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 The KickCancer Foundation
KickCancer is a foundation of public interest, established in 2017, whose mission is to cure every child with cancer.

The foundation pursues this mission by:
  • Supporting scientific, clinical and fundamental research on childhood cancers, at the Belgian and European levels;
  • More generally, promoting and developing all activities in the field of curing childhood cancers and medical follow-up of treatments, before and after the remission.

 Objective and scope of the Grant
The KickCancer Clinical Investigator Grants (KCIG) intend to allow clinicians to devote half of their working time to carry research activities in paediatric haemato-oncology and provide a substitute to perform the clinical duties.

 Main features of the Grant
The KCIG will be granted to clinicians of any nationality working in an eligible organisation in Belgium to develop a research activity in the field of paediatric haemato-oncology.

1. Duration and reporting:
KCIG duration is 2 years renewable 4 times max. upon the positive evaluation of a biennial progress report. Former fellows are entitled to reapply an unlimited number of times.

2. Financial provisions:
The KCIG is intended to replace 50% of the grantee clinical duties with a compensation up to a maximum of EUR 70,000/year intended to hire a substitute to perform the clinical duties.

This sum is reimbursed by KickCancer to the university hospital after it has submitted:
  • Evidence of the recruitment of a paediatric haemato-oncologist for a part-time position (min. 5/11 FTE) in replacement of the grantee.
  • A declaration (signed by the grantee, the director of the university hospital, and the head of the department concerned) confirming that the grantee has been released from their clinical duties to enable them to carry out research activities in the frame of the KCIG, and that they will be re-employed full time in their original position at the end of it. Should the applicant be a PhD student, this declaration additionally must be signed by the applicant’s academic promotor at the eligible host organisation.
  • The claim/invoice with supporting documents (monthly pay slips of the grantee)
The maximum amount of EUR 70,000/year, paid by KickCancer to the university hospital, must be spent exclusively on the support of the clinical substitute in accordance with the conditions set out in the regulations.
 
In addition to the EUR 70,000/year, an amount of maximum EUR 10,000/year will be available as compensation for other costs (bench fees) associated with the Grant.

3. Eligible expenses:
Cost includes salary cost but does not include on-call duties nor overheads.

Bench fees can be used for the purchase and financing of all items that are directly related to the research activities of the KCIG holders. Costs for which bench fees can be used encompass the following:

  • Purchase costs for items of lasting value and useful for the research (equipment, computers, books, etc.). Upon termination of the grant, those items become the property of the university hospital. The grantee is required to comply with the purchasing policy of the university hospital;
  • Costs of consumables (reagents, test animals or plants, chemicals, etc.);
  • Operating expenditures (based on invoice, internal note, or final statement) for photocopies, searches and data traffic (mail/internet);
  • The remuneration of persons not subject to the social security system who participate in the awarded research (based on invoice or internal note);
  • Travel and accommodation expenses in Belgium and abroad, excluding daily commuting expenses;
  • Costs for a CO2 contribution linked to research-related air travel to and from abroad by the KCIG holder;
  • Fees for stays and participation in conferences abroad provided they are in line with the awarded research;
  • Publication costs for articles with the grantee as first author or last author (or as co-author on the basis of a reasonable cost-sharing);
  • Printing costs of the PhD grantee’s thesis;
  • Access to and dissemination of research results.

4. Portabilty:
The grantees can keep the benefit of their KCIG if they transfer their research activities to another eligible organisation. The KCIG cannot follow the grantee if they transfer their research activities to a private company or abroad. (Inter)national mobility (eg. a short research stay at a partner lab) is authorized in the frame of the Grant provided that the grantees maintain their affiliation to an eligible organisation. 

Schedule of the Call

  • Opening of the call: 1st December 2025
  • Deadline: 2nd March 2026
  • Panel meeting: 28th May 2026
  • Award ceremony: ?
  • Start of the Grant: 2nd October 2026

Documents Of The Call

  • Regulations
  • Guide for applicants
  • Application form (scientific part)

The call is closed