
Today, we announced that because of COVID-19 and the devastating impact it’s had on our income, we could be forced to cut £150 million per year from our research funding.

Michelle Mitchell is our chief executive officer.
As an organisation whose sole mission is to beat cancer – to ensure that fewer people are diagnosed and those that are can face the future with more confidence – it’s not an announcement we ever wanted to make.
These cuts would undoubtedly set back progress for cancer patients everywhere. To put the figure in context, £150 million is what Cancer Research UK would spend on clinical trials over the next 10 years. £150 million is approximately 35% of our total research spend last year, and a cut like this could mean we have to close some of our sites around the country and leave thousands of early-career scientists unsupported.
Figures like these, which are echoed by medical research charities across the UK, should be enough to ring alarm bells across the sector and for the Government. But the truth is the impact will be much bigger, and much broader, than a single number could ever convey.
Because we don’t just fund over 50% of all publicly funded cancer research in the UK, we’re also a vital part of the country’s scientific ecosystem.
Charities bring innovation and infrastructure to research across the country
The UK is celebrated as a world leader in research and innovation, and one of the reasons for this success is the mix of government, private and charity-funded research.
Medical research charities help to drive progress by funding early-stage, high risk research that wouldn’t otherwise be supported. And the insights that our researchers generate feed the pipeline of pharma companies all over the world. In fact, Cancer Research UK is the second biggest licensor of cancer drugs in the world, after MD Anderson in Texas.
Take vemurafenib for example, a targeted cancer drug that by mid-2018 had been used to treat over 50,000 patients with malignant melanoma worldwide. This drug came from early research funded by Cancer Research UK and other charity partners, which revealed a particular mutation that cropped up in a lot of melanomas. After further research, the mutation was patented as a target for drug screens and patient tests. All 5 named inventors were UK-based scientists.
As well as funding individual research projects, we also contribute a great deal to the research and innovation sector – through our work and our people.
We’ve built a vibrant platform for cancer research across the UK through our Institutes and Clinical Trials Unit – funding 50% of the cancer research infrastructure in the UK.
Our long-term investment in state-of-the-art facilities has helped to create a thriving network of research at 90 institutions in over 40 UK towns and cities.
This infrastructure is part of what makes the UK a key player on the world stage, and an attractive place for cancer experts to bring their skills. It’s this infrastructure that’s at risk if we don’t get the support we need and, at a time when the Government is working to rebalance research investment across the UK, it’s an infrastructure that would be hard to recreate in our absence.
Our ambitions rely on our dedicated researchers
But while our centres and clinical trials network are crucial pieces of our success, they’re brought to life by the scientists who work within them. We fund over 4,000 researchers in labs and hospitals across the UK. And as well as world leading experts, we’re helping to train the next generation of scientists, supporting over 500 PhD students, 160 fellows and 600 post-doctoral researchers.
With COVID-19 delaying cancer research, diagnosis and treatment, these scientists have played a vital role in the UK’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, volunteering in COVID-19 testing facilities, redeploying to the front line and using their skills and expertise to help tackle the virus.
And with the Chancellor highlighting research and innovation as a road to economic recovery, our researchers will also play a role in helping to rebuild the economy. Through our entrepreneurial programmes, we help the cancer research community to translate their discoveries into products and launch spinout companies that will improve the lives of people with cancer. Cancer Research UK has formed more than 40 spinout companies so far, which have collectively raised around £1 billion in third party investment and created thousands of jobs and many new treatments over the years.
We’re proud to be a part of the UK’s research and innovation sector, but we will never forget why we’re here, and what we’re here to do. Cancer Research UK exists because of the generosity of our supporters and the public’s commitment to our ambition of improving cancer diagnosis, treatment and care. And it’s a responsibility we take very seriously.
We fund research that will accelerate progress towards our goal of beating cancer. We’ve identified cancer types where progress has been slower – lung, pancreatic, brain and oesophageal cancers – and increased our efforts and our funding in these areas.
It’s this kind of patient-centric, strategic research investment that’s at risk because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We must act now
We’ve written before about how medical research charities are slipping through the cracks of Government support. And with COVID-19’s impact on medical research charities still unfolding, we need the Government to rethink its strategy.
Our mission is clear – to beat cancer. And with the impact of COVID-19 being keenly felt by people with cancer, it’s never been more important.
We and other medical research charities urgently need support to ensure we can continue to support today and tomorrow’s patients and contribute to economic growth. This is why we’re working with other medical research charities to ask for targeted financial support from the Government, through a Government-charity co-investment scheme for life sciences research.
If you believe, prime minister, in improving cancer survival, if you believe in ensuring the UK retains its position as a global scientific power, if you believe in protecting infrastructure and our talented people, you absolutely must commit to supporting the UK’s research charities at a time of our need and give us time to recover and get research back on track.
Together we can still beat cancer, but we can’t do it alone. We’ve partnered with government for many years, and we now need their support more than ever if we are to restore the UK as a leader in cancer research.
Michelle Mitchell is the chief executive officer of Cancer Research UK
Comments
Katie Roberts July 13, 2020
Hi Rhianon,
It’s great to hear you’re interested in increasing your monthly donation – thank you so much. If you get in touch with our Supporter Services they’ll be able to help you with this. You can call them on 0300 123 1022 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or email [email protected].
Best wishes,
Katie, Cancer Research UK
Michael Lewis July 11, 2020
I have got cancer and I still not getting help or treatment
Katie Roberts July 13, 2020
Hi Michael,
Sorry to hear this, if you’d like to chat to someone you can call our nurse team Monday to Friday, 9-5pm, on freephone 0808 800 404.
