Verified

Career Development Fellowship

Cancer Research UK

This fellowship supports new group leaders who do not have a salaried independent position to establish their independent research group.

Key information

Timelines

Applications are reviewed twice per year. Upcoming application deadline (outline): 1 October 2026

Funding period

6 years, or part-time equivalent

Funding amount

Typically up to £1.5m

Host institutions

All our fellows are hosted in UK universities, medical schools, hospitals or research institutes. Most UK university departments are eligible, but please contact us before applying to check your host institution is eligible. You can be hosted by one of our institutes if you don’t receive core funding from them already.

At the outline application stage, you will have to identify a location to hold your award. If you’re successful, we expect you to hold the status of an independent group leader (or equivalent) at that institution.

If you’re invited to submit a full application, the head of department at your chosen institution will need to submit a letter of support to confirm that you’ll have a full-time position at your host institution for the duration of the award. You should be the sole lead applicant (principal investigator) on the application and should lead your work independently of other laboratories at your host institution.

You’ll need to demonstrate your ability to direct a research team and programme of research. However, we expect you to develop collaborations with other researchers, both at your institution and externally.

Expectations for host institutions

We expect host institutions to:

provide you with appropriate academic status and benefits commensurate to academic staff of similar seniority 

provide you with a practical working environment and associated staff, including required office or lab space as applicable

allow for expansion of your research group and access to specialist facilities, where required and possible 

ensure a supportive research and training environment, including providing you and your staff with relevant training, mentoring and support in with our continuing professional development (CPD) policy and the Researcher Development Concordat 

ensure there is a clear process of onboarding and planning when you join, including workload expectations and clear communication about a formal review and/or promotion process with objective assessment criteria and expected timelines 

commit to carry out a formal process at least two years before the award ends to discuss your future at the organisation with a clear indication of employment options available, including the possibility of a permanent, open-ended or long-term rolling salaried position, together with criteria and timelines 

Host institutions must also take responsibility for ensuring any funding application content they approve for submission is not in breach of our research integrity guidelines. 

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

Our core eligibility criteria are outlined below. You may contact us for an informal and confidential discussion of your proposal prior to submitting your application. We’ll advise on your eligibility and provide guidance on submitting your application.

The applicant

You can apply for a Career Development Fellowship if you’re a scientist who:

will be based at a UK university, medical school, hospital or research institution

has space and facilities to run an independent research group

can demonstrate that you meet the range of skills and experience outlined in the ‘Establish Independence’ section of our competency framework

Eligible Countries:

United Kingdom

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Cancer Research UK

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 2 Redman Place, London, E20 1JQ.

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