Clinical trials are a core component of healthcare innovation, as they provide critical information on the safety, effectiveness and appropriateness of treatments or interventions. Clinical trials enable us to improve outcomes for our patients and can provide access to new approaches to treatment for patients – which is particularly important for patients with hard-to-treat cancers. However, despite these benefits, clinical trials for children, adolescents and young adults (CAYA) with cancer in Canada are relatively sparse.

‘Investigator-initiated trials’ (IITs) are a type of academic clinical trial that are developed and led by an academic clinician/researcher with support from their respective institution (as opposed to ‘consortia-sponsored trials’ that are led by academic groups, or ‘industry-sponsored trials’ that are led by a pharmaceutical or medical device company). Currently, IITs make up a very small proportion of the clinical trials in Canada, due, in part, to a lack of institutional support or expertise to plan and execute an IIT.

In the near-term, this initiative will directly support Canadian investigators in the development of their own clinical trials by identifying promising early clinical trial concepts of benefit to Canada’s CAYA community and directly assist in developing them into competitive funding proposals or fully-fledged clinical trial protocols. This support will not be limited to trials evaluating drug interventions – any early Canadian investigator-led trial concept for a clinical trial that evaluates any intervention(s) (e.g., radiation, surgery, supportive care intervention) will be eligible for consideration. This support will directly increase the number of clinical trials for CAYA with cancer in Canada over the next few years.

In the longer-term, this initiative will also provide critical support to Canadian investigators in the development of future clinical trials through the creation of an IIT toolkit that equips investigators with the essential documents and resources needed to develop a clinical trial proposal or protocol. This toolkit that will be made available and easily accessible to the pediatric cancer clinical trials community in Canada. This will build longer-term expertise – expanding the number of investigators and institutions capable of developing and leading IITs across the country.

Increased expertise, potentially with new lead trial investigators and institutions, will strengthen Canada’s collective capacity to develop, initiate and lead novel IITs that serve our Canadian pediatric cancer community. And by strengthening this capacity, this initiative will help ensure that children with cancer and their families in Canada have access to the latest advances in cancer care – here at home.

 

To submit a clinical trial concept for consideration, please complete the following Concept Submission Form. Completed forms and accompanying research proposals should be submitted via email to Tricia Schneider.

The submission deadline is Monday, November 17, 2025 12 PM ET

 

To serve on the Review Committee that evaluates trial concepts submitted for consideration, please contact Tricia Schneider. As the Review Committee(s) will include pediatric oncologists, clinical research professionals and PWLE, all interested individuals are invited to serve.

The deadline to indicate your interest is Wednesday, November 19, 2025 12 PM ET