Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme Grants

Introduction
Cancer Australia
The Cancer Council Australia
Cure Cancer Australia Foundation

National Breast Cancer Foundation
Further information
Contact

Introduction

The Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme is a priority-driven research grant scheme which aims to support research which reduces the impact of cancer in the community and improves outcomes for people affected by cancer.

This program is a collaborative initiative of Cancer Australia and involves the following funding partners: beyondblue: the national depression initiative, The Cancer Council Australia, the Cure Cancer Australia Foundation, and the National Breast Cancer Foundation. The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is facilitating the registration and assessment of grant applications, and will co-badge and endorse grants funded through the Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme.

Project grants (except those funded by the Cure Cancer Australia Foundation) will only be offered for a maximum of three years in duration. Funding of up to $600,000 (GST exclusive) over three years is available with a maximum, in any one year, of $200,000. However, all project grant applications ranging from 1 to 3 years with a budget ranging from $10,000 to $200,000 per annum will be considered.

Project grants of one year duration for up to $75,000 (GST exclusive) will also be offered by the Cure Cancer Australia Foundation, to support post-doctoral researchers with less than 5 years post-doctoral experience undertaking research into malignant disease.
Grant applications must relate to the research priority areas identified by Cancer Australia and its funding partners.

These cancer research priorities are:

Cancer Australia

These cancer research priorities are:

Trials-based research in cancer prevention/screening.
Improving screening programs to ensure that patients can be identified and treated appropriately and that screening services are effective.
Early detection of breast and ovarian cancer.
The application of emerging new treatments and technologies, particularly for bowel and prostate cancer
Improvements in cancer outcomes through better coordination of care and amultidisciplinary approach.

beyondblue: the national depression initiative

beyondblue’s research priorities are collaborative research to achieve increased recognition of the co-morbidities of cancer and depression leading to an improvement in psychosocial care for people affected by cancer. This means applied research which is practical, involves multi-disciplinary teams, has specific application and clearly defined pathways to care from primary to tertiary settings. This may include:

the development of pathways to care and delivery of well-evaluated tools to diagnose and address depression/anxiety and psychosocial distress in people with cancer in various settings;
the development and dissemination of evidence-based, well-evaluated therapeutic guidelines for people with cancer and their families that leads to improved wellbeing and mental health outcomes;
research to identify, create and institute robust pathways to care, recognising the psychosocial impact for people with cancer and their families, broadly applied to a number of settings;
trials of interventions which improve the psychosocial mental health of people with cancer, their families and carers in hospital and outpatient settings;
other relevant studies which lead to improvement in quality of care and quality of life for people with depression and cancer, including childhood cancers.

Research supported by this program must demonstrate a multidisciplinary team approach with collaboration between researchers, consumers, carers and stakeholders.

beyondblue is interested in creating strong new collaborations to improve psychosocial care for people affected by cancer therefore, all projects supported will be co-funded by beyondblue and other cancer agencies or funding bodies.

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The Cancer Council Australia

Clinical trials research priorities in:

Innovative and novel approaches, methods and therapeutics, best addressed through Phase I and II studies
Research areas that are currently under-represented and under-funded, eg. cancers of the colon, pancreas, prostate and unknown primary site
Trials in new technologies, staging and diagnosis
Clinical trials conducted independently of drug companies are encouraged.

Pancreatic cancer research priorities to:

Develop strategies to identify patients with pancreatic cancer at a potentially curable stage
Develop and assess novel therapeutic strategies in pancreatic cancer

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Cure Cancer Australia Foundation

Project grants of one year duration in any field of research (including clinical) into malignant disease, that will be “start up” funding to support post-doctoral researchers with less than 5 years post-doctoral experience at the time of application;
Collaborative projects with co-workers are encouraged provided details of the proposed collaboration are clearly stated; and particular consideration will be given to projects that are innovative and non-duplicative of other efforts.
Continuing support of existing projects may not be considered.

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National Breast Cancer Foundation

The needs of all women, and their families, living with a diagnosis of breast cancer. This also includes underserved populations such as women aged less than 50 years, women over 70 years Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds;
All aspects of advanced breast cancer;
Translational research, with the potential to deliver outcomes that are clinically relevant or otherwise ready to be implemented to improve the care of women with breast cancer;
Multidisciplinary research, which encourages research across disciplines and boundaries; and
Novel health service delivery.
Particular consideration will be given to projects that are innovative, nonduplicative of other efforts and have the potential for national application.