Texas voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment in 2007 establishing the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) authorizing the state to issue $3 billion in bonds to fund groundbreaking cancer research and prevention programs in Texas.The Carson Leslie Foundation (CLF) was established in 2010 to honor one of Carson’s last wishes. Annette Leslie, (Carson’s mom) was invited to serve on CPRIT’s Advisory Committee on Childhood Cancer soon after CLF was established.
It became apparent that CPRIT and CLF sympathies line up in regards to the necessity of pediatric cancer research. So, CPRIT and CLF have established a partnership, The Carson Leslie Research Grants for Pediatric Brain Cancer Research. Both CPRIT and CLF are committed to maintaining extremely high standards in choosing the recipient(s) of the grants and both consider it a unique opportunity to help stimulate great scientific thinking within childhood brain tumor research.
Applications may be basic, translational, or clinical in their orientation, but they must be clearly relevant to brain cancer in children and/or adolescents. One of Carson’s last wishes was to donate his brain for research into the causes and treatment of pediatric brain cancer. In keeping with his wish, fixed tissue, DNA, and cell lines are available from Carson’s tumors. Applications that would benefit scientifically from the use of this material may request access, with justification.
CLF will provide seed money and CPRIT is prepared to fully fund as many pediatric brain cancer research grant proposals that CPRIT’s scientific review committee deems A+. Grants may be funded for 3 years with up to $500,000 each year. Theoretically each grant could receive $1.5 million.
The Carson Leslie Foundation is especially excited about this collaboration with CPRIT for several reasons: (1) CLF’s funds will be tremendously leveraged, (2) we are keeping our promise to our boy, but mostly because (3) disgusting cancer is the #1 disease killer of children.
And just maybe hidden among those tumors that invaded Carson’s brain are some answers that a brilliant scientist needs to find a cure from pediatric brain cancer.
