Grants for Best Minds in Brain Cancer Research
14 June 2017 at 10:20 am
A new portfolio of grants has been launched in a bid to attract the best minds into brain cancer research.
Cure Brain Cancer Foundation is set to provide up to $200,000, per award, to researchers in a new grants round designed to spark innovative ideas, build capacity in brain cancer research, and help improve brain cancer survival.
The Innovation Grant and Early Career Fellowship Grant aims to attract brilliant minds from all areas of expertise into brain cancer research, to help the foundation achieve its mission to increase brain cancer survival from 20 per cent to 50 per cent by 2023.
Cure Brain Cancer Foundation head of research strategy Michelle Stewart said it was currently difficult to find financial support to explore “potentially game-changing brain cancer research ideas” but the new grants would help fill the gap.
“New paradigms may lead to improved treatments and significant increases in survival but they often fall outside the rigid boundaries of traditional funding models,” Stewart said.
“Unfortunately, this can result in potentially life saving projects being left on the shelf and brain cancer patients, who urgently need treatment options, from missing out on the benefits.
“The Innovation Grant will address this gap by funding higher risk, big ideas, and allow researchers to explore new projects that could improve brain cancer survival, which has barely improved in more than 30 years.”
The Innovation Grant will provide up to $200,000 over two years to researchers with new ideas, including those who work in areas outside of brain cancer.
It will also enable researchers to produce proof-of-concept data, and establish whether ideas are feasible for ongoing funding.
In addition to the Innovation Grant, the Early Career Fellowship Grant will provide up to $115,000 per year for a maximum of three years, depending on experience, to encourage the brightest young minds into brain cancer research and offer them job security at an early stage.
Stewart said successful applicants would have the opportunity to build their research credentials and be more likely to continue working in the brain cancer field over the longer-term.
“Both grants are part of Cure Brain Cancer Foundation’s patient-centric research strategy, which is designed to improve brain cancer survival by accelerating treatments to patients and funding the entire research pathway,” Stewart said.
The foundation, which was founded in 2001 by renowned neurosurgeon Professor Charlie Teo AM, has invested more than $11.8 million in research over the past five years for innovative projects.
The latest grants form part of a raft of new research initiatives to be announced by the foundation over the coming year to help improve brain cancer survival.
Applications for the Innovation Grants are now open and close on 7 July. Applications for the Early Career Fellowship Grants will open on 19 June and will close on 18 August.
See here for more information.
