CRUK Biology to Prevention Award

Funding is available for translational research that will build and use greater biological and mechanistic understanding of cancer aetiology, genesis and risk in order to lead to precision prevention interventions.

Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is a cancer charity based in the UK. The aim of the charity is to prevent, control and cure cancer, and raise public awareness through information programmes, campaigning and lobbying initiatives.

The Biology to Prevention Awards support translational research that build and use greater biological and mechanistic understanding of cancer aetiology, genesis and risk in order to lead to precision prevention interventions. The awards cover a continuum of projects, ranging from new and exploratory research ideas, relationships, and/or pilot studies, including those of high scientific risk and potential reward, to longer-term projects grounded in strong preliminary data.

Areas that could be considered include but are not limited to:

• Building on biological insight into mechanisms of early pre/cancerous changes to validate potential new prevention targets.
• Translational research to develop and establish proof of principle for novel preventive approaches (pharmacological, dietary, behavioural or immunological).
• Development of novel approaches to treating/eliminating/modulating pre-cancerous lesions or changes.
• Use of mechanistic insight or risk stratification to better target existing preventive approaches (pharmacological, dietary, behavioural or immunological).
• Developing and implementing precise understanding of the biological mechanisms mediating cancer risk from modifiable risk factors to reduce that risk (especially those that exacerbate health inequities).
• Gaining a mechanistic understanding of how, and in whom, repurposed drugs/dietary compounds confer their cancer preventive properties, and/or how these could subsequently be used for precision preventive approaches.
• Identification and validation of biomarkers/surrogate endpoints which might predict future cancer emergence or the preventive effect of interventions.
• Novel approaches to prevention research using surrogate endpoints and innovative trial designs.
  

The awards are available for researchers from all career stages across any research area, including those from non-traditional cancer prevention fields to engage with cancer prevention research. They support development of new collaborative partnerships, and truly interdisciplinary, innovative approaches. Collaborations between existing cancer prevention researchers and biologists, geneticists, immunologists, drug developers or other new entrants to cancer prevention research are strongly encouraged. CRUK anticipates that data generated, or collaborations established through these awards will form the basis for more extensive future Project and/or Programme Awards to charity.

Applicants should provide a clear pathway from the proposed work to eventual impact on lowering cancer risk or incidence as outlined in CRUK’s Prevention Research Strategy.