Our History

Home » About CureSearch » Our History

For more than 25 years, CureSearch has played a vital role in finding research breakthroughs for children’s cancer. Since our founding, we’ve been steadfastly committed to ending childhood cancer by helping children receive the treatment they need to survive, while also supporting their families.

Formally incorporated in 1987 as the Orion Medical Sciences Institute, CureSearch’s role was to facilitate medical research to advance treatments for children’s cancer on behalf of the Children’s Cancer Study Group, a research collaborative funded by the National Cancer Institute. The organization was also charged with raising charitable funds for such research. In 1992, the organization’s name was changed to National Childhood Cancer Foundation (NCCF) to more accurately reflect its national scope and focus on children’s cancer.

In 2000, the Children’s Cancer Study Group merged with three other children’s research collaboratives, the Pediatric Oncology Group, Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Group, and the National Wilms Study Tumor Group. From these four legacy groups, the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) was formed.

At the same time, NCCF became the federal grantee, fiscal and administrative agent, and fundraising and advocacy organization on behalf of the COG. Today, the COG remains the largest cooperative children’s cancer research entity in the world, with more than 210 member hospitals and over 7,000 physicians, nurses and other researchers. In the United States, COG member hospitals treat 90% of children with cancer.

In January 2010, National Childhood Cancer Foundation adopted a national voluntary health model which included opening 8 offices across the nation and organizing grassroots fundraising events and activities to raise money for children’s cancer research. To better align itself with a grassroots constituency and communicate the organization’s mission through its name, NCCF became CureSearch for Children’s Cancer.

During 2011-2012, CureSearch for Children’s Cancer ended its role as federal grantee, fiscal and administrative agent, and exclusive fundraising organization for the COG. This change coincided with a change in COG Principle Investigators and the Foundation’s expansion to fund research beyond clinical trials.

Today, our mission is to end childhood cancer by driving targeted and innovative research with measurable results in an accelerated time frame. To do this, we fund scientific research to challenge the status quo and promote collaboration to push the children’s cancer research field closer to finding cures.

Building on 30 years of experience, we successfully fund young investigator, translational and clinic-ready research by ensuring the highest-level screening process, demanding milestones are met, and delivering patient-centered results as we drive toward new, less toxic therapies.

We do this on a global scale, because great ideas can come from many parts of the world. We convene international key players from science and academia, pharmaceutical companies, and regulatory agencies to overcome the barriers to delivering new therapies. Together, with support from our generous donors, corporate partners and event participants, we drive forward our collective goal of creating a world where children with cancer can lead long and healthy lives.

Pin It on Pinterest

Scroll to Top