On Aug. 5, 2020, the Cancer Research Institute (CRI), a U.S. nonprofit organization dedicated to the discovery and development of powerful immunotherapies for all cancers, awarded more than $30.2 million in research grants and fellowships in the 2020 fiscal year ending Jun. 30, 2020. In total, CRI gave 94 awards that will advance cancer immunology research at 56 institutions in 8 countries. This also includes an unprecedented six-month extension of funding support for 23 postdoctoral fellows in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

“While the novel coronavirus has upended all aspects of life across the globe, CRI and our scientists remain committed to fulfilling the promise of cancer immunotherapy,” said Jill O’Donnell-Tormey, PhD, CEO and director of scientific affairs at the Cancer Research Institute. “We’re proud to support these brilliant scientists and clinicians, especially our young researchers and future leaders, at a critical time in order to bring the benefits of immunotherapy to more cancer patients.”

To help advance immunotherapy for two types of ultra-rare cancer, chordoma and fibrolamellar cancer, which affect the bones of the spine and the liver, respectively, the Cancer Research Institute has partnered with two nonprofits focused on these diseases to fund promising research aimed at improving outcomes for patients with these cancers.