LEAP Grant Program Overview
The RUNX1 Research Program and the American Cancer Society (ACS) have partnered to make a demonstrable leap forward in the pursuit of cancer interception and prevention treatments for patients with RUNX1-FPD. The grant mechanism is called Leukemia Exploration and Prevention, or LEAP, to symbolize this overarching goal.
Grant proposals are investigator-initiated and pursue questions specifically designed to enable the discovery of cancer interception or prevention therapies for RUNX1-FPD HMs.
Applicants for the LEAP grant program must propose a research project in one of the two areas of focus below:
The first area is focused on deepening our understanding of the mechanisms that cause each leukemogenic step, beginning with germline RUNX1-mutated hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) that acquire deleterious somatic mutations and expand over time, culminating in overt RUNX1-mutated leukemia. Projects should consider experimental designs that address both cell-autonomous and cell-nonautonomous factors.
The second area of the LEAP grant program is committed to supporting high-risk projects with strong scientific rationale to pursue a cancer interception treatment. Projects could focus on preclinical studies and/or clinical trials designed to test innovative approaches to treatment. This can include repurposing existing regulatory-approved treatments or novel therapeutics. The intent here is to act on behalf of the urgency felt by the patient community.