The American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative
Lung Cancer Screening Innovation Challenge
A free, international high-school science competition to promote medical research, policy, and advocacy in lung cancer screening.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. and worldwide.
Patients who are diagnosed with lung cancer at an early stage due to frequent and accessible lung cancer screening are 50% more likely to survive. However, only 1 in 15 eligible individuals receive lung cancer screening. The American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative is an international organization dedicated to spreading lung cancer screening awareness.
The ALCSI Innovation Challenge is an opportunity for high school students to learn about and advance the field of lung cancer. In the fall, individuals will meet with community leaders and healthcare experts to develop project proposals. Accepted projects will receive funding and mentorship during the spring, and selected finalists will be invited to present at the final Summit in Boston, MA.
ALCSI Innovation Challenge Timeline
Fall Enrichment
September - November | 2025
Regardless of interest in completing a project during the spring, join webinars and discussions with ALCSI members, healthcare activists and professionals, and fellow students from across the country to learn about lung cancer risk factors, progression, screening, diagnosis, and awareness.
Drafting Project Proposals
November - December 31 | 2025
Students (individual or team) will submit a proposal for funding and mentorship of a project relating to lung cancer screening and awareness. From community events and local policy to original research and announcements on national television, there are many ways to make an impact! Please see the challenge guidelines below for details on categories, formatting, and review criteria. Challenge staff will be available to meet virtually with teams to help draft proposals.
Innovation Challenge
January - April | 2025
Selected teams are assigned a mentor with experience in their project field and funding based on the budgets described in their proposals. Teams attend weekly meetings with their mentors and the rest of the competition cohort. Students and challenge coordinators also meet to discuss progress and any additional support that may be needed.
Final Presentations
May 1 - 7 | 2025
Teams present their progress to members of the ALCSI community, and together they create actionable frameworks for students to continue expanding their projects. All students will receive loads of swag and recognition for their completion of the challenge. Teams showing exceptional dedication and innovation in their projects will be designated as finalists and invited to present at the summit.
Challenge Summit
June 10 - 15 | 2025
Finalists are invited to an all-expenses paid trip to Boston, Massachusetts staffed by local ALCSI members to attend and present at the One Up Lung Cancer Screening Summit. Besides the summit, students will engage in campus tours with ALCSI college students, shadowing in Boston's renowned hospitals, community events, social outings, and more.
After completing The ALCSI Innovation Challenge, students are encouraged to continue expanding their projects. Participants are always welcome to reconnect with challenge mentors and speakers and join other ALCSI initiatives, as well as return to serve as mentors for the next year's challenge.
Registration and Submission
Registration
All students who would like to participate in the challenge, regardless of whether they plan on completing a project proposal, must register in advance in order to join webinars and discussions during the fall enrichment phase. Students are required to join every meeting and can find a schedule of events in the attached calendar to join those they are interested in. The deadline to register for the challenge is August 31, 2025.
Proposal Submission
Project categories, formatting templates, example project proposals and projects, and additional details to help teams create their project proposals can be found in the attached project proposal resources document. Once students have finished their proposals, only one individual per team should use the submission form to upload team member information and the finalized proposal file. The deadline to submit a project proposal is December 31, 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How many cents are in a dollar?100
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How many cents are in two dollars?200
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How many cents are in three dollars?300
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How many cents are in four dollars?400
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How many cents are in five dollars?500
Please email any additional questions to info@alcsi.org and allow up to 48 hours for a response.
We are grateful for the support of members from the following institutions:
Challenge updates will be regularly posted on social media. Please email with any questions.