$10 million commitment expands national CoLab programme
My Room Children’s Cancer Charity has committed $10 million to Children’s Cancer CoLab, lifting total pledged funding to $55 million for childhood cancer research in Australia.
The funding pool now includes $10 million from My Room, $10 million from Children’s Cancer Foundation and $35 million from the Victorian Government.
Children’s Cancer CoLab is Australia’s first independent, collaborative childhood cancer research funder. It backs a nationally coordinated approach to research and innovation.
The programme targets the hardest-to-treat cancers, relapsed disease and cases where survival rates have stalled. More of the strongest childhood and adolescent cancer projects now have a chance of funding.
Each year, more than 1,000 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer in Australia. However, only 19 targeted cancer drugs have ever been approved for children, compared with more than 100 for adults.
Scientific Advisory Committee oversight
A national and international Scientific Advisory Committee oversees funding decisions. It is supported by more than 40 scientific reviewers and 14 lived-experience reviewers.
Margaret Zita OAM, chief executive of My Room, said the charity backed CoLab because its funding model is independent, strategic and scientifically rigorous.
She said My Room knows how to fundraise and support families, but does not have the expertise to review and manage a large national research portfolio on its own. Because of CoLab’s governance and accountability, she said donors can be confident the $10 million will go to high-impact research.
The partnership was announced for release on 2 August 2026. It marks a major step for CoLab as it scales up research support across Australia.
Meanwhile, CoLab chief executive Dr Udani Reets called the deal a defining moment for the childhood cancer sector. She said the partnership could help more children with cancer in Australia survive and thrive.
With two of Australia’s largest childhood cancer charities now backing CoLab, the organisation expects to fund more promising research nationwide. As a result, teams working on new treatments may be able to move discoveries closer to clinical use.
