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Seven Centres to form new Cancer Research UK network

The Cancer Research UK logo
by Cancer Research UK | In depth

24 January 2022

14 comments 14 comments

From 1 April, we’re investing £100 million over five years into seven Cancer Research UK Centres across the UK. The Centres in the new network will be Cambridge, City of London, Convergence Science, Manchester, Newcastle, Oxford and Scotland.

Our Centres funding supports essential research infrastructure including technical staff, equipment, pump-priming grants, and training, to further develop the breadth and depth of research at each of these Centres.

Separately from Centre status, we also fund individual research programmes, projects, and strategic initiatives in different locations throughout the UK.

Our Centres bring together a network of research teams from local universities, NHS hospitals and other research organisations. They seek to understand the impact and efficacy of treatments to initiate new research ideas and programmes, translating cutting-edge discoveries from the laboratory into direct benefits for patients.

The seven funded Centres are central to our ambition to beat cancer, providing a key link between laboratory research and patient-focused studies.

Michelle Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer, Cancer Research UK

We award Centre funding on a five-year basis; the upcoming funding period will run from 1 April 2022 – 31 March 2027. To make sure that we fund science with the greatest impact, applications were assessed in a two-stage process culminating in interview and review by an international panel of leading translational experts. The process was highly competitive, and the review panel commended the high-quality of the proposals and strength of the overall network.

Standards were particularly high, in part, because our investment of £100 million is a reduction of around a third compared to the last funding round in 2017. While the pandemic has required us to reshape our research model and make tough decisions about the research we fund, this investment continues to provide vital infrastructure for bench to bedside research, as well as creating opportunities for the next generation of scientists.

The Cancer Research UK Centres receiving funding from 1 April are:

Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre
Director: Richard Gilbertson

Cancer Research UK City of London Centre (Kings College London, University College London, Barts Cancer Institute, Francis Crick Institute)
Director: Tariq Enver

Cancer Research UK Convergence Science Centre (Institute of Cancer Research-Imperial College London)
Director:  Axel Behrens

Cancer Research UK Manchester Centre
Director: Rob Bristow

Cancer Research UK Newcastle Centre
Director: Ruth Plummer

Cancer Research UK Oxford Centre
Director: Mark Middleton and Tim Elliott

Cancer Research UK Scotland Centre (Edinburgh-Glasgow)
Director: Owen Sansom and Ian Tomlinson

    Comments

  • Professor Lawrence S. Young
    4 February 2022

    Sad that there is no Centre in the Midlands given all the great cancer research and fund raising that goes on in this region. Fully appreciate the current funding challenges but this is the typical situation when it comes to all sorts of funding opportunities and investments. The Midlands is frequently overlooked. So much for levelling up!

  • Graham Johnston
    4 February 2022

    We hear a lot about ‘Levelling Up’. As someone living in the north, it is especially galling that there is a marked southern bias in the institutions chosen. Surely this is the type of funding that if given to Nottingham, Leeds, Belfast etc would encourage world class researchers to those locations and aid the undoubted need to level up the country.

    You can do better than this Cancer Research UK. I would like a response to this submission.

  • reply
    Phil Prime
    7 February 2022

    Hi Graham,
    Thanks very much for your comment. Our Centres are just one of the many ways we support research, we also fund individual research programmes, projects and strategic initiatives in different locations throughout the UK. You can read more about of our individual research projects here.
    Kind regards
    Phil

  • Kaye
    31 January 2022

    Would it be possible to understand what research is being funded across the 7 centres from April this year? Thank you

  • reply
    Phil Prime
    3 February 2022

    Hi Kaye,
    Thanks for the question. Our Centres funding is primarily intended to support translation of high quality research into patient impact. The funding mainly supports infrastructure (such as core facilities, supporting and technical staff, and training) as opposed to research projects. Each of the Centres are built upon their individual strengths and the network supports a breadth of activity, spanning from discovery to early phase clinical trials in research areas as diverse as early detection and prevention, therapy development, computational biology and big data, imaging and radiotherapy among others. You can find the current Centres research areas of interest on our website here: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/funding-for-researchers/our-research-infrastructure/our-centres

    Let me know if you have any further questions,
    kind regards
    Phil, Cancer Research UK

  • Jame Johnston
    30 January 2022

    Wonderful plan I am so proud of the work you do and will always support you.
    A little disappointed that N .IRELAND not included

  • Adrian Sullivan
    30 January 2022

    So, six centres in England, one in Scotland, none in Wales?
    Highly weighted to 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿.

  • Malcolm Coxon
    30 January 2022

    I feel happy to know that in my country there is so much investment and research in learning how to beat the terrible illness that has wrecked so many lives and families. I feel honoured to be donating to such a wonderful cause and congratulate all within it.

