Discovery Committee Grants are the sole Cancer Research UK scheme operating for managed development of projects arising from its basic research portfolio. Also the scheme is responsible for Intellectual Property arising from outside the Cancer Research UK portfolio, but managed through Cancer Research Technology.
Research Areas
The aim of the scheme is to improve the likelihood of research eventually leading to a new preventative, therapeutic or diagnostic entity by:
- Assessment of the potential value of research findings for developing new preventative, therapeutic or diagnostic approaches;
- Establishing a project plan, which charts a route to developing research findings;
- Funding of the project plan to achieve specific milestones and endpoints;
- Management and monitoring of the project by the charity and Cancer Research Technology (CRT) to achieve goals within agreed timescales.
The Discovery Committee (DC) Remit
The DC has two essential goals:
(i) The rapid identification and validation of new diagnostic and therapeutic targets.
(ii) The discovery and development of novel, diagnostic, preventative or therapeutic agents that should result in tangible benefits for cancer patients.
The DC has also recently expanded their remit to include: the development of platform technologies for use in drug discovery.
Eligibility
Those eligible to take part in the scheme include:
- Any Cancer Research UK funded scientist/clinician (project or programme grant holder, institute or direct employee);
- Any other scientist with an original idea, funded through another organisation, where CRT handles, or will handle, its intellectual property arrangements;
- Any potential collaborating UK scientist (irrespective of funding body) who has been identified by the originating scientist or the charity as bringing important skills to assist product development.
Period of Funding
Funding is normally provided for up to 24 months.
Funding Value
Projects should not exceed £500,000 in total.
How to apply
If you are interested in applying for a Discovery Committee award, the initial step is to email an abstract of your proposed research to Dr Alison John, the Research Manager responsible for the Discovery Committee, which will then be forwarded to the appropriate Business Manager at CRT. Once your abstract has been reviewed, we will contact you in order to discuss the optimal way to proceed with your application.
Please note that all DC proposals are subject to an internal CRT review process, prior to submission to the DC, and your CRT-Business Manager will become your principal contact point, as they will assist and advise you as you put together your application.
Submission deadlines
Forthcoming deadlines for applications are as follows:
| Submission Deadline |
Meeting In |
| May 2009 |
June 2009 |
| September 2009 |
October 2009 |
Additional Information
Review Committee: Discovery Committee (DC)
For further details about Cancer Research Technology please refer to their website.
Contact Details
For enquiries about this scheme, please contact:
Dr Alison John
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7438 5389
Email: alison.john@cancer.org.uk
