AWS ChildrensWASHINGTON, D.C. — Amazon Web Services committed $10 million to fund pediatric rare disease research, including cancer, on Wednesday at its annual summit in the nation's capital.

The tranche of cash is first being allocated through three, $1 million grants to Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C.; Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio; and the Children’s Brain Tumor Network, located at the Children’s Hospital Of Philadelphia. 

AWS says the unrestricted cash grant will allow the children’s cancer centers, which are already using AWS software, to continue innovation in accelerating pediatric research, improving well-being for children and empowering the professional pediatric workforce and caregivers of children. 

Experts in pediatric cancer treatment and research say many pediatric cancers and other rare diseases are understudied and underfunded, which can lead families and children to few treatment options.  When the diseases are studied, the studies are often limited to one institution and a small patient sample, according to an AWS blog post.  

The remaining $7 million will supply the AWS IMAGINE Grant: Children’s Health Innovation Award to be doled out to nonprofits to advance pediatric rare disease research, maternal child total health or empower the pediatric workforce and caregivers. The grant also offers AWS Promotional Credits, which can be applied towards implementing AWS Cloud technology and other software into the nonprofit’s work on pediatric rare diseases. 

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