Pre-doctoral Research Bursary
Cancer Research UK offers short-term bursaries for early-career clinicians and health professionals to conduct diverse cancer research projects and build foundational research skills.
Funder: Cancer Research UK
Due Dates: March 5, 2026 | September 24, 2026
Funding Amounts: Up to £25,000 for standard awards (12 months) | Up to £50,000 for Pathological Society pathology trainees (12 months)
Summary: Short-term funding for clinicians and health professionals to undertake early-stage cancer research projects and develop research skills for future academic progression.
Key Information: Applications reviewed twice yearly by the Research Careers Committee; flexible and part-time arrangements supported.
Description
This scheme provides short-term bursaries to enable clinicians and other health professionals at an early career stage to undertake cancer research projects. The award is designed to help recipients gain research experience, generate preliminary data, and prepare for future academic opportunities such as PhD or MD fellowships. Projects may span basic, translational, preclinical, imaging, radiotherapy, engineering, population, or early detection research, with emphasis on cancers of unmet need and strategic priority areas. The program supports flexible and part-time arrangements and is open to a broad range of clinical and allied health applicants.
