We fund six core programmes. Each with the child at the centre.

Core Programmes

1. Capital /Environment
A child's environment, facilities, parental spaces, gardens, physical environment. Capital programmes are funded through our engagement with hospital management teams prioritising key capital investments in areas of the hospital lacking modern spaces to manage children's health in an appropriate manner for infection control, dignity, privacy and well-being in recovery and treatment.

Current Projects:

• Nazareth’s
• Out Patient Department
• Transitional Care Unit Garden upgrade

2. Well-being/Support

Psycho social and holistic supports include patient & parent wrap around supports, to improve their experience when ill, giving them brighter days. These supports are managed using the CMRF Giggle fund, ongoing commitments to key supports like massage therapies and library running costs, and through the open grants round which allows staff from all areas to request funding for specific projects.

In addition, a series of key stakeholders are engaged in developing plans and requests for restricted fund access. Plans are formulated in conjunction with hospital engagement and funds drawn down from the agreed restricted fundraising areas.

Current Projects:

• Giggle Fund
• Julie Wren Complementary Therapy Centre
• Library
• Play therapy
• Diabetes nurse

3. Equipment and Tools

Diagnostic tools, equipment and technology are made available to doctors and care teams in the hospital to ensure that children can have the best chance. We provide funding for surgical supports, emergency or time bound surgeries and solutions.

Equipment and tools are funded on an annual basis from an agreed budget with the hospital for key urgent requirements across the hospital. Normal protocols are followed in context of the framework and purchasing tender process in the hospital. In addition further requests can be made from any department either from restricted funds, or open grants round, with buy in and agreement from the hospital and will be made available subject to funding, urgency and severity of need and considering numbers of children who will benefit over a period of time anticipated lifecycle/usage for this equipment. Surgical support for example supporting orthopaedic surgeries, which are outsourced primarily to the Private hospitals with CMRF partner Straight Ahead, is agreed with Straight Ahead key stakeholders, and CMRF Board and working in partnership with the hospital management team.

4. Discovery

Children's doctors’ and care teams’ knowledge, learning, development, development and training of research community and further access to incredible cutting edge technologies, approaches and strategies. Discovery programmes are managed through 3 key areas:

• Education supports for hospital staff

These funds are managed via open grants round or where restricted funds are available via an annual budgeting process. For example an annual fund of €40,000 is allocated for the training, development, conference attendance and training support of doctors, nurses and allied health professionals within the haematology area. A budget of €20,000 is allocation for cardiology from the restricted heart fund, and €10,000 may be allocated from diabetes parents group, all with agreement from the principal stakeholders who are usually the key fundraising champions of each fund.

• Clinical fellowship programme at NCRC

These fellowships are funded through agreement with the NCRC via their 3 year rolling plan and annual budget allocation process with the CMRF as a key cornerstone of the research strategy. The programme aims to discover the pioneers of the future, to ensure children benefit from cutting edge thinking and learning. Authority for selection of the relevant fellows is delegated by CMRF as the funder, to NCRC as the research expertise organisation, with all key processes in place to fund only the highest standards of research.

• Discovering breakthroughs in key childhood areas through leadership awards

These are used to fund professor roles for example UCD McGonnell Professor of Molecular Haemato Oncology. These leadership awards are funded through agreement with the NCRC via their three year rolling plan and annual budget process with the CMRF.

5. Leadership

Investments in insights, data and research infrastructure that develop research programmes about children's diseases, genes, in a state of the art lab. Funding for our leadership programme and infrastructure that underpins all research activity is funded through agreement with the NCRC via their three year rolling plan and annual budget allocation process with the CMRF.

This comprises the laboratory, management and administration costs, research capability and infrastructure. A proportion of these costs can be allocated to each of the key NCRC pillars, as research run from NCRC or nationally with NCRC funding cannot happen without these essential costs, often roles, including quality management.

6. Transformation

Research programmes into childhood disease offer brighter futures, better chances and hope. This is funded in agreement with the NCRC via their 3 year rolling plan and annual budget allocation process with the CMRF. We then work with restricted funds and new donors to align existing and new funding streams to key priority areas which have been agreed with the NCRC board as follows:

• Paediatric Cancer
• Gastroenterology
• Congenital malformation
• Childhood obesity and diabetes
• Immunology, inflammation and infection – including Cystic Fibrosis
• Autism
• Neonatology
• Cardiology

With vital research into the following areas:

• Childhood cancer research
• Fighting infection and protecting children
• Cystic Fibrosis