Research update- September 2021

In June we were delighted to receive notice that we had passed the 2020 audit by the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC). This assesses our peer-review process, by which we award funding in our UK and international grant calls, against the five standards of good practise; accountability, balance, independence, rotation and impartiality. Having a robust peer-review at the heart of our research work allows us to fund projects at the highest quality, and in the fairest way with the need of children foremost. An incredible amount of work went into the audit by our research team, so we are very proud to be part of the 68% of charities who passed without needing further review.

Another exciting date in the Solving Kids’ Cancer diary is the Neuroblastoma Parent Global Symposium, which will be held this year on 5th & 6th November! Our annual parent conferences have been a flagship of our work for several years now, giving the opportunity for parents and families to connect with clinicians and researchers to understand more about the complex landscape around neuroblastoma, and share their own perspectives.  

We were determined not to be stopped by the pandemic last year, so hosted the inaugural virtual Neuroblastoma Parent Global Symposium, allowing us to reach even further to an international audience. Due to the success of the online event and with the safety of families in mind, we will be continuing with this format for the 2021 conference, and look forward to seeing many of your there. Registration is now open at: https://www.nbparentsymposium.com/

Despite the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have maintained our mission of initiating research focused on the needs of children, particularly those based in the UK. This is why we are progressing our UK-based funding call to be launched later this year. We know that building the portfolio of neuroblastoma research in the UK is incredibly important, and that the current lack of options to access treatment outside of standard therapy here in the UK is a major source of frustration and heartache for us all. 

Discussions within the research team and our wider network are underway to decide on the terms of this years grant call. As always we are striving to use the resources we have available to us most effectively, and will be asking for applications focused on UK-specific initiatives, looking for those that will have the biggest impact for children. We look forward to sharing more on this important work as it progresses.