Program Overview
The CRI Clinical Innovator supports pioneering immunotherapy clinical trials designed and led by academic researchers. These investigator-initiated studies are vital to improving patient outcomes, addressing areas of high unmet need, and generating critical mechanistic insights that can guide the future of cancer treatment.
Focus and Scope
The CRI Clinical Innovator funds innovative phase I/II or phase II clinical studies with a strong emphasis on:
- Novel immunotherapy approaches
- Mechanistic investigations into clinical response
- The discovery and/or validation of predictive biomarkers
In an effort to maximize impact and ensure translational rigor, CRI may provide strategic guidance on trial design. CRI encourages data sharing through platforms such as the CRI iATLAS.
Applications are evaluated based on novelty, feasibility, scientific rationale, and potential for clinical impact. Competitive studies will integrate standardized approaches to sample collection, correlative assays, and advanced data analyses, ensuring that findings are reproducible, shareable, and impactful across the field.
By supporting clinician-scientists at the forefront of immunotherapy, the Clinical Innovator program advances clinical research that not only tests new therapies, but also deepens our understanding of the immune system’s role in cancer.