Cancer biology grants

Horizon Europe RIA under the EU Cancer Mission supporting development of validated microbiome tools for early cancer prediction before disease onset, including AI risk modelling, longitudinal cohort studies, and comparison with liquid biopsy tests. Proposals must address multiple cancer types where possible and collaborate with large cohorts/registries. Lump sum grant; one grant expected.

Horizon Europe RIA under the EU Cancer Mission call HORIZON-MISS-2026-02. One indicative grant of approximately €15M. Full topic description available in the Work Programme. Consortia must include eligible entities from at least 3 EU member states or associated countries.

Horizon Europe Innovation Action under the EU Cancer Mission call HORIZON-MISS-2026-02. One indicative grant of approximately €7M. Full topic description available in the Work Programme. Consortia must include eligible entities from at least 3 EU member states or associated countries.

Horizon Europe Coordination and Support Action under the EU Cancer Mission call HORIZON-MISS-2026-02. One indicative grant of approximately €5M. Full topic description available in the Work Programme. Consortia must include eligible entities from at least 3 EU member states or associated countries.

Horizon Europe RIA (lump sum) for academic investigator-initiated pragmatic clinical trials on immunotherapeutic interventions for refractory cancer patients. Proposals must include a clinical studies annex, disaggregate data by sex/gender/age, and engage patients in endpoint definition. Applicants must include diverse stakeholders and plan to join the EU Cancer Mission 'Diagnosis and Treatment' cluster. ~3 grants expected.

Horizon Europe RIA under the Cancer Mission. Requires development of multiscale AI-integrated Virtual Human Twins for cancer onset, progression and personalised treatment. Proposals must include clinical study annex if clinical studies are envisaged. Interdisciplinary consortia including healthcare professionals, patient representatives, AI experts and SMEs expected. Open science principles mandatory; data must be shared via UNCAN.eu and Advanced VHT Platform.

Postdoctoral fellowship support for early-career cancer researchers conducting research in France.

International mobility award supporting cancer researchers, jointly run by Fondation ARC and SFC (Société Française du Cancer).

Supports novel, high-risk pilot research or new collaborations in cancer early detection/diagnosis. Applicants must be scientists, clinicians or healthcare workers at a UK university, medical school, hospital or research institution; host institution approval required before deadline.

Call for the overarching coordination structure and its leadership for the Priority Programme German Pancreatic Cancer Alliance (Deutsche Allianz Pankreaskarzinom).

International prize recognizing achievements in fundamental, translational and clinical cancer research; a recognition award rather than a project grant.

Prestigious cancer research awards recognising outstanding scientific contributions in oncology. Category: Prix & récompenses (Awards). Open call for nominations/applications.

Add-on funding for ongoing or recently completed KWF-funded projects (incl. KWF-PPP, TTW Technology for Oncology, KIC early detection projects) to define pathways toward clinical/commercial implementation. Requires TTO commitment letter; innovation must have reached at least TRL 3; not for fundamental research or CE-marking costs.

Joint scheme with Prostate Cancer UK for clinical trainees pursuing prostate cancer research careers, funding up to £50k for 12 months.

Joint scheme with the Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland for trainee pathologists who are Society members, funding up to £50k for 12 months of cancer-relevant pathology research.

Short-term funding for clinicians and other health professionals to get involved in research projects early in their career. Restricted to clinicians and health professionals; early-career focus.

Open to academic researchers worldwide with an independent lab, targeting early drug discovery for adult cancers using antibody-based or small molecule approaches. Two award types: Target Award (up to £250k, 12–18 months) for target identification/validation; Early Therapy Award (up to £350k, 18–24 months) for hit identification and druggability assessment. Fundamental biology, drug repurposing, and clinical-trial-enabling studies are excluded.

Funds hit identification, druggability assessment and early therapeutic project development for adult cancers using antibody or small molecule approaches. Run collaboratively with Cancer Research Horizons; open to academic researchers worldwide.

