Cancer Research Transatlantic Development and Skills Enhancement Award

Funding to enable UK early or mid-career researchers to spend 6-12 months at NCI intramural institutes in the US.

The Medical Research Council (MRC) and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) have launched the cancer research transatlantic Development and Skills Enhancement (DSE) award in partnership with the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Cancer Institute (NCI). The awards enable UK early or mid-career clinical or non-clinical researchers to spend 6-12 months at NCI intramural institutes in the US.

Awardees will have the opportunity to obtain training, develop skills and experience, and establish international collaborations with NCI researchers, towards supporting their transition to independence in cancer research. To be eligible, applicants should be:

• Looking to establish themselves or transition to independence in their field.
• Currently a cancer researcher, or looking to apply relevant skills and expertise within cancer research.

Proposals should support the establishment of new collaborations, or the substantial development of existing collaborations, with researchers at the NCI. Applicants may approach potential collaborators directly but if potential applicants are unsure which research group(s) may be best suited to their interests, support and ‘match making’ can be facilitated by contacting NCI central contacts as early as possible (no later than 22 October 2023).

Research can focus on any area within the remit of MRC, NIHR or both. The funders are particularly keen to see applications that develop skills and experience in the following areas that align with priority opportunities identified during the UK-US Cancer Summit:

• Data science and artificial intelligence.
• Health equity.
• Molecular and other mechanisms of cancer prevention.
• Trial methodology including innovative clinical trial design and delivery.

Applicants are likely to have a background in cancer research. Applicants that do not come from a cancer research background are eligible but will be expected to demonstrate how the opportunity would enhance their skills and facilitate ongoing cancer research and sustained collaborations beyond the end of the award.

The format of transatlantic visits are flexible, and applicants may choose to visit once for an extended duration or make several shorter visits. Applicants must spend substantial time within the duration of the award visiting eligible research group(s) at the NCI CCR, DCEG or both. The time spent overseas must accommodate the specific training and skills development aims of each application and the applicants’ individual circumstances.

For successful applicants, it is expected awards will be completed by 31 March 2025. Exceptional requests for later end dates will be considered on a case-by-case basis.