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Biology to Prevention Award (CRUK)

Cancer Research UK

Cancer Research UK has partnered with the American Cancer Society to jointly consider primary prevention-focused research applications in the scientific remit of the Biology to Prevention Award scheme to enable joint, collaborative applications with UK and US-based researchers.

Program Overview

This partnership would welcome clear, well-defined, discrete project applications (up to 5 years) from joint UK and US-based research teams (each based at the respective eligible host institution). These applications are expected to be true, and where possible equal, intellectual partnerships between established UK and US-based lead applicants, each bringing complementary yet distinct expertise and thereby enabling a multidisciplinary approach to address a critical research question.

The projects should represent a true scientific partnership, involving meaningful collaboration between participants. Applications must include a description of the rationale and nature of the proposed collaboration, the specific role of all investigators, and synergistic opportunities. Evidence of prior productive collaborations between members of the team is helpful. New teams should provide evidence of synergy among disciplines and areas of translational research that foster innovation pertaining to the proposed research.

Grant Budget and Term

Through this cost-share partnership, Cancer Research UK will cover the admissible UK research costs (up to £600,000) and the American Cancer Society will cover the US-based research costs (up to $860,000 plus 10% indirect costs for a total of up to $946,000). Awards can be up to five years in duration but must be at least one year. The US PI may request $215,000 direct costs per year for a project period of 1 to 4 years (plus 10% indirect costs), and $172,000 direct costs per year for a project period of 5 years (plus 10% indirect costs).

Application and Review Process

Please contact the CRUK office with a brief outline of the proposed research for an informal and confidential discussion and to confirm the proposal is in remit. Once confirmed, the office will provide UK-based applicants with a private link to commence an application on Flexi-Grant.
At this point, the US joint lead applicant must submit the US PI’s budget in ProposalCentral. The ACS program office will review the budget to confirm admissible costs (including indirect costs) in accordance with American Cancer Society's funding policies. The ACS must approve the US PI’s budget before the full application can be submitted to CRUK.
UK-based applicants complete all required sections of the application and are responsible for submitting the application by the CRUK submission deadline. Applications must include a complete ACS budget in order to be considered eligible for funding.

Timeline

ACS budget submission deadline is November 24, 2026.
Full application deadline is December 4, 2026. Submissions will be reviewed in May 2027.
Award funding is expected to commence August 2027.

We anticipate that this RFA will be released again in Summer 2027.

If the grant application deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, applications will be accepted the following business day.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Strong relevance to cancer research (Highest Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

This is the single most important success factor.

Competitive proposals should directly address important questions in:

Cancer biology
Cancer genetics and genomics
Tumor immunology
Cancer prevention
Early detection
Precision oncology
Translational oncology
Clinical trials
Cancer epidemiology
Population sciences
Cancer data science
Survivorship
Cancer treatment

Projects without a clear and substantial focus on cancer are generally not competitive.

2. Scientific excellence and significance (Highest Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

CRUK consistently places scientific quality at the center of its review process.

Competitive proposals should demonstrate:

An important unanswered question
Strong biological or clinical rationale
Significant potential to advance cancer research
Clear hypotheses
High scientific ambition

Reviewers evaluate whether the research could make a meaningful contribution to the understanding, prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of cancer.

3. Innovation and originality (Highest Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Innovation is a defining feature of successful CRUK applications.

Competitive proposals frequently include:

Novel biological concepts
New therapeutic targets
Advanced genomics
Artificial intelligence
Spatial biology
Single-cell technologies
Early detection technologies
Precision medicine
Innovative clinical trial designs

CRUK's Pioneer Awards and Innovation Awards specifically support bold, unconventional, and high-risk/high-reward ideas.

4. Clear patient benefit and translational potential (Very High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

One of CRUK's defining priorities is ensuring that research ultimately benefits patients.

Competitive proposals clearly explain how the work could lead to:

Earlier diagnosis
Better treatments
Improved survival
Reduced toxicity
Better quality of life
Improved healthcare delivery

Even discovery science should articulate a realistic pathway toward future patient benefit.

5. Rigorous methodology and feasibility (Very High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Successful applications demonstrate:

Robust experimental design
Appropriate statistical methods
Clearly defined objectives
Realistic milestones
Risk management
Feasible timelines

Reviewers expect ambitious yet technically credible research.

6. Outstanding investigator and leadership potential (Very High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

For fellowships and career-development awards, reviewers strongly evaluate the applicant.

Competitive investigators demonstrate:

Excellent publication record
Scientific independence
Leadership potential
Strong career trajectory
Commitment to cancer research

For Programme Awards, reviewers additionally assess the leadership of the principal investigator and the strength of the research team.

7. Excellent research environment and institutional support (Very High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Competitive proposals benefit from:

Outstanding host institution
Access to core facilities
Multidisciplinary collaborations
Institutional commitment
Strong mentoring (for fellowships)
Clinical infrastructure (where relevant)

The quality of the research environment is a key consideration across many CRUK funding schemes.

8. Collaboration and multidisciplinary science (High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆)

CRUK increasingly encourages collaboration across disciplines.

Competitive teams often include:

Cancer biologists
Clinicians
Bioinformaticians
Engineers
Data scientists
Statisticians
Imaging specialists
Population scientists

Collaborative research is particularly important for translational and clinical programs.

9. Potential to transform cancer research or clinical practice (High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆)

CRUK seeks research capable of producing major advances.

Competitive projects demonstrate potential to:

Change clinical practice
Inform treatment guidelines
Enable new therapies
Launch clinical trials
Influence public health policy
Transform scientific understanding

Transformative impact is valued across both basic and clinical research programs.

10. Patient and public involvement (PPI) where appropriate (High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆)

For many translational, clinical, prevention, and population studies, CRUK encourages meaningful involvement of patients and the public.

Strong applications may include:

Patient advisory groups
Public involvement in study design
Research priority setting
Dissemination to patient communities

For relevant funding schemes, high-quality PPI strengthens the overall impact and relevance of the proposal.

Specialties

Cancer

Oncology

Eligibility Requirements

This is a joint collaborative application where at least one applicant must be an independent investigator with a full-time faculty appointment (or equivalent), at an eligible US institution, and at least one applicant must be an independent investigator with a full-time faculty appointment (or equivalent), at an eligible UK institution. Applicants may be at any career stage.

Eligible Countries:

United Kingdom

United States

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Cancer Research UK

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: P.O. Box 6704. Hagerstown, MD 21741

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