Translational Research Scholarship Programme 2023

Introduction

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

The objective of the Irish Cancer Society Translational 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. biomedical, life sciences, dentistry, pharmaceutical, medical or translational research background. There is scholarship funding available for one applicant of the highest calibre to focus on a translational or clinical research project.

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/capacity building element. Please see the guidance document and the FAQ document below for more information on translational 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 its Research Roadmap. Proposed projects must be in either: a) translational biomedical research or b) clinical trials/clinical research. Translational projects may also address strategic priorities of the Irish Cancer Society. These areas are described below in greater detail:

•  Translational biomedical research can be defined as ‘bench to bedside’ or patient-focused biomedical research, the aim of which is to translate existing knowledge about cancer biology into techniques and tools that will accelerate progress towards patient treatment. Research in this area will build upon basic biological discoveries and improves their translational potential through pre-clinical studies. Much of the outputs of translational research naturally merge into trials, the next area of focus.

Please note, applications in drug design, SAR (structure–activity relationship) analysis, drug screening or basic biomedical research will not be considered at this time.

• Clinical trials are organised investigations in people to examine the benefits of new approaches to treatment and care. For example, looking to see if a new medicine can improve survival for a particular form of cancer. As well as funding these drug-based trials (so called IMP trials), the Irish Cancer Society is also interested in funding non-drug based trials (non-IMP trials) in areas such as diagnostics, technology, radiotherapy, surgery, psycho-oncology, exercise, nutrition, and combinations of these.

• Strategic priorities is a crosscutting theme, which seeks to specifically foster and grow research into areas of high unmet need in cancer. For example, cancers which have not benefited 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 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/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 Tuesday 28th March 2023

Key Dates