Accelerating research to get new breast cancer treatments to patients faster
Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer Canada announce up to $9 million available for new research grant competition
Toronto, October 14, 2014 – Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF) is pleased to announce a new research grant competition and the launch of this collaboration’s first investment. This funding initiative will create the first Stand Up To Cancer Canada - Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Breast Cancer Dream Team, supported by CIBC, with up to $6 million available. In addition, as part of this competition, the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) will make available up to $3 million in supplemental funds to support clinical trial activities in the province of Ontario.
Stand Up To Cancer Canada - Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Breast Cancer Dream Team, supported by CIBC will focus the efforts of the Canadian research community on accelerating the pace of groundbreaking translational research, bringing new drugs or treatment approaches from bench to bedside faster. This program supports CBCF’s commitment to fund the best and brightest research minds in Canada.
“By bringing together some of the brightest minds across the research community, we have the opportunity to move research from 'the bench to the bedside' more quickly,” says Dr. David Hoskin, Professor and Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation-Atlantic Endowed Chair in Breast Cancer Research, Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University.
This area of focus was further supported by a survey in 2014 among more than 4,000 members of the breast cancer community that identified a need to hasten the completion of research on new, potentially more effective treatments, and to accelerate the testing of these discoveries.
The selected SU2C Canada - CBCF Breast Cancer Dream Team, supported by CIBC must develop a translational cancer research project that will address critical problems in breast cancer patient care and include new therapeutic interventions for breast cancer that would be expected to reduce progression and improve overall survival. The competition is designed to promote new collaborations among experts from a variety of disciplines and institutions across Canada.
“With more than 24,000 women in Canada diagnosed with breast cancer each year, a focus on improving new cancer treatments for patients will have a positive impact on thousands of women across the country,” says Dr. Ralph George, Medical Director, CIBC Breast Centre, St. Michael’s Hospital.
“CIBC is proud to support CBCF in this unique initiative that will bring together some of Canada’s top medical researchers in a Dream Team to fuel innovative treatment and research programs,” says Christina Kramer, CIBC’s Executive Vice-President of Retail and Business Banking. “With so many Canadian families affected by breast cancer, CIBC’s long-standing commitment to this cause is stronger than ever.”
Recipients will be announced in summer 2015. For more information on this funding opportunity please visit www.cbcf.org or email nationalgrants@cbcf.org.
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For more information, or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Nicole Curling
Senior Manager, Communications & Government Relations
ncurling@cbcf.org
416-815-1313 ext. 899
About Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation
Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF) is the leading community-driven organization in Canada dedicated to creating a future without breast cancer. Its investments in innovative and relevant research and education have led to progress in breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care. Since 1986, CBCF has been at the forefront of a nationwide movement supporting and advocating for the breast cancer community. For more information, visit www.cbcf.org.
About CIBC
CIBC is a leading Canadian-based global financial institution with nearly 11 million personal banking and business clients. With a strategic focus on Kids, Cures and Community, and employee commitment to causes, including the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure, the CIBC Children's Foundation and United Way, we are investing in the social and economic development of communities across the country. In 2013, CIBC contributed more than $41 million to 1,870 charitable and non-profit initiatives in over 430 communities. You can find other news releases and information about CIBC in our Media Centre on our corporate website at www.cibc.com.
About EIF Canada/Stand Up To Cancer Canada
EIF Canada, a Canadian registered charity founded by the U.S.-based Entertainment Industry Foundation, was established to conduct charitable programs in Canada addressing health and other issues. Stand Up To Cancer Canada (SU2C Canada) is a program of EIF Canada that raises funds to support innovative cancer research conducted in Canada, and to increase the Canadian public’s awareness about advances being made in treatment, prevention and other issues related to cancer.
About the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
OICR is an innovative cancer research and development institute dedicated to prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The Institute is an independent, not-for-profit corporation, supported by the Government of Ontario. OICR’s research supports more than 1,700 investigators, clinician scientists, research staff and trainees located at its headquarters and in research institutes and academia across the Province of Ontario. OICR has key research efforts underway in small molecules, biologics, stem cells, imaging, genomics, informatics, and bio-computing. For more information, please visit the website at www.oicr.on.ca.