Funds cancer target identification or validation of novel cancer targets for adult cancers, run collaboratively with Cancer Research Horizons drug discovery scientists. Open to academic researchers with own lab at any university/institute worldwide.

For mid-career scientists, clinicians or healthcare workers based at a UK university, medical school, hospital or research institution, funding a broad programme addressing fundamental cancer biology questions. Requires informal discussion with CRUK before applying; excludes clinical trials, drug discovery-only, and early detection/prevention research.

Funds practice-based, innovative prevention and health-promotion research projects under the Danish Cancer Society's prevention policy; requires participation of both a practice actor and a researcher, results should aim for peer-reviewed publication.

Annual call for cancer research projects with Nordic collaboration. Funded through the Norwegian Cancer Society's annual contribution to the Nordic Cancer Union. Applications via NCU's portal. Questions to ncu@kreftforeningen.no.

Funding call under the Knæk Cancer prevention research theme from the Danish Cancer Society.

Annual call for cancer research projects with Nordic collaboration. Norwegian Cancer Society contributes annually to this Nordic Cancer Union initiative. Information and application portal on NCU's website. Questions to ncu@kreftforeningen.no.

Annual joint call with Nordic Cancer Union funding cancer research projects with Nordic collaboration; total call pot €950,000.

Annual Nordic Cancer Union call funding cancer research projects with Nordic collaboration, administered via the Norwegian Cancer Society. Total call budget is €950,000.

Funds practice-oriented, innovative prevention and health-promotion research projects within Danish Cancer Society's prevention policy; requires participation of both a Danish practice actor and an affiliated researcher; results should target peer-reviewed publication.

Long-term programme funding for established scientists, clinicians or healthcare workers based at UK universities, medical schools, hospitals or research institutions to pursue basic or early-stage translational cancer research. Requires prior contact/expression of interest before applying; closed scheme with outline then full application stages.

Annual call for cancer research projects with Nordic collaboration. Total pool of €950,000. Applications submitted via NCU's own portal. Questions to ncu@kreftforeningen.no.

Annual call for cancer research projects with Nordic collaboration, funded by Nordic Cancer Union with Norwegian Cancer Society contributions. Total budget €950,000. Information and application portal on NCU's website. Questions to ncu@kreftforeningen.no.

Annual call for cancer research projects with Nordic collaboration. Total budget €950,000. Applications submitted via NCU's own portal. Nordic cross-country collaboration is required.

For clinicians with a higher research degree (MD/PhD), GMC registration, and a national training number, hosted at a UK university, hospital or research institute; must remain clinically active (20-50% clinical time depending on stage). Two-stage process: outline then full application with interview.

Supports new group leaders without a salaried independent position to establish an independent research group at a UK host institution; applicant must be sole PI and lead work independently of other labs. Funds salary enhancement, up to two supporting posts, running costs, equipment up to £25k, and limited relocation costs.

Supports new group leaders with a salaried independent position to establish an independent cancer-relevant research group at a UK host institution. No longer accepting new outline applications from clinicians following the May 2026 committee review; applicant must be sole PI leading work independently of other labs.

For clinician scientists with CCT and consultant status transitioning to research independence in cancer research; applicant must be sole PI, GMC-registered, hold MD/PhD, and be based at a UK host institution which must commit to a tapered salary contribution and provide a letter of support.

For independent group leaders in cancer research based at a UK host institution. No longer accepting new outline applications from clinicians following May 2026 committee review; funds 50% of salary, postdoc/technician/PhD student salaries, running costs and equipment.

Supports recruitment of successful, younger researchers into cancer research via postdoctoral positions in Sweden or internationally.

Supports established and well-qualified cancer researchers who do not hold a permanent university position.

Supports clinically active, PhD-qualified cancer researchers, both established and younger, in a clinical setting.

Aims to recruit PhD-qualified researchers who wish to establish independent research.

Enables operation of a graduate school (Forskarskola) targeted at doctoral students with projects in the field of cancer.

