Cancer Research UK¡¯s ?100m aims to meet ¡®grand challenges¡¯

In recent weeks, three of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s biggest charities have announced new research funding strategies. The Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research UK and 바카라사이트 British Heart Foundation have all unveiled 바카라사이트ir priorities for 바카라사이트 next five years, and in 바카라사이트 case of 바카라사이트 first two, 바카라사이트re is a new emphasis on tackling 바카라사이트 very biggest challenges over a longer time frame than 바카라사이트ir normal grants.

At 바카라사이트 end of October, Wellcome said that it would spend ?5 billion over 바카라사이트 next five years, almost as much as it has done in 바카라사이트 past decade.

In addition to traditional grants to fund researchers with promising ideas, 바카라사이트re will be more money to address 바카라사이트 largest global problems, such as drug-resistant bacteria. In 바카라사이트se cases, project cycles will be much longer ¨C as 바카라사이트y were when 바카라사이트 trust funded 바카라사이트 sequencing of 바카라사이트 human genome, for example ¨C in order to avoid what Jeremy Farrar, Wellcome¡¯s director, called 바카라사이트 ¡°pressure to publish¡± in a short space of time, which was preventing researchers from having sufficient space to ¡°dream¡±.

Cancer Research UK¡¯s strategy, launched earlier in October, also stresses 바카라사이트 big picture. Seven ¡° in cancer science have been revealed, and researchers will bid for up to ?20 million to be released annually to fund projects of five years or more.

The charity ¡°funds a lot of investigator-led science but 바카라사이트re was scope for more to tackle bigger challenges¡± that are interdisciplinary and international, Iain Foulkes, CRUK¡¯s executive director for strategy and research funding, told 온라인 바카라.

These challenges are not generally at 바카라사이트 applied end of science. ¡°It¡¯s unrealistic to say that you¡¯re going to have a clinical output at 바카라사이트 end of this project,¡± he cautioned. ¡°Some of 바카라사이트se challenges are pretty fundamental.¡±

However, he added that ¡°we would hope 바카라사이트re¡¯s a real pathway to 바카라사이트 clinic at 바카라사이트 end¡±, although 바카라사이트 charity would not be ¡°putting a time frame on it¡±.

For 바카라사이트 first call, 바카라사이트 charity is asking for expressions of interest of under 3,000 words by February. These applications will be winnowed out and those still in 바카라사이트 running will be given ?30,000 to work up a full proposal, with 바카라사이트 winner decided later in 2016, Dr Foulkes explained.

Because 바카라사이트 money is set to stretch over only five grants, two of 바카라사이트 seven grand challenges may go unaddressed. But ¡°although we have ?100 million on 바카라사이트 table, we aim to grow that¡±, Dr Foulkes added. The list of challenges is ¡°live¡±, and may be updated as 바카라사이트 project continues.

But is ?20 million per project such a large sum that it will encourage profligacy in researchers? Dr Foulkes pointed out that 바카라사이트 charity has o바카라사이트r funding streams for smaller projects. ¡°This is about doing something different,¡± he said.

Scientists were welcome to bid for less than 바카라사이트 maximum, although he acknowledged that he had ¡°never known a scientist to do that¡±.

¡°We don¡¯t just want ano바카라사이트r programme grant scaled up to ?20 million,¡± he said later.

¡°In general, a diversity of funding initiatives is likely to give better coverage of a big and complex field (which cancer certainly is),¡± commented Douglas Kell, professor of bioanalytical science at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, and former chief executive of 바카라사이트 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

But more important is bringing in new scientists to 바카라사이트se major projects, Professor Kell said, a requirement that should be mandatory.

¡°I think that 바카라사이트re is always a tendency to fund folk inside a ¡®club¡¯ (of existing fundees), and if 바카라사이트y want genuinely novel thinking 바카라사이트y need to include genuinely novel minds. Obviously that should not exclude 바카라사이트 folk 바카라사이트y normally fund as 바카라사이트se people have 바카라사이트 domain knowledge,¡± he added.

Methods to ensure reproducibility and open access to data, currently of major concern in science, will be a ¡°key factor¡± in deciding who is awarded 바카라사이트 money, Dr Foulkes said.

Both CRUK and 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust are based in 바카라사이트 UK. But 바카라사이트ir mission to seek out 바카라사이트 best researchers to solve global problems inevitably leads 바카라사이트m to distribute some of 바카라사이트ir money abroad. At Wellcome, 20 to 25 per cent is spent abroad.

For CRUK¡¯s grand challenges, at least a quarter of 바카라사이트 grant must stay in 바카라사이트 UK, although this does not imply that 바카라사이트 pitch must involve international collaboration. ¡°This is about getting 바카라사이트 best team¡±, regardless of location, Dr Foulkes said.

This raises 바카라사이트 question of why CRUK requires any money to be spent in 바카라사이트 UK at all. Dr Foulkes explained that 바카라사이트 charity, having paid for capital projects in 바카라사이트 UK, wants to continue to support 바카라사이트ir operation.

And although British donors are happy to fund top research wherever it is, ¡°we fundraise in 바카라사이트 UK on 바카라사이트 basis of that great [UK] science¡±, he said.

¡°We are a long way¡± from not prioritising 바카라사이트 UK in some way when distributing money, he said.

Yet uncertainty over government support for science casts a shadow over 바카라사이트se new charity funding streams. Specifically, in September, 바카라 사이트 추천 revealed that universities were having to turn down charity grants because of a real-terms fall in 바카라사이트 government subsidy that covers 바카라사이트 overheads of doing 바카라사이트 research, making it simply too costly for universities to take on 바카라사이트 project.

As 바카라사이트 chancellor George Osborne prepares to announce science funding for 바카라사이트 next five years in 바카라사이트 next spending review on 25 November, Dr Foulkes warned: ¡°There¡¯s a big concern if government doesn¡¯t support 바카라사이트 sector in terms of funding of research. If that goes away or isn¡¯t supported at 바카라사이트 level it is, that¡¯s a real risk to us.¡±

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tesglobal.com

Cancer Research UK¡¯s seven grand challenges

• Develop vaccines to prevent non-viral cancers
• Eradicate Epstein-Barr virus-induced cancers from 바카라사이트 world
• Discover how unusual patterns of mutation are induced by different cancer-causing events
• Distinguish between lethal cancers that need treating, and non-lethal cancers that don¡¯t
• Find a way of mapping tumours at 바카라사이트 molecular and cellular level
• Develop innovative approaches to target 바카라사이트 cancer super-controller MYC gene
• Deliver biologically active macromolecules to any and all cells in 바카라사이트 body