Prevention and Population Research Programme Award
About this scheme
Key information
You should:
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Be a research scientist based at a UK university or research institution for the duration of the proposed award.
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Have extensive postdoctoral experience, an internationally-recognised track record, and ability to successfully run an independent research group.
Scientific remit
PPRC Programme Awards can be awarded in one or more of the following areas:
• Population-based studies, including classical, clinical and molecular epidemiological approaches, to help understand risk and disease aetiology, and to test and validate strategies to improve the prevention and control of cancer in patients and the public.
• Incidence rates of cancer, including changes over time and geographies. Investigation into the changes in cancer survival, driven by risk factors or other relevant factors.
• Methodological and statistical research relating to prevention and population sciences.
• Population-level epidemiological studies of secondary physical effects of cancer treatment.
• Risk stratification and associated cancer prevention studies, including identification of high-risk groups for whom preventative interventions would be beneficial and in which preventative intervention research could be conducted.
• Exploratory and confirmatory clinical trials seeking to test the efficacy and safety of chemopreventive agents.
• Development and evaluation of behavioural and lifestyle interventions to support prevention of cancer, including cancer recurrence, across a range of risk factors, which may include tobacco, alcohol, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, obesity and UV exposure (individual or population level).
• Screening as a form of prevention, including population-level trials of screening approaches.
• Policy-focused research to help develop Cancer Research UK’s policies and advocacy strategies concerning cancer prevention, including policy research on tobacco control.
Please note early diagnosis research now sits within the remit of the Early Detection & Diagnosis Research Committee.
There is no fixed value for funding requests for Programme Awards. Funding lasts 5 years, conditional on an annual Scientific Milestone Report review.
Funding can be used for:
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Salaries of postdoctoral researchers, technical staff and PhD students (stipend and fees)
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Associated running costs
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Equipment costing up to £50,000
The Award cannot be used to fund your own salary, but may be used to fund the salary of a maximum of one co-investigator or other senior researcher as named research staff as set out in our Policy on Funding Investigator Salaries.
How to apply to this scheme
Application process
We strongly encourage you to contact the CRUK office for an informal and confidential discussion of your proposal. We will advise you on your eligibility and funding options. Please contact us more than 1 month and no later than 2 weeks before a submission deadline to help us best assist you.
All applications must be made online through our online grant management system, Flexi-Grant.
Submit an outline application
1. All applications for a Programme Award begin with an outline application (see application guidelines).
2. Your application will be reviewed by the Prevention and Population Research Committee.
3. If your application is successful, you will be invited to submit a full application. All applications, regardless of outcome, will receive feedback from the Committee.
Submit a full application
1. We will provide you with a link to submit your full application (see application guidelines). Your Host Institution must approve your submission.
2. Your application will be peer-reviewed by one of our Expert Review Panels. You will have the opportunity to respond to comments at interview. Your full application will also be considered by our Patient and Public Review Panel.
3. The Prevention and Population Research Committee will make a final decision on funding.
Timelines
|
Outline application deadline |
Committee shortlisting decision |
Full application deadline |
Expert Review Panel interview |
Committee funding decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 March 2025 | May 2025 | TBC July 2025 | September 2025 | November 2025 |
Before you begin your application
You must read the application guidelines, , together with our Grant Conditions, before starting your application, even if you have applied for funding with us before.
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If you are submitting an outline application, please read
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If you have been invited to submit a full application, please read
Applications are judged on the basis of scientific excellence, innovation and relevance to cancer research and to the priorities outlined in our Research Strategy, and potential impact on policy and practice. The relevant Expert Review Panel(s) will make a recommendation to the Committee based on:
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Scientific excellence: your application must have a strong scientific rationale to support the proposed research proposal.
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Cancer-relevance: likely to advance value of the proposed work in advancing the fundamental understanding of cancer or improving how cancer is diagnosed and/or treated.
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Track record: you and your team members should have an excellent track record and potential to produce outstanding results.
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Excellent team and collaborative environment: suitability and feasibility of the Lead Applicant/s (and supporting roles) to carry out the proposed research with access to the resources and facilities required for the successful fulfillment of the Award. It is important to demonstrate the added value of the proposed collaboration and the individual contributions, as well as the steps taken to ensure an effective collaboration
The Committee will also consider the strategic value of the proposal as a long-term award, such as capacity building and succession planning. We also look at how the proposed research aligns with the priorities set out in our Research Strategy.
The 5 year rolling success rate (financial year 2019-2024) from application to funding for this scheme is 63%.
Find out more about what makes a successful application
We prioritise funding for projects of sufficient scientific quality that focus on cancers of the brain, lung, pancreas, oesophagus, liver and stomach.
Cancer Research UK contact details
Please contact the relevant Research Grants Manager if you have questions about your eligibility or require any assistance with your application or active award.
For London and The South of England (including Oxford, Cambridge and Bristol)
Dr Alice Burke
Research Grants Manager
Email: pprc@cancer.org.uk
For the rest of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Dr Emily Friar
Research Grants Manager
Email: pprc@cancer.org.uk
Other opportunities for prevention and population researchers
We support a broad portfolio of prevention and population research aimed at understanding cancer aetiology, risk and incidence, and translating this into future preventive interventions.
We fund investigator-led projects, partnership initiatives, research facilities and resources, and we have a range of opportunities to help you develop your research career.
Disability and accessibility support
We offer additional support for grant applicants and grant holders who are disabled or have a long-term health condition.
Environmental sustainability in research
Researchers applying to our funding schemes from 2026 will be required to demonstrate the environmental sustainability of their laboratories by obtaining green lab certification.
Our prevention research strategy
Our prevention strategy outlines how we’ll work with our research community to create a world where many more types of cancer are prevented from developing.
PPI Toolkit
Our Patient and Public Involvement Toolkit for researchers is your resource for planning and carrying out involvement activities.
Richard Martin: How to write an award-winning population research funding proposal
Richard Martin, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and leader of the CRUK-funded CAP trial of prostate cancer screening, talked to us about the impact of the study and the advice he’d give researchers seeking funding for population research.