The Medical Research Foundation is inviting proposals for a new £3 million funding call – Impact of Cancer and Cancer Care on Human Biology and Health – to support researchers, clinical academics and allied health professionals conducting research that seeks to better understand and improve the quality of life of people living with cancer, or those who have survived cancer.

While cancer treatments and survival rates have significantly improved over the past years, the MRF is seeking to encourage research to explore and better understand the impact of cancer treatments and people’s health once they enter remission, including the physical side effects of the treatments they receive, the support services available to them and mental health impacts.

Proposals are invited for research areas including, but not limited to:

• The biological basis of the side effects of cancer treatments, such as understanding those caused by immunotherapies/biological therapeutics.
• Improvement of long-term and late effects of cancer treatment, such as increased risk of secondary cancers, cardiac issues and stroke later in life, particularly in paediatric cancer patients.
• Side effects of cancer treatments such as neurological complications of cancer, mouth ulcers and swallowing issues, fatigue, pain and nausea.
• Identification of risk or predictive factors on cancer therapy efficacy and severity of side effects, such as the role of the microbiome.
• Improvement of the consequences of cancer treatment such as infertility, endocrine deficiencies and organ removal or impacts of major surgery.
• Palliative care during cancer treatment and recovery.
• Rehabilitation therapies before, during and after cancer treatment and recovery, including physiotherapy and occupational therapy.
• Psychological and mental health effects of cancer and cancer survivorship.

Application is open to all UK-based researchers, clinical academics and allied health professionals at MRF-eligible institutions, including HEIs, Research Council research institutes, hospitals, and other independent research organisations. Applicants must hold a PhD, DPhil or MD and may be at any career stage or level of seniority.

Funding requests can range from £300,000 to £500,000 over a maximum three to five year period. Grants will cover the full direct costs of research, which can also include salary support for applicants and co-applicants without a tenured position.

Applicants should note that projects related to understanding the fundamental biology of cancer or developing novel diagnostics are out of scope, as a are proposals focused solely on interventions or therapies for the last days of life, end of life planning or bereavement.