Biology to Prevention Award
Biology to Prevention Award supports research teams studying biological mechanisms of cancer development and risk to develop precision approaches to primary prevention and ultimately reduce cancer incidence.
Browse similar grants
Funder: Cancer Research UK
Due Dates: December 4, 2026 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: £100,000–£600,000 for up to five years, with additional US or Canadian co-funding available
Summary: Supports translational research using biological and mechanistic insights to develop precision approaches to primary cancer prevention.
Key Information: This is a closed round: applicants must discuss their proposal with CRUK before receiving application access.
Description
Cancer Research UK’s Biology to Prevention Award funds hypothesis-driven translational research that connects biological mechanisms of cancer development and risk to primary prevention. It supports work on early pre-cancerous changes, prevention targets, pharmacological, dietary, behavioural and immunological interventions, and approaches to treat, eliminate or modulate pre-cancerous lesions. Other areas include mechanisms linking modifiable risk factors to cancer, preventive uses of repurposed drugs or dietary compounds, biomarkers, surrogate endpoints and novel prevention trial designs.
The award welcomes interdisciplinary partnerships, exploratory projects with a strong conceptual rationale, and longer-term research supported by robust preliminary data. Immediate prevention impact is not required, but applicants must explain how the project and subsequent research could ultimately reduce cancer risk or incidence. Partnerships with the American Cancer Society and Canadian Cancer Society support joint UK–US and UK–Canada projects.
