Cancer Research UK

Discovery Programme Award

Up to £2.5m| Deadline: 29 September 2026 (73 days)|5 years

Outline application deadline; full application and interview follow in subsequent rounds

Last verified: 5 July 2026

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Cancer Research UK's Discovery Programme Award funds established researchers with up to £2.5 million over five years to pursue ambitious, creative cancer research addressing key scientific questions. The call welcomes collaborative teams and multidisciplinary approaches, and runs on a twice-yearly cycle with outline proposals reviewed competitively. This is a gateway programme for researchers ready to lead large, sustained research efforts in the UK.

Details

Funder	Cancer Research UK
Budget	Up to £2.5m
Deadline	29 September 2026
Duration	5 years
Consortium	No
Application	2-stage: outline application → full application + interview → committee decision (minimum 9 months end-to-end)
Frequency	Annual
Eligible countries	GB

Eligibility & scope

For established researchers at UK universities, medical schools, hospitals or research institutions pursuing ambitious cancer biology programmes. Applicants must hold a post fully funded by a national Higher Education Funding Council, NHS or equivalent; salary cannot be funded by the award. Closed scheme — contact discovery@cancer.org.uk at least one month before deadline. Excludes clinical trials, drug discovery-only, and early detection/prevention work.

Who Should Apply

•Established researchers with a track record of leading independent research programmes
•UK-based institutions (universities, hospitals, research institutes)
•Teams proposing collaborative or multidisciplinary cancer research
•Researchers with capacity to manage a five-year, high-budget project
•Applicants addressing a clearly defined, high-impact cancer research question

Key Dates

•Outline application deadline: 29 September 2026
•Two-stage process: outline proposal reviewed, then successful teams invited to submit full proposal
•Five-year project duration

Tips for Applicants

✓The outline stage is competitive and selective; invest in a clear, compelling single-page hypothesis and preliminary data, vagueness or overambition at outline stage will exclude you before the full proposal.
✓This funder explicitly values collaboration; if your team includes named collaborators with complementary expertise (wet lab + computational, basic + clinical), state their role explicitly in the outline.
✓Risk mitigation and feasibility planning matter as much as novelty, CRUK panels expect ambitious science with realistic milestones, not blue-sky speculation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does the Cancer Research UK Discovery Programme Award fund?

Up to £2.5 million over five years per project.

What is the outline application deadline for the Discovery Programme Award?

The next outline deadline is 29 September 2026; the call runs on a twice-yearly cycle so future outlines will open on subsequent cycles.

Who is eligible to apply for the Discovery Programme Award?

Established researchers based at eligible UK institutions; the call welcomes both individual-led and collaborative team proposals across cancer research.

Is the Discovery Programme Award a two-stage process?

Yes, applicants submit a competitive outline proposal first; if successful, they are invited to develop and submit a full proposal.

Can international researchers collaborate on a Discovery Programme Award?

The host institution must be UK-based, though the call encourages multidisciplinary collaboration and does not preclude international co-investigators.

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Summary generated by AI based on published grant information. Always verify details on the funder's website.