[Cancer Grand Challenges](https://www.cancergrandchallenges.org)

June 18, 2025 (Expression of Interest)

Up to £20 million (~$25 million) per awarded team

Funding for global interdisciplinary teams to develop AI agents that collaborate with human researchers to generate novel cancer research hypotheses and design experimental validation plans.

--- ## Description Cancer Grand Challenges is inviting global, interdisciplinary research teams to apply for a major funding opportunity focused on advancing AI-human collaborations in cancer research. This challenge aims to develop innovative AI agents that do more than analyze data—they will actively collaborate with human researchers to generate novel hypotheses about cancer and design experimental plans to validate these hypotheses. The initiative targets complex, transdisciplinary cancer research questions, with a particular focus on cancer initiation and progression, including the malignant transformation of precancerous lesions and the identification of new therapeutics to prevent or slow cancer development in at-risk patients. AI agents envisioned for this challenge will be layered on top of large language models (LLMs) and will be capable of observing, collecting information, conducting complex tasks, and working interactively with humans and other AI agents. The challenge encourages iterative cycles of hypothesis generation, experimental design, and validation, requiring close collaboration between AI experts, cancer researchers, data scientists, biologists, clinical researchers, and ethical advisors. This funding opportunity supports transformative research that integrates the rapidly growing volume of cancer data and knowledge into AI-driven discovery processes, aiming to reshape cancer research and accelerate the development of new therapies. ## Due Dates - Expression of Interest deadline: June 18, 2025 ## Funding Amount - Up to £20 million (approximately $25 million) awarded per successful team ## Eligibility - Open to global, interdisciplinary research teams - Teams should include expertise in AI, cancer research, machine learning, data science, biology, clinical research, and ethics - Strategic academic-private partnerships are encouraged, with private partners potentially contributing funds ## Application Process - Interested teams must submit an Expression of Interest by June 18, 2025 - Teams are encouraged to assemble diverse expertise to address the challenge - Detailed application instructions and submission portal are available on the funder’s website ## Additional Information - The challenge is part of seven new Cancer Grand Challenges announced in 2025 - The initiative is co-founded by Cancer Research UK and the US National Cancer Institute - Cancer Grand Challenges has a history of funding large-scale, interdisciplinary cancer research projects globally - The challenge emphasizes human-in-the-loop approaches to guide AI agents with high-level context and expertise - The goal is to foster paradigm-shifting discoveries that advance understanding and treatment of cancer ## External Links - [Cancer Grand Challenges - AI-Human Collaborations in Cancer](https://www.cancergrandchallenges.org/ai-human-collaborations-in-cancer) - [Submit Expression of Interest](https://www.cancergrandchallenges.org/applications) - [Cancer Grand Challenges Home](https://www.cancergrandchallenges.org) - [Partners and Donors](https://www.cancergrandchallenges.org/about/partners-and-donors) - [Contact Cancer Grand Challenges](https://www.cancergrandchallenges.org/contact-us) ## Contact Information | Contact Method | Details | |----------------|---------| | Email | info@cancergrandchallenges.org | | Phone | +44 (0) 20 3469 8855 | | Website | [https://www.cancergrandchallenges.org](https://www.cancergrandchallenges.org) |

AI-Human Collaborations in Cancer

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