For researchers with clinical duties in medical, care, social science and behavioural science activities.

Promotes cancer research within the field of healthcare science research (vårdvetenskap).

For early-career oncology researchers within 5 years of PhD (extensions possible for clinical training or parental leave) who must lead an independent research line and be employed ≥0.5 FTE/year on the project. Covers basic, credentialing, preclinical, clinical, and implementation research phases; Dutch summary required for Patient Advisory Committee review.

Development Call funds translation of research findings into practice for Creation of Modality, Preclinical, Clinical or Implementation research phases; application types include Research Project, Unique High-Risk and Consortia. Multicenter GI cancer trials with ≥4 centers require a support letter from the relevant national research group at full-proposal stage.

Scholarships for young researchers and funding for research stays abroad, aimed at early-career cancer researchers based at Danish institutions.

Programme for phase III studies and implementation of validated clinical-grade biomarkers (TRL7-9) into routine Dutch oncology care. Requires a multidisciplinary consortium with min. 4 parties, a project manager, HTA specialist, patient perspective embedded, and a KWF-approved steering committee.

Funds clinical validation (TRL5/6) of already-known cancer biomarkers via multidisciplinary consortia including biostatistician and HTA-expert; mandatory HTA component, patient involvement, and development plan for implementation. AI-component projects must involve the AI4Health consortium as partner or advisor.

Thesis prize awarded by Fondation ARC recognizing outstanding doctoral research in oncology; a prize with recognition rather than a research grant.

Funds basic research and credentialing-phase research into biological and psychosocial mechanisms of cancer, including target/biomarker discovery and observational/cohort studies. Two-stage process: pre-proposal then full proposal by invitation; participating institutes must register in KWF-GMS at least 6 weeks before closing.

Fully funded 4-year non-clinical PhD studentship (stipend + research costs) for applicants who self-identify as Black heritage background, run through CRUK-affiliated PhD centres (City of London, Cambridge, Oxford, Convergence, Manchester, Newcastle, Scotland). Non-UK nationals eligible but only home/UK fee rate is covered; shortfall to international fees must come from another source, not the student.

Seed funding for early-stage, pre-development technology concepts in cancer immunotherapy; applicants must hold a tenure-track position at a not-for-profit research center or institution. Does not fund clinical trials or refinement of existing technologies.

Supports early-stage, pre-development concepts with potential to transform cancer immunotherapy. Targets bold, innovative technology ideas prior to formal development stage.

Supports pioneering immunotherapy clinical trials designed and led by academic researchers. Requires a clinical trial focus; applicants must be academic investigators leading immunotherapy trials.

Supports team-based translational cancer immunology research bridging lab discovery and clinical application, focused on immune prevention/interception of primary cancer and recurrence. Candidates must hold tenure-track assistant professor or higher; not for-profit institutions excluded; clinical trials not funded.

Supports innovative investigations at the intersection of laboratory discovery and clinical application in cancer immunology, accelerating translation of immunological discoveries into cancer therapies.

Funds investigator-initiated phase I/II or II immunotherapy clinical trials emphasizing novel approaches, mechanistic investigation of clinical response, and predictive biomarker discovery/validation. PI must lead the study; research may be conducted at non-profit medical schools or research centers in the US or abroad (no support for for-profit institutions). Includes a co-funded chordoma-focused track with Chordoma Foundation.

Funds discovery-to-translational research in cancer early detection/diagnosis. Applicant must be based at a UK university, medical school, hospital or research institute; salary requests limited to early- to mid-career researchers for up to 3 years.

Modular scheme (Clinical Trial, Experimental Medicine, Sample Collection modules) supporting clinical trials, translational research and sample/data collection. Applicant must be based at a UK university, medical school, hospital, UKCRC registered clinical trials unit or research institution; proposal must be investigator-led; industry-sponsored trials not eligible.

