The Lundin Cancer Fund-Canadian Cancer Society Glioblastoma Research Program 

Expert review will be a three-step process.

Step 1:

All Applicants will be required to register in the GBM Collaborative to be eligible for this funding program, registration is completed once the Code of Conduct for the GBM collaborative is signed and sent to program lead. Registration will give researchers access to the SharePoint folder designated for the funding program. 

Letters of Intent (LOIs) should be sent to the GBM research program lead (arthur.dantas@cancer.ca). The program lead will then anonymize the LOIs and post them on the collaborative’s SharePoint space for feedback. After the closing deadline, applications will be open for all members of the community for 30 days, in which community members will be able to provide feedback to the LOIs. Three assigned reviewers will be designated for each application to ensure all applications receive feedback. The reviewers, like the LOIs, will be anonymized at this stage and one of the reviewers will be a Person with Lived/Living Experience; these reviewers will also vote on whether an applicant should be invited to submit a full proposal (with the final decision being determined by majority or the Advisory Committee in cases of ambiguity). It is important to remember that while the collaborative members reviewing applications will represent a broad area of expertise, they may not necessarily have an in-depth understanding of a particular specialty. Structured feedback from assigned reviewers will form the primary basis of evaluation; additional community comments are considered supplementary. 

Step 2:

Shortlisted LOIs will be invited to submit a full application, which will also be sent to the program lead (arthur.dantas@cancer.ca) so they can be deposited on the SharePoint space. These applications will be open for feedback from the entire community as well. The three reviewers that assessed the application on step 1 will also be asked to provide feedback and commentary on the full application. This process aims to generate community engagement and allow applications to improve through peer feedback before a final funding decision is made. Community feedback is intended to be developmental and may reflect a range of perspectives. Divergent feedback is expected and reflects the diversity of expertise within the Collaborative. Applicants are encouraged to exercise scientific judgment in how this feedback is interpreted and addressed. Considering the developmental intention of this stage, neither the full applications nor the reviewers will be anonymized at this stage.

Applicants will then have an opportunity to address the feedback provided and strengthen their proposal before the Research Program’s advisory committee makes a final decision on the funding status. Feedback will be addressed in a short response‑to‑feedback document, all feedback provided can be addressed, however only feedback from the reviewers will be mandatory to be addressed by the applicant.

Step 3:

The Research Program’s Advisory Committee will receive a final package comprised of the original proposal, feedback from community and reviewers, and a response-to-feedback document. They will meet to review and rank applications based on the combination of the novelty and potential impact of the idea, as well as the scientific merit and feasibility of the experimental work proposed.

LOIs will be submitted to the program lead (arthur.dantas@cancer.ca). Only LOIs submitted by email, by the deadline date at 5 pm, will be accepted. The LOI process is mandatory.

LOI proposals are limited to 6000 characters (including spaces) with no references, graphs or figures. LOI submissions will include applicant details on the front page (Principal Investigators, Co-Applicants, Additional Authors, Host Institution) for administrative purposes, these personal identifiers will be removed prior to review to enable the community and reviewers to focus solely on the originality, feasibility, timeliness, and potential impact of the proposed idea. Reviewers will provide feedback using structured prompts focused on importance, feasibility, risks, and opportunities for improvement. Advancement decisions are based on the collective signal from assigned reviewers, compiled by staff and confirmed by the Advisory Committee. At the LOI stage, reviewers will also be anonymized. 

All personal or institutional identifiers must be absent in the text of your LOI proposal.  Failure to meet this requirement will result in your application being rejected.

The purpose of the LOI is to provide reviewers and the community with the following:

• A public lay summary of the proposed study, which will be reviewed and evaluated for clarity and content. This section must be readily accessible to non-experts.
• A clear description of how the proposal represents a novel, bold and intriguing idea that has not yet been explored.
• A justification as to why now is the time to undertake this work and why it has not been done previously.
• A high-level summary of the approach to be taken and the resources required.
• A description of exactly how the proposed project could, if successful, revolutionize detection and/or treatment of GBM.

For this competition, there is a limit of one application per nominated Principal Investigator or co-Principal Investigator. Applications from Early- and Mid-Career Researchers (within 15 years of their first academic appointment) are strongly encouraged. In addition, transdisciplinary approaches, are also strongly encouraged. Only the LOIs that are qualified by the assigned reviewers will be invited to submit a full application.

Any significant changes to the proposed project or applicant team after the LOI deadline should be communicated to CCS staff (arthur.dantas@cancer.ca) as soon as they are known. Substantive changes that significantly alter the overall goals and aims of the proposal relative to the LOI are not permitted. 

