Funding Opportunities

Breakthrough – HRB Applied Partnership Program

The APA call brings together researchers and knowledge users with the expectation that the research findings will have a direct impact on decision making in the knowledge user organisation. | Call Subject: Improvement on early detection or treatment of pancreatic cancer. | Submission process: Submit a 1-page proposal to research@breakcancer.ie. The proposal should include: the research project title; the need being addressed; the proposed team; the method of addressing the need; and the proposed budget. | Submission deadline: 10th November 2024

Rising Tide Foundation for Cancer Clinical Research

The foundation’s ambition is to establish a new norm in clinical cancer research, where patients are treated as partners, from the creation of research questions to the dissemination of results. Patient involvement is at the forefront of their ambition; therefore, they only support research designed according to their principles of patient involvement and bringing new ways to improve patients’ quality of life during their cancer treatment journey. Their focus areas are:

• Improved patient outcome
• Science of early detection and intervention
• Advancing cancer research in underserved areas

They fund interventional clinical trials (phase 1-3) that would not be funded by commercial organizations and the research projects should demonstrate patient impact within 3 to 5 years and start within 6 months upon official award notification. Basic research, phase IV trials, or observational or epidemiological studies are not funded. More information can be found here. Application process: A Letter of Intent needs to be submitted via their grant management system, SmartSimple. Cut-off time points are three times/year. Next LoI deadline: 22nd November 2024

canSERV:

In line with the EU Cancer Mission, canSERV aims to improve the comprehension of cancer and innovative cancer therapies. To achieve this, the consortium of 18 leading research organisations offers free-of-charge access to 400+ state-of-the-art research services. These services can be requested for excellent research questions via the canSERV project website and the unique Common Access Management System. A comprehensive list of services can be found here canSERV Services on Cancer Research Services Across Europe.

Call 1: Service provision for early Career Researchers: The primary objective of this call is to empower early career scientists through access to research services and training in order to advance their scientific merits and careers. This includes first-stage researchers (PhD students, junior researchers w/o PhD) and recognised researchers (postdoc, assistant professors, young investigators). More information can be found here. Overall budget: €500.000 | Submission deadline: 17th December 2024 @2pm CET

Call 2: Transnational Service Provision:  Application for a portfolio of services offered by canSERV to address the research needs of the entire oncology developmental pipeline. More information can be found here. | Overall budget: €1.000.000 (can be increased if necessary) | Submission Deadline: 28th November 2024 @ 2pm CET.

Applied Partnership Awards (APA) 2024 (HRB)

The Applied Partnership Awards are designed to bring knowledge users and researchers together to develop research projects that address a specific need within the Irish health or social care system. Research findings will have a direct impact on decision-making in the knowledge user organisation. The closing date for Cycle 2: 18 December 2024. Details can be found here.

European Research Council
There are several grants available in this scheme:

• Synergy Grant for minimum of two to maximum of four Principal Investigators (PIs)working together and bringing different skills and resources to tackle ambitious research problems (it must be clear that a single PI could not work on this alone).
  Details here | Available funding: Up to €10 million for a period of 6 years (pro rata for shorter duration) | Submission deadline 6th November 2024
• Consolidator Grant for Researchers of any nationality with7-12 years of experience since completion of PhD, a scientific track record showing great promise and an excellent research proposal. | Details here. | Available funding: Up to €2 million for a period of 5 years (pro rata for shorter duration) | Submission deadline 14th January 2025
• Advanced Grant for active researchers who have a track-record of significant research achievements. Details here |
  Available funding: Up to €2.5 million for a period of 5 years (pro rata for shorter duration) | Submission deadline 28th August 2025
• EANO (European Association for Neuro-Oncology) Research Grant: to supplement existing funding to help add value, enable new collaborations, or complete the project. Eligibility: EANO member with high-quality neuro-oncology research project that has already been peer-reviewed by a qualified national or international panel in the initial round of applications. Details here. | Available funding: €50.000 (including OH) | Submission deadline: 23rd January 2025 12am CET
• EU – Pre-commercial procurement for environmentally sustainable, climate neutral and circular health and care systems (HORIZON-HLTH-2024-CARE-14-01) – This topic aims at supporting activities that are enabling or contributing to one or several expected impacts of destination 4 “Ensuring access to innovative, sustainable and high-quality health care”. As every step in health and care delivery has a role in reducing its environmental footprint, the topic can support any of the different dimensions and needs for the greening of the healthcare sector. Details here. | Single stage application – deadline 26 Nov 2025 @ 4pm Irish time

