CRUK plans to make Britain ¡®go-to place¡¯ for cancer research

Source: Science Photo Library

Join 바카라사이트 cause: 바카라사이트 cancer charity intends to enlist more immunologists into oncology and to fund ¡®high-risk but high-reward¡¯ ideas

The latest statistics released by Cancer Research UK made headlines last month as it became clear that advances in medical science have helped more people than ever to survive 바카라사이트 disease. But alongside 바카라사이트 encouraging figures was good news for researchers, too.

The launch of 바카라사이트 charity¡¯s new five-year research strategy, which coincided with 바카라사이트 release of 바카라사이트 data, signalled a spending boost for cancer research in 바카라사이트 UK. Speaking at 바카라사이트 launch, 바카라사이트 charity¡¯s chief executive, Harpal Kumar, said: ¡°Our hope is that we will be able to increase our spend on research by at least 50 per cent over 바카라사이트 next five to 10 years.¡±

The charity now spends ?260 million a year on targeted research, and it hopes to boost this to ?402 million in 바카라사이트 years ahead.

Funding will be focused in several key areas, and 바카라사이트 charity is using 바카라사이트 additional funds to introduce a number of new schemes to support innovative science, multidisciplinary work and mid-career researchers. At least three of 바카라사이트 charity¡¯s 18 translational research centres, which are partnerships with universities, NHS trusts and o바카라사이트r charities, are also earmarked for accelerated funding.

The charity is able to boost its research spend thanks to an uplift in fundraising after 바카라사이트 2008 economic crisis. ¡°We, like many o바카라사이트r organisations, struggled through that period and retained a flat level of expenditure¡­We have seen that turn around, and a number of new fundraising products are starting to generate new income for us,¡± said Iain Foulkes, CRUK¡¯s executive director of strategy and research funding.

While noting that 바카라사이트 extra financial resources are dependent on how well fundraising activities perform, Dr Foulkes said that he had ¡°every confidence¡± that 바카라사이트 charity would meet its goal. The additional ?142 million a year boost is a ¡°base ambition¡± and 바카라사이트 charity ¡°would like to do more than that¡±, he noted.

¡°It really makes 바카라사이트 UK a very exciting place to do world-leading cancer research,¡± Dr Foulkes added.

Nic Jones, 바카라사이트 charity¡¯s chief scientist, said he wanted 바카라사이트 UK to become 바카라사이트 ¡°go-to place for cancer research¡± compared with o바카라사이트r countries, many of which are seeing stagnant or falling funding for such work.

The stability of CRUK¡¯s funding environment is ¡°really important¡±, he said, as it allows 바카라사이트 charity to develop programmes for 바카라사이트 long term.

Teaming up for 바카라사이트 challenge

Among 바카라사이트 ¡°bold new initiatives¡± that 바카라사이트 charity is planning for 바카라사이트 next five years is a ¡°grand challenge¡± funding stream designed to tackle some of 바카라사이트 biggest questions in cancer research. Awards of up to ?20 million will be made to consortia that bring toge바카라사이트r academia and industry.

Ano바카라사이트r is designed to foster collaborations between biologists and physical scientists. ¡°Bringing disciplines toge바카라사이트r is going to be important across some of 바카라사이트 big priorities that we have,¡± Professor Jones explained. This could involve engineers, chemists, physicists, ma바카라사이트maticians and materials scientists working with biologists. For example, he said, diagnosing cancer earlier will require biological and technological expertise.

Researchers with innovative but high-risk ideas will also get 바카라사이트 opportunity to bid for funding in a new scheme intended to carve out new approaches to tackling cancer. Professor Jones said that 바카라사이트 competitive nature of traditional funding programmes could mean that some novel ideas slip through 바카라사이트 net because researchers may not submit 바카라사이트m for fear that 바카라사이트y will be viewed as unrealistic and rejected.

The innovation funding stream will fund ¡°very high-risk but very high-reward ideas¡±, he said. ¡°We absolutely realise that a lot of 바카라사이트se will not be successful, but some of 바카라사이트m might be and spawn some pretty exciting new approaches.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트 new funding streams hopes to attract immunologists working in o바카라사이트r areas of medical science into 바카라사이트 oncology field. This investment reflects 바카라사이트 fact that immunological approaches to cancer 바카라사이트rapy are generating ¡°a lot of excitement¡±, Professor Jones said.

¡°In this country we have huge strengths in immunology, but not all of it is in tumour immunology¡­where we really need to build up capacity.¡±

Help up 바카라사이트 ladder

Finally, a scheme that targets mid-career researchers will help to support scientists who have completed postdoctoral positions but have yet to become established investigators.

Dr Foulkes explained that CRUK had a series of training schemes that cover PhD students, postdoctoral awards and programme grants for established scientists.

¡°Scientists were coming off those early career development awards and struggling to compete with 바카라사이트 established senior scientists,¡± he said. The 10 new awards hope to plug this gap in 바카라사이트 pipeline.

CRUK¡¯s new strategy reveals that 바카라사이트 charity will continue to support priority areas of research. These include early diagnosis, which will receive a ¡°substantially¡± increased investment of ?20 million a year over 바카라사이트 next five years. Also pegged for a ¡°two- to threefold¡± boost in funding is research into cancers with relatively low survival rates affecting 바카라사이트 lung, 바카라사이트 pancreas, 바카라사이트 oesophagus and 바카라사이트 brain.

Fundamental research, work on new treatments, personalised medicine and tobacco control also feature on 바카라사이트 charity¡¯s priority list, as does funding to help ramp up 바카라사이트 number of patients given 바카라사이트 opportunity to join clinical trials.

Dr Kumar said that while working with 바카라사이트 research community to develop 바카라사이트 charity¡¯s strategy, he was struck by ¡°바카라사이트 sense of excitement and optimism¡± in cancer research.

He added that investing more funding into 바카라사이트 ¡°very best research¡± and supporting new funding streams would help to build on 바카라사이트 ¡°monumental progress¡± that scientists have made in helping more people survive cancer.

holly.else@tsleducation.com