Early Detection and Diagnosis Project Award
Early Detection and Diagnosis Project Award supports researchers with discovery and translational studies to detect cancer and consequential pre-cancerous changes earlier and reduce late-stage disease.
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Funder: Cancer Research UK
Due Dates: December 3, 2026 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to £500,000 for up to four years; investigator salary requests limited to three years
Summary: Supports discovery and translational research to detect consequential pre-cancerous changes and cancer earlier, reducing late-stage disease.
Key Information: Applicants must be based at a UK university, medical school, hospital or research institute.
Description
Cancer Research UK’s Early Detection and Diagnosis Project Award funds exceptional science from discovery through translational research, aiming to transform how and when cancer and consequential pre-cancerous states are detected. Projects must address a clear cancer-related question and show a line of sight to clinical or population impact at the earliest possible point of intervention.
The remit includes discovery and validation of signatures and detection technologies, tests and interventions, clinical trials, health systems, clinician behaviour and decision support, public behaviour, and health economics. A spotlight call encourages novel approaches to reduce known inequalities in detection and diagnosis, and research into less understood mechanisms driving inequalities. Applications are primarily assessed on scientific quality and early detection relevance; comparable-quality proposals may receive priority for addressing inequalities.