Funds academic-led clinical trials (Phase I–III) for new investigational medicinal products (chemical, biological, ATMP) addressing unmet cancer needs. Lead institute must be a medical centre or research institute in the Netherlands. Proposals must be in English. Repurposing of registered drugs and purely preclinical research are out of scope. Patient involvement in trial setup is mandatory.

Open to researchers at Dutch universities, university medical centers, KNAW/NWO institutes, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (Nijmegen), NCB Naturalis, ARCNL, and Princess Máxima Center. Funds feasibility studies for commercial application of innovative knowledge. Submitted via ISAAC. All scientific fields eligible.

Supports moving promising research results forward towards patient benefit, commercialisation or implementation in healthcare.

Supports newly independent DIPG/DMG researchers establishing labs, or established researchers new to DIPG/DMG research. Application via Proposal Central; opens 16 October 2026.

Supports the transition of distinguished postdoctoral researchers into independent tenure-track investigators in cancer immunotherapy. Targets early-career scientists at the postdoc-to-faculty transition stage.

Supports the transition of distinguished postdoctoral researchers into independent tenure-track investigators in cancer immunology.

Funds hypothesis-driven, innovative research projects addressing major challenges in DIPG/DMG research with potential for groundbreaking discoveries. Application via Proposal Central; opens 16 October 2026.

Supports mid-career scientists pursuing high-risk, high-reward research at the leading edge of cancer immunotherapy.

For mid-career, tenure-track assistant or associate professors (M.D., Ph.D., or equivalent) with 3 years in that position, working on high-risk, high-reward cancer immunotherapy research; requires minimum 80% research time commitment; research must be conducted at non-profit medical schools or research centers, US or abroad (no for-profit institutions).

Main annual project funding round for humanities, social science, public health and epidemiological cancer research at Danish institutions.

Themed research funding call under the Knæk Cancer funding pool, targeting specific priority cancer research themes.

Main funding round for biological, clinical and translational cancer research project grants.

Main funding round for humanities, social science, public health and epidemiological cancer research.

Main annual project funding round for biological, clinical and translational cancer research at Danish institutions.

Funds long-term, integrated programmes advancing early cancer/pre-cancer detection at UK universities, medical schools, hospitals or research institutions. Applicant must be in a post fully funded by a Higher Education Funding Council/NHS or equivalent; equipment costs above £50k need discussion; cannot fund applicant's own salary.

Supports industry-independent cancer research projects by independent scientists at Swiss research institutions, covering basic, clinical, epidemiological, psychosocial and health services research. Applications submitted online via the Grant Application Portal (GAP); max one ongoing project per main applicant.

Fellowships for early-career clinicians with a medical degree and prior cancer research or treatment experience, to gain research training abroad. Requires two support letters and proof of sponsorship from an eligible host organization; applications submitted online via the Grant Application Portal (GAP).

Supports the transition of distinguished postdoctoral researchers into independent tenure-track investigators.

Postdoctoral fellowship in immunology/cancer immunology, must be conducted at a non-profit institution under a qualified faculty sponsor; open worldwide with no citizenship restrictions. Applicants must have <5 years mentored research experience post-PhD.

Supports postdoctoral scientists pursuing hypothesis-driven basic or translational cancer immunology combined with computational biology/data science training. Requires a formal sponsor (assistant professor or higher) and a co-sponsor at a non-profit host institution; no citizenship restrictions but applicants must have <5 years mentored research experience post-PhD.

Nomination process for the Research Talent Prize, recognizing promising early-career cancer researchers in Denmark.

Supports newly independent DIPG/DMG researchers establishing a lab, or established researchers new to DIPG/DMG research. Focused on DIPG/DMG (diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma / diffuse midline glioma). Applications submitted via Proposal Central.

Funds hypothesis-driven, innovative research projects addressing major challenges in DIPG/DMG with potential for groundbreaking discoveries. Focused on DIPG/DMG (diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma / diffuse midline glioma). Applications submitted via Proposal Central.

