Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Desmoid Tumour Foundation of Canada (DFC)

The Desmoid Tumour Foundation of Canada (DFC) is a registered Canadian charity focused exclusively on advancing research into desmoid tumours, a rare and locally aggressive soft tissue tumour. Created in 2016 from a personal connection to the disease, DFC mobilizes donations from individuals, companies and special events and channels these funds into peer‑reviewed research projects in Canada and abroad. It positions itself as the only Canadian foundation dedicated to desmoid tumour research and to accelerating the discovery of more effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure.

DFC awards research grants to academic researchers and institutions working on key questions such as the cellular mechanisms that cause desmoid tumours, optimal medical and surgical approaches, and the development or repurposing of drugs like sorafenib and other targeted therapies. The foundation has publicly reported annual grant portfolios, including $85,000 CAD to a sorafenib-focused project in 2018 and $100,000 in grants in 2019 to teams at Ghent University (Belgium) and Stanford University (USA), sometimes in partnership with the U.S. Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation.

DFC’s funding decisions are informed by a medical advisory board composed of Canadian and international clinicians and scientists specializing in surgery, oncology, dermatology, gastroenterology and cancer research. This expert group helps define research priorities, review proposals and guide the organization’s overall research strategy. For certain calls, multiple proposals are reviewed and a preferred project is selected for funding based on scientific merit and expected impact for patients with desmoid tumours.

Beyond direct project grants, DFC also contributes to collaborative international initiatives such as mouse models that mirror human desmoid tumour genetics and large-scale drug screening and dependency mapping projects. By supporting multi‑institutional collaborations and cross-border studies, the foundation aims to accelerate discovery and ensure that insights from desmoid tumour research can inform treatments for other cancers as well.

In addition to its funding role, DFC provides a framework for a support network for patients and families affected by desmoid tumours in Canada. Through information resources, events and communication with donors, DFC raises awareness of this rare cancer, highlights advances from the studies it funds and encourages ongoing engagement in its mission. The organization emphasizes that discoveries from desmoid tumour research may have broader oncology applications, increasing the potential impact of each funded grant.