your academic footprint in North America, or a medical student hungry for your first major laboratory experience, ALSF provides the financial backing and the prestige necessary to elevate your career.

​Grant writing is a marathon, not a sprint. Start the conversation with your mentors early, secure your institutional backing well in advance, and craft a narrative that proves your science has the power to change the lives of children battling cancer.