What Happens After I Donate to the OSI?

See the life cycle of a research grant — from your initial donation to the Osteosarcoma Institute to research being conducted in the lab or clinic.

Your donation to the Osteosarcoma Institute (OSI) is more than a contribution — it is a direct investment in research aimed at improving outcomes for patients with this rare and aggressive cancer. What happens after you click “donate”? How does your support turn into real-world advancements?

At the OSI, every dollar directly supports osteosarcoma research and programming aimed at improving survival and quality of life for osteosarcoma patients. Through a rigorous grant-making process, the OSI maximizes every contribution to fund the most promising projects and drive meaningful progress.

The Best Potential for Impact

Thanks to the QuadW Osteosarcoma Designated Fund of Communities Foundation of Texas, which covers the OSI’s administrative costs, 100% of donations made to the OSI are directed to osteosarcoma research and programming.

Most of these funds turn into research grants that support groundbreaking projects aimed at improving osteosarcoma survival. Our grant cycle is designed to identify and support innovative research with the highest potential for impact.

“Our goal is to fund research that advances our basic understanding of the biology of osteosarcoma treatment but also that this understanding has a clear path toward bringing better treatments to our patients in the near future,” says OSI Director Lee J. Helman, MD.

What sets the OSI apart is the unmatched expertise of its scientific review committee. The committees are led by two renowned osteosarcoma experts: Dr. Helman, a leader in osteosarcoma research, and Chand Khanna, DVM, PhD, chair of the OSI’s Strategic Advisory Board, who brings decades of experience in both human and veterinary oncology. Recognizing the value of comparative research, the review committees include veterinary specialists to evaluate canine osteosarcoma studies, which provide critical insights into human disease.

“Our reviewers bring diverse perspectives and a deep understanding of the unique challenges in osteosarcoma research,” Dr. Khanna says. “This ensures that every project we fund has the potential to advance science and, ultimately, improve outcomes for patients and their families.”

Funding Innovation at All Stages of Osteosarcoma Research

To tackle the challenges of osteosarcoma, the OSI strategically funds projects across a broad spectrum of research. Through our grant cycle, we consider proposals that address critical gaps in the understanding, treatment, and management of osteosarcoma. These projects fall into four categories, each designed to advance science at different stages.

Clinical trials: Evaluating new therapeutic interventions to improve event-free survival, particularly in relapsed or metastatic cases. Budget is up to $800,000 over two to three years.
Correlative science: Enhancing clinical studies by aligning the study of patient samples with high priority research questions. Budget is between $250,000 and $500,000 over two years.
Preclinical/translational research: Bridging lab discoveries to clinical applications. Budget is up to $500,000 over two years.
High-risk/high-impact research: Supporting bold ideas with transformative potential. Budget is between $25,000 and $125,000 over one year.

Supporting Osteosarcoma Researchers Beyond Funding

At the OSI, our grant process extends beyond awarding funds. We provide every investigator with detailed feedback to help them refine and improve their ideas — even if their projects are not selected for funding by the OSI.

“We are proud of our scientific rigor and convinced that the OSI grants will ultimately lead to progress in the treatment for patients with osteosarcoma.” — Lee Helman, MD

“Even when a project is not funded, we see value in helping researchers move closer to breakthroughs that can benefit osteosarcoma patients,” says Amy Lobner, MPH, CCRC, scientific program manager at the OSI. “Whether investigators use feedback to resubmit their proposal to us, another organization, or, better yet, the NIH, it benefits the entire osteosarcoma community.”

A Global Reach with Growing Interest

The OSI’s grant cycle attracts a steadily increasing number of high-quality proposals from researchers around the world. In 2024, the OSI received 37 letters of intent (LOIs) — a significant jump from earlier years.

“It is inspiring to see how much interest and innovation our grant cycle attracts,” says Chelsey Blanks, the OSI’s operations manager. “Not only are we receiving more submissions each year, but they are of higher and higher quality.”

Long-Term Commitment to Funded Projects

Funding a project is just the beginning. The OSI maintains a long-term commitment to the success of every funded initiative by closely monitoring progress through regular updates and financial accountability.

“We are proud of our scientific rigor and convinced that the OSI grants will ultimately lead to progress in the treatment for patients with osteosarcoma,” Dr. Helman says.

This hands-on approach ensures that research remains on track and that results are shared with the broader scientific community, amplifying the impact of each grant. For named studies funded through the OSI’s Partnering for Progress funds, the partnering family or foundation also gets to hear regular updates about the research study’s progress.

The OSI Difference

While the annual grant cycle is central to the OSI’s work, discretionary funding allows the OSI to act quickly on unique opportunities, such as the OMO-103 clinical trial. This adaptability sets the OSI apart and ensures we never miss a critical chance at progress.

When you donate to the OSI, you are helping to move science forward, support researchers, and give hope to patients and families. Learn more about the OSI’s grant process or make a gift today to advance osteosarcoma research.