The full application will not be anonymized. The application should contain no more than 6 pages of single-spaced text and up to 3 additional pages of figures/tables/charts/budget and associated legends. It is expected that the feedback provided during the LOI stage is addressed during the full proposal if applicable. Neither the reviewers, nor the applications are anonymized at this stage. The full application should contain:

1. A public summary in lay terminology of the proposed research that demonstrates how the research could lead to game-changing improvements in GBM detection and treatment and why these changes are needed (approximately ½ page).
2. A scientific abstract that clearly states the aims of the overall proposal, experimental design(s), methods and analysis plans (approximately ½ page).
3. A clear description of the work to be performed, how the proposed research represents an original and novel approach, how it could generate early evidence to improve the way we diagnose and/or treat GBM (approximately 3 pages).
4. Considerations regarding sex and/or gender and/or diversity (approximately 1/3 page).
5. A detailed plan to engage the GBM collaborative during the project, either through updates, data sharing, feedback request, etc. The Canadian Cancer Society will organize a webinar at the 6-month mark post fund awarded with the award-winning groups. Other engagement mechanisms proposed by the applicants are encouraged (approximately 1/2 page).
6. A budget and justification for supplies, expenses, personnel and equipment to conduct the proposed research. This must include the number of personnel required to complete the work and a description of their experience and/or education level (separate space within the figures and charts).

LOIs will be posted on SharePoint for 30 days for community feedback. Assigned reviewers will also have the same overlapping 30 days to provide the requested feedback to the LOI. CCS staff will then compile the feedback and data and invite applicants that are approved to submit a full application. Applicants will have 30 days to submit a full application.

After submission of full application, this will be available for community and reviewer feedback for an additional 30 days (feedback at this step is non decisional). Applicants will be given two weeks to address feedback and submit a modified application in addition to a response to feedback document. The advisory committee will then review the full documentation and provide a decision on the funding. The advisory committee will meet to evaluate the proposals submitted and will score and rank the proposals according to novelty, scientific feasibility, and potential impact on GBM.

The review criteria for the applications will include but not necessarily be restricted to the following:

• The originality, timeliness, and feasibility of the proposed work
• The potential for impact in GBM detection and/or treatment
• The scientific rationale and unique aspects of the proposed research
• The appropriateness of the methods for the focus of the research
• The appropriateness of the qualifications and experience of the investigators leading and participating in the project
• The appropriate incorporation of sex as a biological variable and/or gender as a social determinant of health, where applicable 

The Canadian Cancer Society is the national health charity with an unstoppable determination to unite people to change the future of cancer. Our ambitious approach to funding world-leading cancer research, our powerful influence shaping a healthier society and our deep commitment to provide compassionate support to all who need it are unparalleled. But nothing big gets solved by one person or one organization. To take on cancer, it takes all of us. It takes a society. Together, we can make life better today and transform the future of cancer forever

The Lundin Cancer Fund advances the vision of its founders to transform cancer research through bold, innovative approaches and increased awareness. Established in response to the unmet needs observed during Lukas Lundin’s illness, the Fund is dedicated to supporting cutting-edge research and clinical innovation worldwide. With a strong emphasis on collaboration, the Lundin Cancer Fund invests in initiatives that accelerate discovery, expand global data sharing, and push the boundaries of what is possible in cancer research.

Dr. Susan Chang is an internationally recognized neuro-oncologist and a leading authority in the management and research of glioblastoma. As a Principal Investigator in the Brain Tumor Center and Co-Leader of the Neuro-Oncology Program at the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Dr. Chang has demonstrated exceptional leadership in multidisciplinary clinical care, translational research, and strategic program development. Her expertise is further underscored by her role as principal investigator on NIH-funded projects focused on optimizing glioblastoma patient outcomes. Dr. Chang’s career is distinguished by her commitment to advancing innovative therapies and evidence-based approaches for brain tumor patients. She brings a wealth of experience in clinical trial design, patient-centered research, and collaborative leadership, having trained at leading institutions including the University of British Columbia, Toronto General Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital, and UCSF. Her ability to foster cross-institutional partnerships and guide complex research initiatives makes her uniquely qualified to chair an advisory committee dedicated to accelerating progress in glioblastoma research.

John Bell is a Senior Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and Professor in the Departments of Medicine, Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology at the University of Ottawa. Internationally recognized as a pioneer in cancer immunotherapy, Dr. Bell has dedicated his career to developing innovative therapeutic strategies for some of the most challenging cancers. As Scientific Director of BioCanRx, a national network accelerating the development of biotherapeutics for cancer treatment, Dr. Bell has played a pivotal role in building Canada’s capacity for translational research and clinical manufacturing of advanced therapies. He is also Program Director for the Ontario Regional Biotherapeutics Program at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research.

Dr Hottinger is the founding director of the Brain and Spine Tumor Center at Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and the University of Lausanne, as well as director of the Lundin Family Brain Tumor Research Centre at CHUV. He holds dual board certifications in oncology and neurology, with clinical training completed at Lausanne University Hospital (internal medicine), Bern University Hospital (neurology), Geneva University Hospital (oncology), and a fellowship in neuro-oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York.
A graduate of the MSKCC Clinical Research Methodology Curriculum, Dr. Hottinger is a recognized expert in clinical trial design and execution, particularly in neuro-oncology. He leads the development of clinical trials within his institution and has served as principal investigator for numerous phase I–III studies, with a focus on innovative immunotherapeutic strategies. His research aims to optimize trial design to enhance therapeutic efficacy and translational impact.