Funder: Cancer Research UK
Due Dates (Anticipated): January 2027 (Full application) | April 2027 (Outline) | June 2027 (Full application) | September 2027 (Outline)
Funding Amounts: Up to £1.5 million over six years, or part-time equivalent
Summary: Supports mid-career researchers developing independent cancer biology programmes and scientific leadership.
Key Information: Closed scheme: contact CRUK before applying; applicants must hold a fully funded independent post throughout the award.
Description
Cancer Research UK’s Discovery Programme Foundation Award supports mid-career researchers seeking to strengthen their independent research programme and scientific leadership. It funds coherent programmes addressing an overarching question fundamental to cancer biology through interrelated smaller questions. The award builds a foundation for internationally leading research and often provides a pathway to the Discovery Programme Award.
Overseen by the Discovery Research Committee, the scheme covers molecular mechanisms, cellular behaviour and cancer at whole-body scale. It supports basic cancer biology, disease-specific research and preclinical studies generating biological data to underpin therapeutic development. Multidisciplinary approaches, including imaging and radiotherapy technologies, are welcome where they improve understanding of cancer. Programmes building on previous work must explain how they develop and extend that research.
