Therapeutic Catalyst
Cancer Research UK's Therapeutic Catalyst scheme supports collaborative early-stage drug discovery to advance novel cancer therapeutics from lab research toward patient benefit.
Funder: Cancer Research UK
Due Dates: May 29, 2026 (Expression of interest) | September 25, 2026 (Expression of interest)
Funding Amounts: Up to £250,000 per project for up to 18 months.
Summary: Supports collaborative early-stage drug discovery projects to accelerate development of novel cancer therapeutics from lab research to patient impact.
Key Information: Open globally to academic researchers with independent labs; two-stage application process required.
Description
The Therapeutic Catalyst scheme from Cancer Research UK accelerates the translation of laboratory discoveries into novel cancer therapeutics by funding exploratory drug discovery projects. The program is designed to validate and de-risk therapeutic targets, positioning projects for further drug discovery, licensing, or additional funding. Projects are run collaboratively between academic researchers and Cancer Research Horizons drug discovery laboratories, with support and guidance from assigned scientists throughout the proposal development and project execution phases. The ultimate goal is to ensure a clear route to patient benefit by advancing promising anti-tumoral single-agent therapeutics.