Best wishes,
Katie, Cancer Research UK
Paul Sutton July 10, 2020
How do I donate
Katie Roberts July 10, 2020
Hi Paul,
You can donate on our website. Thanks for your support!
Best wishes,
Katie, Cancer Research UK
Lesley Day July 9, 2020
Please stop all messages. Thankyou
Katie Roberts July 10, 2020
Hi Lesley,
Thanks for getting in touch. We’re not able to update your preferences directly from the blog, but if you email [email protected] they’ll be able to help stop future messages.
Best wishes,
Katie
Neil Hubbard July 9, 2020
I had HIPEC treatment almost 3 years ago. Without research there wouldn’t have been treatment like that available and I certainly wouldn’t be around to write this. HIPEC is used to treat cancer of the peritoneal which was considered terminal a few years back so research is definitely important and should be government funded, aided by charitable donations. It appears to be the other way round at present.
Louise Backler July 9, 2020
It’s dreadful, Research is vital. I work for a telephone fundraising agency So I am fully aware of how charities are struggling and really do sympathise with all of them including yourselves who I have worked on behalf of before as well, I will be making a regular donation to help you out via your website.
Dorian Stewart July 9, 2020
Cancer research is vital to beat Cancer. So many people have suffered from this or died from it. Research is important to stamp out this disease. I am 100% behind this for the research team to find a cure.
Runnerbean July 9, 2020
CRUK maybe your people at the top should take a pay cut from their extortionate overpaid salaries
Clive Bygrave July 5, 2020
It would be interesting to have more details of how the figure of £150 million is calculated and why? Is it all down to Government funding and what is the rationale behind it. Have you lost supporters due to changes in their circumstances? I will continue to support with a monthly DD but don’t fully understand how this huge hole in funding has come about. Should we be writing to our local MP to show our support and to get the government to review their thinking?
Katie Roberts July 10, 2020
Hi Clive,
Thank you for your ongoing support of Cancer Research UK, this is much appreciated and even more vital at this challenging time for us. Unfortunately like many charities, COVID-19 has impacted our ability to generate income on many fronts. This includes the closure of our 600 shops for several months, and the cancellation of mass fundraising events like our Race for Life. Less income means that we have less money to spend on our life-saving research. That is why we are asking for Government support at this time, to bridge the gap in our research funding we have at the moment whilst our fundraising recovers. Unfortunately, medical research charities have fallen through the gaps in existing Government support packages to date, which we’ve written about before. Targeted Government support could help protect our long-term investments that have taken years to build – if this research capacity is lost then it would take considerable time to build up again. If you would like to see how you can support us to influence Government at this time, please visit @CRUK_policy on Twitter.
Best wishes,
Katie, Cancer Research UK
P.Briggs July 5, 2020
It is essential that medical research charities receive the support they need so the Government need to step up and provide the finances required so that essential research can continue.
Elizabeth Slaney July 5, 2020
Research is so vital , my daughter in law had Brac 1 and had breast cancer as did 4 other members of her family , it was a traumatic time and we are eternally grateful she has recovered due to treatment from research .
Joan Richardson July 5, 2020
There is so much imporant information here. I will pass your email on to my family and hope that they will consider helping if they don’t already do so. I will try my best to increase my support becaue you quite clearly should be a major priority!
Katie Roberts July 10, 2020
Hi Joan,
Thank you for your lovely words and for everything you’re doing to support us.
Best wishes,
Katie, Cancer Research UK
V Sampson July 4, 2020
To Marylin Holmes you cannot compare Sweden with the uk. Their total population is 10 million and London population is 9 million. Uk is the most populated country in Europe. I think we did what we had to do for OUR country
Margaret Rowson July 4, 2020
After being treated for ovarian cancer and reoccurances over the last 5 years, I am very aware of the value of Cancer Research UK. Covid19 affected my treatment and I am aware that very many other cancer patients have also suffered.
I do not think that government or people realise the devastating effect that Cocid19 has had on cancer treatment and research. I will do my best to continue supporting you as much as I can.
Caroline Brearley July 4, 2020
I used to work for cancer research and lost my mum to cancer ,I’m 100% behind your research but I never see any progress,,my dear auntie is in hospital now waiting to die x
Cristina Gosney July 2, 2020
As always very informative. I’d love to help fu d raise for you please do get in touch.
Katie Roberts July 10, 2020
Hi Cristina,
That’s amazing, thank you! You can find lots of ideas for ways to fundraise on our website.
Best wishes,
Katie, Cancer Research UK.
John and Joyce Bolton July 2, 2020
Having lost a son last year with lung cancer we can’t express the strength of support and concern we have for the current threat looming over this urgent research to continue more than ever. We dread seeing an increase in deaths from cancer conditions been caused by a lack of, or decrease in support, for all medical research. Covid-19 has inflicted too many deaths and disruption already. We must avoid adding to that indirectly.
Marilyn Holmes July 2, 2020
We should never have had a lockdown, taking Sweden’s example. It is having a devastating effect on peoples lives. More people will die because of it.
Charles June 26, 2020
We still have sufficient time to analyze effects of Covid-19 in Radiation therapy management. At this time we concentrate on ongoing success story of Radio therapy in cancer management.
Joshua Hargreaves June 25, 2020
I will give you £1000 right now if you can actually lay down tangible evidence and results of your research so far.. because I can bet you the same amount that iv done more….
Rhianon Henderson July 11, 2020
I would like to increase my monthly donation from £5 to £10