THE RISK GAP IN CANCER RESEARCH: WHY PHILANTHROPY HAS TO LEAD

If a project is safe, it will get funded. If it’s bold, uncertain, or disruptive, it probably won’t. That’s the problem.

High-risk cancer research is exactly where the biggest breakthroughs often happen. But in most traditional funding models, the riskiest projects get pushed aside, not because they’re wrong, but because they don’t fit the system.

This is where philanthropy comes in. And this is why the JKTG Foundation exists.

WHY HIGH-RISK RESEARCH MATTERS

Science doesn’t move forward by doing the same thing with slightly better results. It moves when someone challenges the assumption, breaks the model, or tries something no one else is willing to fund. But that kind of research carries uncertainty. It’s harder to quantify. And it usually doesn’t come with a 12-month roadmap and a clear ROI.

For large funding institutions, whether it’s government grants or university systems, that kind of uncertainty becomes a liability. They avoid it. So what happens? The research sits. The questions go unanswered. The scientists with bold ideas go elsewhere, or stop trying altogether.

That’s the risk gap.

WHY PHILANTHROPY NEEDS TO DO MORE THAN FUND

At the JKTG Foundation, we don’t just fund research. We support researchers who are asking different questions, and we stay engaged. This means:

• Backing early-stage science with high potential but low initial proof

• Supporting translational research that bridges discovery and application

• Connecting scientists across disciplines who might never meet otherwise

• Asking hard questions about timelines, collaboration, and strategy, not just outcomes

We don’t wait for a proposal to land in our inbox. We identify areas where forward motion is stuck, and then ask what it would take to move.

Philanthropy is uniquely positioned to take these risks. We’re not bound by bureaucracy. We don’t answer to shareholders. And we’re not looking for credit. We’re looking for progress.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF DECISION-MAKING

The way most funding decisions get made is reactive. A proposal is submitted. A committee meets. A panel scores. A delay. A budget. Maybe next year. Meanwhile, patients are still waiting.

We believe that if you want to make a real impact in cancer research, you can’t afford to just support science. You have to drive it. That means choosing projects that aren’t already guaranteed to succeed. It means taking responsibility for the momentum, not just the money. And it means asking: what are we willing to risk to actually change the system?

WHAT WE’VE SEEN SO FAR

We’ve seen what’s possible when the risk gap is filled. Researchers who couldn’t get funding elsewhere have made measurable strides. Interdisciplinary partnerships have formed. And high-risk science has led to new ways of thinking about cancer metastasis, thanks to the kind of research we’re backing through the Giovanis Institute for Translational Cell Biology at Johns Hopkins.

That’s not an accident. It’s the result of intentional investment in questions that traditional structures tend to avoid.

FINAL THOUGHT

If you want to make headlines, fund what’s already popular. If you want to make an impact, fund what’s uncertain but necessary. High-risk cancer research is where tomorrow’s answers are hiding. And if philanthropy doesn’t lead, no one will.

That’s why we’re here.