Apply for WCRF Regular Grant Programme

Deadline Date: October 30, 2024

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 Donor Name: World Cancer Research Fund International

 Grant Size: $500,000 to $1 million

The World Cancer Research Fund International is now accepting applications for its Regular Grant Programme to support innovative and original research into the role of diet, nutrition and physical activity in either Cancer Prevention or Cancer Survivorship.

Research Themes

• There are two Research Themes that apply to both research Areas, and one that applies only to the Cancer Survivors Research Area:
  • The Mechanisms research theme: applies to both Research Areas, and covers molecular, cellular and physiological mechanisms that help explain the biological connection between relevant exposures and cancer development or progression. This type of research must be coherent with existing laboratory, epidemiological and clinical evidence.
  • The Host factors research theme: applies to both Research Areas and covers factors that might explain the variability between people in their susceptibility to cancer or the biological abnormalities predisposing to it. It also applies to the variability in outcomes after a cancer diagnosis, including in response to treatment. Variation in susceptibility to cancer or in its progression is likely to be influenced by host factors.

Types of Scheme

• Investigator initiated grants
  • These are for established researchers working on the research areas and themes. They encourage collaboration with other teams, therefore it is important to have at least one co-applicant. The aim of this grant funding scheme is to support innovative and original research into the link of diet, nutrition and physical activity in either Cancer Prevention or Cancer Survivors.
• Pilot and feasibility grants
  • They are intended as startup funds for preliminary research to allow researchers to collect preliminary data or test study parameters to take them to a stage where an application for an IIG would be appropriate. PFGs could also study behavioral change in cancer survivors. The objectives of intended subsequent studies should be clearly defined in the PFG application.  Only projects that fit with the definition of Pilot or Feasibility study will be accepted:
    • Feasibility studies address whether something can be done, should it proceed, and if so, how. They aim to find out information such as whether patients and clinicians would be prepared to take part, and how long it might take to collect and analyse the data.
    • Pilot studies may address the same questions but also have a specific design feature: in a pilot study a future study, or part of a future study, is conducted on a smaller scale to test that all the main parts of the study work together (e.g., recruitment, randomisation, follow-up assessment). 

Funding Information

• IIGs are for a maximum of £500,000 for up to four years. The total budget for the grant should be allocated approximately equally across each year of the project duration.
• PFGs are for a maximum of £60,000 in total for up to two years.

Eligibility Criteria

• Grant applications are open to a Principal Investigator based at a research institution from any country outside the Americas (North America, Central America including the Caribbean, and South America).
• World Cancer Research Fund International encourages international collaborations. Please note that although the Principal Investigator of an application cannot be from an institution based in the Americas, co-applicants and collaborators can be based in those countries, and a portion of the research work can be carried out at their institutions.
• Applications with the Principal Investigator based in a low- and middle-income country are also encouraged, such as for high quality studies that explore relevant exposure-outcome links in under-researched regions or population. Applicants should ensure the relevant expertise has been secured, for example through appropriate international collaborations.

For more information, visit WCRF.