Career Development Fellowship
Forecasted
Career Development Fellowship supports new group leaders to build independent teams and fund cancer research that advances understanding, prevention, diagnosis or treatment, with a focus on unmet need.
Browse similar grants
Funder: Cancer Research UK
Due Dates (Anticipated): February 2027 (Full application) | March 2027 (Outline) | September 2027 (Full application) | October 2027 (Outline)
Funding Amounts: Typically up to £1.5 million for six years, or part-time equivalent (non-renewable)
Summary: Supports new group leaders to establish independent research teams addressing clearly defined cancer-related questions.
Key Information: Applicants must not already hold a fully salary-funded independent position or have held a substantial multi-year independent-PI award.
Description
Cancer Research UK’s Career Development Fellowship helps new group leaders establish independent research groups and develop their own cancer research programmes. It supports scientists ready to establish independence, providing salary, research staff, running costs and equipment alongside career support, mentoring and leadership training.
The remit spans basic biological research, preclinical studies, imaging, radiotherapy, engineering and physical sciences applied to cancer, population research and early detection. Proposals must clearly articulate a cancer-related question and how the work could advance understanding, prevention, diagnosis or treatment. Particular priorities include early detection and cancers of unmet need: brain, lung, oesophageal, pancreatic, liver and stomach cancer. Supported approaches include tumour biology, therapeutic mechanisms and resistance, imaging technologies, radiotherapy optimisation, cancer prevention and epidemiology, and biological or computational approaches to detecting early cancer.
