Cancer Survivorship Research Scholarship Programme 2023

Introduction

The Irish Cancer Society is now accepting applications for the Cancer Survivorship Research Scholarship Programme 2023.

The objective of the Irish Cancer Society Cancer Survivorship Research Scholarship Programme is to offer excellent graduates the opportunity to undertake postgraduate training in cancer research. These graduates should be of a relevant background, e.g. nursing, psychology, occupational therapy, dietetics (this is not an exhaustive list). There is scholarship funding available for one applicant of the highest calibre.

During the four-year programme, Scholars will undertake general and cancer-specific training while participating in structured PhD programmes, and will have the opportunity to gain experience at an international research institution through a mobility and capacity building element. Please see the guidance document and the FAQ document below for more information on cancer survivorship research and project eligibility.

Project Eligibility

This scholarship is specifically intended to fund research that is aligned with the Society’s Strategy (2020-2025) and Research Roadmap. Proposed projects must be in cancer survivorship and we welcome projects that incorporate the strategic priorities of the Irish Cancer Society. These areas are described below in greater detail:

•  Survivorship covers the period from diagnosis to treatment outcome (including palliative and end-of-life care). Survivorship research seeks to improve the care and outcomes experienced by people living with and beyond cancer. it includes: prevention and early detection of recurrent cancer; long term effects of cancer and its treatment; quality and experience of treatment and care; psycho-social effects of cancer and its treatment; self-management; health information and literacy; genetic risk and counselling; physical and practical needs e.g. financial, employment, mobility; etc.
• Strategic priorities is a crosscutting theme, which seeks to specifically foster and grow research into areas of high-unmet needs in cancer. For example, cancers which have not benefitted from the huge strides in outcome seen in some malignancies (metastatic disease, rare cancers and cancers with poor response or outcomes); the unmet needs of children, adolescents, and young adults affected by cancer; tackling misinformation and disinformation in cancer; addressing the needs of under-represented groups of people (e.g. Travelling community, ethnic and language minority communities, migrant communities, communities with socio-economic or mental health challenges, or any other socially excluded group).

Funding and Duration

The total value of the Irish Cancer Society Cancer Survivorship Research Scholarship covering stipend, fees, materials and dissemination will be €155,000 for a maximum of four years*.

A mandatory provision of €1,000 is included within this budget to support Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) in the proposed research project*.

Additionally, mobility and capacity building funding of up to a maximum of €5,000 will be available. This may be used for travel to a national or international research institution for advancement of the research project aims, over the course of the programme. The purpose of this mobility/capacity building element is to allow the applicant an opportunity to spend time working in varied research environments to maximise project impact and to aid the individual in their career development prospects. A plan for this element is required in the application.

Detailed budget guidelines are available in Appendix 1 of the Application Guidelines for this funding award, available to download below.

*Please note that the €1,000 available for PPI may be supplemented with funds remaining from the student’s annual budget. However, the annual budget may not be supplemented with the PPI fund.

Submission and Key Dates

All applications must be submitted through the Irish Cancer Society Gateway Grant Tracker online system, by registering at the following address: https://grants.cancer.ie

Application deadline: 3pm GMT Thursday 11th May 2023

Key Dates