Drug discovery grants

ERDERA Clinical Trial Call 2026 (pre-announcement), listed under ERDERA on the ERA-LEARN call calendar. See the call guidance for funding, eligibility and consortium requirements.

Supports randomised controlled clinical trials (RCTs) of high scientific quality addressing unmet medical/societal needs, not in industry focus. Applicants must be natural persons meeting SNSF eligibility requirements, affiliated with Swiss institutions, forming a research group. Excludes pilot, proof-of-concept, observational, and preclinical studies. Patient and public involvement (PPI) is required. A PPI preparatory grant of up to CHF 5,000 is available alongside the letter of intent.

Academically led translational single-step projects generating critical preliminary data for new medicines, devices, diagnostics or other medical interventions. UK research organisations eligible as lead; international researchers may join as project co-leads. Businesses and non-approved charities cannot lead. No clinical trials or fundamental research. Proposals must be submitted in English via UKRI Funding Service.

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 support clinical trials or refinement of existing technologies.

Call for clinical trials on rare diseases under the ERDERA (European Rare Diseases Research Alliance) joint transnational initiative, with clinical-trial scope requiring patient-sample/clinical infrastructure.

New cancer-immunotherapy technologies at the pre-development concept stage. Routine application or refinement of existing technologies is generally non-responsive; clinical trials are excluded. Applicants need a tenure-track position at a nonprofit institution; co-PIs may apply.

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

Team research on immune prevention or interception of primary cancer and recurrence. Clinical trials are excluded. Tenure-track assistant professor or higher by award activation; applicants without the appointment must supply institutional confirmation with the LOI. Nonprofit research institutions worldwide.

Supports pioneering immunotherapy clinical trials designed and led by academic researchers.

Modular scheme (Clinical Trial, Experimental Medicine, Sample Collection modules) for investigator-led clinical research at UK universities, medical schools, hospitals, UKCRC-registered clinical trials units or research institutions. Requires a UKCRC registered clinical trials unit to coordinate the trial/study; industry-sponsored trials not eligible.

Invite-only funding opportunity for pre-clinical and early translational research developing medical countermeasures for CBRN threats, from prototype development through early-phase clinical trials (up to phase 2a). Applicant must be employed by a UK-based eligible research organisation; international and commercial organisations cannot lead or co-lead.

For early-career vascular surgery researchers in Germany (generally ≤6 years post-doctorate, pre-Habilitation) affiliated with a research-active working group; up to 20 participants develop DFG proposals excluding interventional clinical trials (Clinical Trials Programme scope). Requires €150 participant contribution.

MRC CoRE funding supports bold, long-term (up to 14-year) interdisciplinary health research centres led by UK research organisations; international researchers can join as co-leads but international organisations cannot lead. Excludes clinical trials, longitudinal population studies, and generic equipment/computing costs.

Funds cancer target identification or validation using novel model systems, antibody or small molecule approaches for adult cancers. Open to academic researchers worldwide with their own lab; projects run collaboratively with Cancer Research Horizons' drug discovery scientists.

Funds non-commercial clinical research studies involving patients, animal patients and/or healthy subjects to generate new scientific knowledge improving clinical practice or diagnostic/therapeutic procedures. Project must be carried out at an Austrian research institution; a positive ethics committee opinion is required at submission (except AMG clinical trials); commercial organizations may not have direct commercial interest in results.

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.

Funds a new What Works Centre for climate resilience in the UK, requiring co-production with academic, government, industry and third sector stakeholders and at least one project co-lead from a UK business, third sector or government organisation. Projects must start by 1 August 2027 and run for 44 months; clinical trials and studentships are excluded.

Funds teams proposing circadian-based and/or physical activity interventions for early intervention in anxiety/depression in young people aged 10-18, in the UK and/or Africa. Requires a clinical trials specialist, lived experience involvement, and expertise in mental health science plus circadian/physical activity science. Administering organisation must be not-for-profit, anywhere except mainland China.

Funds early drug discovery/translational research for novel therapeutics in childhood and young people's cancers, run collaboratively with Cancer Research Horizons' Therapeutic Innovation team. Open to academic researchers worldwide with their own lab; excludes basic/discovery research and full hit-finding/clinical development activities.

For Dutch academic groups and (spin-off) companies developing novel oncology drug candidates in late-stage preclinical development or approaching first-in-human studies, co-funded with Cancer Research UK's Centre for Drug Development. Applicants must hold or be able to secure IP rights and freedom to operate; non-Dutch initiators and repurposing of registered drugs are out of scope.

Call for clinical and translational research proposals addressing unmet needs in pancreatic, liver, oesophageal and gastric cancer, including biomarker identification, treatment combinations, trial design and patient selection strategies. Open to all study types within CRC remit; funded via CRUK's clinical research funding scheme covering clinical trials, sample collection and experimental medicine awards.