2020 - Government Funds ZERO Expansion
01/01/2020
Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s Federal government provides $67 million funding for childhood cancer research, further expanding the ZERO program.
2021 - CAR T-Cell Trials for Tumours
01/01/2021
New CAR T-Cell Therapies for solid tumours enter clinical trials. Over a 14-year period, The Kids’ Cancer Project has invested approximately $4.5 million in CAR T-Cell and gene therapy research.
2023 - Col Reynolds Fellowships Announced
01/01/2023
Coinciding with its 30th anniversary, The Kids’ Cancer Project announces the inaugural Col Reynolds Fellowships, comprising a cohort of Australia’s most talented up and coming researchers. The announcement comes with a $7.6 million pledge to futureproof childhood cancer, as well as a new research strategy which explores the entire cancer continuum, ensuring kids with cancer survive and thrive.
2023 - Breakthrough in DIPG Research
01/01/2023
Australian researchers identify new drug targets for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), one of the deadliest paediatric brain tumours. The Kids’ Cancer Project has funded multiple DIPG research projects, including Professor Matt Dun at the University of Newcastle, which was the beneficiary of government funding announced in 2025.
2025 - $112M for Cancer Research
01/01/2025
The Federal Government provides $112 million funding for childhood cancer research, expanding the ZERO program to include adolescents and young adults.
In addition, children who received a ZERO-recommended treatment did significantly better than those who did not.
In addition, children who received a ZERO-recommended treatment did significantly better than those who did not.
2025 - Childhood Cancer Survival at 86%
01/02/2025
Childhood cancer five-year survival rates now sit at approximately 86% in Australia. The Kids’ Cancer Project is focused on future-proofing childhood cancer research by investing in cutting-edge research projects, such as:
- AI-driven drug discoveries
- Personalised, less toxic treatments based on multi-omics data
- Integration of nanotechnology for precise drug delivery
- Expansion of cancer vaccines for prevention/recurrence reduction
- AI-powered, fully personalised treatment protocols with minimal toxicity
- Bioprinting and lab-grown organoids for drug testing