EU4Health Annual Work Programme; publication of calls for proposals:

a) Personalised cancer medicine (CR-g-24-99) – The action will benefit cancer patients accessing personalised cancer medicine services, which is expected to reduce the burden of cancer in the Member States. Includes efforts in the design, planning and implementation of best practices, such as support for the development of public health guidelines (e.g., personalised cancer medicine, genomic testing/screening and metastatic cancer management). Details here
Available funding: €3M – Single stage application | Deadline 22Jan2025 @ 4pm Irish time

b) Support the establishment of new networks of expertise on cancer and cancer conditions (CR-g-24-96) – This includes within the networks of expertise the establishment of supporting actions for patients, families, caregivers and other participants in the fight against cancer. It will help Member States to improve cooperation among their cancer services and with health professionals and patient advocates (e.g. by addressing skill gaps and better equipping the health workforce in cancer care); and to improve and deepen the cooperation with the non-governmental sector. Details here.
Available funding: €1M – Single stage application | Deadline 22 Jan 2025 @ 4pm Irish time

c) Radiation safety and quality of computed tomography imaging of children and young adults (CR-g-24-42) – This includes various forms of technical/practical tools, like improved imaging referral and clinical guidelines, guidance, protocols and tools for specific exams and equipment, education and training curricula (for hospital staff) and material and the organisation of information campaigns. This will benefit paediatric and AYA patients and parents accessing imaging services in Member States. The actions are expected to bring short-term improvements in radiation safety and quality of CT and other radiological imaging in children and young patients and reduction of avoidable exposure to ionising radiation. In the mid- to long- term, this is expected to translate into reduced avoidable secondary effects, such as brain cancer linked to head CT exams. Details here. | Available funding: €3M – Singel stage application | Deadline 22 Jan 2025 @ 4pm Irish time

US-Ireland Research and Development Partnership Programme (HRB)
The Partnership Programme aims to generate discoveries and innovations which will lead to enhancements in health, disease prevention and healthcare. Applicants: The application must have a minimum of one applicant from each of the three jurisdictions (Rep IRE, NI, US); however, significant participation by researchers in all jurisdictions must be demonstrated in the application. | Available funding: Up to €700.000. | Process: – Intention to submit: Rolling call with 10 weeks in advance of the full proposal deadline at NIH.  Almost final full application: Six weeks in advance of the relevant NIH deadline. | More info here.

Breakthrough Cancer Research
Breakthrough Cancer Research funds researchers with projects that aim to improve cancer care and survival. Patient focused and/or clinically linked and translational ideas are favoured. Individual project grants can be sought and the process is different depending on the level of funding sought. Their Scientific Advisory Board discuss potential awards at various intervals during the year, so it is advised to make informal inquiries before applying to research@breakcancer.ie

Above is not an exhaustive list of calls available but a selection which may be relevant to your research.

EU Cancer projects tool available now. It showcases projects funded via the EU4Health and Horizon Europe programmes and highlights synergies between projects https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/visualisation/cancer-projects-tool_en

The European Cancer Organisation (ECO) has launched a new Focused Topic Network on Research Policy to bring together stakeholders from across the cancer community to examine all policy needs faced by scientists, healthcare professionals, patients and decision-makers along the cancer research pathway. This is providing attention to basic, translational, clinical, implementation, health service and public health research, as well as to the regulatory, financial, institutional, human and political determinants of multidisciplinary cancer research advancement across Europe and its benefits to cancer patients and health systems. They had their first meeting in July. If you want to be part of this network please follow the link above.

ECO also promotes a European Training Program: New digital training for cancer professionals to produce better care for patients: TRANSiTION: Transition is an EU-funded, innovative, 2-year pilot project to enhance the digital skills of cancer care professionals in Europe. Recruitment is open now. Details are here.