Cancer Research UK has added new late-2026 deadlines to this award, including an October 1 outline deadline and a September 10 full application deadline. When preparing your application, note that outline proposals are now capped at 1,500 words, and full applications require a FAIR data sharing plan plus specific letters of support from an external mentor and your department head. Finally, if you are including PhD studentships in your budget, they must be fully funded for four years and recruited within the first two years of the award.
Funder: Cancer Research UK
Due Dates: October 2, 2025 (Outline) | March 26, 2026 (Outline) | October 1, 2026 (Outline) | February 19, 2026 (Full) | September 10, 2026 (Full)
Funding Amounts: Up to £1 million total over 6 years (non-renewable); supports up to two posts, running costs, equipment (up to £25k), and relocation (up to £1k).
Summary: Supports new independent group leaders in the UK to establish their own cancer research group across a wide range of cancer-relevant disciplines.
Key Information: Clinicians are ineligible for new outline applications after May 2026; award is for researchers with a fully-funded salary and independent group leader status.