For early-career researchers with a PhD (max 4 years post-PhD) not yet in a permanent position, to conduct an independent cancer research project in Denmark or abroad; the abroad option is for Danish researchers not employed by a Danish hospital, university or company during the stay.

Funding for young talented cancer researchers, including scholarships and support for research stays abroad, at Danish institutions.

Project funding for young independent cancer researchers who obtained their PhD within the last 8 years and have demonstrated ability for high-level international research; up to 50% clinical work exemption possible.

Supports biomedical and health research (basic, clinical, translational) in neuroscience, oncology, cardiovascular/metabolic disease, infectious diseases, and enabling technologies. Host Organization must be a non-profit research organization based in Spain or Portugal. Applications must be submitted in English. Budget of non-Spanish/Portuguese organizations may not exceed 30% of total project budget.

Development and validation of microbiome-based tools for personalised cancer prediction and prevention prior to disease onset, using large longitudinal cohorts, AI risk modelling and comparison with liquid biopsy tests. Successful proposals must join the EU Cancer Mission 'Prevention and Early Detection' project cluster and budget for networking activities.

Supports high-risk, high-reward cancer research worldwide spanning basic research, therapeutic discovery/translational science, innovative technologies, and clinical research; principal investigators must be independent researchers; proposals solicited via RFPs or invitation only.

Clinical research funding for pancreatic, liver, oesophageal and gastric cancer, covering clinical trials, sample collection and experimental medicine awards, submitted via the clinical research funding scheme and reviewed by the CRC.

Supports preclinical development through early phase (Phase 1/early Phase 2) clinical trials of novel cancer agents; not external grant funding but scientific, clinical and trial management resources provided by CRUK's Centre for Drug Development. Open to academic institutions and pharma/biotech companies (UK or international); requires prior confidential discussion and eligibility check.

Additional bench fee (on top of the regular €4,000–€10,000/year FWO bench fee) for FWO postdoctoral fellows active in cancer research, funded by the King Baudouin Foundation's Fund Suzanne Duchesne. Only the two best-ranked candidates in the Med4 Cancer Research panel receive €25,000 each; applicants must add a justification paragraph to the 'Bench fee' section of their postdoc fellowship application.

Foundation grant to support a lecture by a specially qualified foreign expert at a seminar for Norwegian cancer researchers. Open to legal persons and researchers affiliated with Norwegian research institutions.

Develops and validates dynamic multiscale Virtual Human Twins integrating AI and multimodal patient data to advance understanding of cancer onset/progression, with data shared via UNCAN.eu and the Advanced VHT Platform under FAIR/open-science principles; involves clinical data uptake and mix of stakeholders including clinicians and patients.

Awarded to pre-doctoral and post-doctoral fellows under mentor guidance to develop next-generation DIPG/DMG research leaders. Applications submitted via Proposal Central.

Funds a lecture by a foreign expert in connection with a seminar for cancer researchers in Norway. Open to legal entities and researchers affiliated with Norwegian research institutions.

Supports clinical research on lung, bowel, breast or prostate cancer conducted by comprehensive cancer infrastructures across EU Member States and Associated Countries. Covers innovative diagnostics, radiotherapy/surgery/chemotherapy, therapeutic cancer vaccines, and guideline implementation. Requires multi-stakeholder consortia, patient co-design, sex/gender-disaggregated data, and open science compliance via UNCAN.eu. Successful projects join the EU Cancer Mission 'Diagnosis and Treatment' cluster.

Supports early-career researchers who have never received AIRC funding, enabling independent project leadership at an Italian research institution. Covers research costs, the grant holder's salary, and two dedicated staff. Projects selected by international peer review for cancer relevance, innovation, and feasibility. Host institution must be in Italy.

Five-year grants supporting established researchers conducting cancer research projects at Italian institutions. Projects selected via international peer review for cancer relevance, innovation, feasibility, and patient impact. Covers research costs and personnel. This page lists currently active projects, not an open call.