  • Jim Reynolds
    29 January 2022

    Hello Cancer Research UK
    I am a subscriber to your work, in memory of my wife, who died here in Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire in 2014. One question: Why does your list of Research UK Centres not list a West Midlands or Welsh location? Please answer within seven days, as this reasonable request will be copied out to readers of my local newsletter ‘The Cleobury Clarion.’
    Thank you for all the wonderful work you do, but there are people in need of your
    support all over the country.
    With the greatest respect for the work you do.
    Jim Reynoplds

  • reply
    Katie Roberts
    3 February 2022

    Hi Jim,

    Thanks for your comment and for your ongoing support. Our Centres are just one of the many ways we support research, we also fund individual research programmes, projects and strategic initiatives in different locations throughout the UK. You can read more about of our individual research projects – including our research in Birmingham and Cardiff – on our website.

    Please let me know if you’d like any more information.

    Best wishes,

    Katie, Cancer Research UK

  • Suzanne Barltrop
    29 January 2022

    I think it is great that CRUK is doing so much for Cancer Research
    I owe my life to Cancer Research so I am eternally grateful
    However I feel that the huge amount of work
    Raising awareness
    Talking to survivors
    Raising money
    Done by thousands of volunteers an employees of CRUK is not always noted in your
    information to volunteers
    The huge teams of people working to run support etc etc the Cancer Research shops
    are never mentioned in your letters emails etc

  • Sarah Gallagher
    29 January 2022

    Very important information.

  • Sinikiwe Nyaningwe
    29 January 2022

    Cancer reseach is doing a good job, i will be part of fundraising team every year

  • Ambily Paul
    28 January 2022

    I am a registered nurse working the medical wards. I would like to work as a research nurse. Currently, l am located in Redhill with my family. Please can you help me to know whether you have any research nurse vacancy in Redhill, Surrey?

  • Mrs Janet Rebair
    28 January 2022

    It is great to see my town chosen to receive some of this money into research.But having survived an extremely rare cancer it was disappointing to find out that the rarer the cancer unfortunately the less research.

  • Graham Madeley
    27 January 2022

    Not really happy that you have not a research centre in the West Midlands I would like to know the reason. Is this that you don’t consider us as not being educated to a sufficient level

  • reply
    Katie Roberts
    27 January 2022

    Hi Graham,

    Thanks for your comment. Our Centres are just one of the many ways we support research, we also fund individual research programmes, projects and strategic initiatives in different locations throughout the UK. You can read more about of our individual research projects – including our research in Birmingham – on our website.

    Please let me know if you’d like any more information.

    Best wishes,

    Katie, Cancer Research UK

  • Shannon Draisey
    26 January 2022

    I really hope that this funding can lead to some positive developments and I’m happy to see my home town listed here.

    Comments

  • Professor Lawrence S. Young
    4 February 2022

    Sad that there is no Centre in the Midlands given all the great cancer research and fund raising that goes on in this region. Fully appreciate the current funding challenges but this is the typical situation when it comes to all sorts of funding opportunities and investments. The Midlands is frequently overlooked. So much for levelling up!

  • Graham Johnston
    4 February 2022

    We hear a lot about ‘Levelling Up’. As someone living in the north, it is especially galling that there is a marked southern bias in the institutions chosen. Surely this is the type of funding that if given to Nottingham, Leeds, Belfast etc would encourage world class researchers to those locations and aid the undoubted need to level up the country.

    You can do better than this Cancer Research UK. I would like a response to this submission.

  • reply
    Phil Prime
    7 February 2022

    Hi Graham,
    Thanks very much for your comment. Our Centres are just one of the many ways we support research, we also fund individual research programmes, projects and strategic initiatives in different locations throughout the UK. You can read more about of our individual research projects here.
    Kind regards
    Phil

  • Kaye
    31 January 2022

    Would it be possible to understand what research is being funded across the 7 centres from April this year? Thank you

  • reply
    Phil Prime
    3 February 2022

    Hi Kaye,
    Thanks for the question. Our Centres funding is primarily intended to support translation of high quality research into patient impact. The funding mainly supports infrastructure (such as core facilities, supporting and technical staff, and training) as opposed to research projects. Each of the Centres are built upon their individual strengths and the network supports a breadth of activity, spanning from discovery to early phase clinical trials in research areas as diverse as early detection and prevention, therapy development, computational biology and big data, imaging and radiotherapy among others. You can find the current Centres research areas of interest on our website here: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/funding-for-researchers/our-research-infrastructure/our-centres

    Let me know if you have any further questions,
    kind regards
    Phil, Cancer Research UK

  • Jame Johnston
    30 January 2022

    Wonderful plan I am so proud of the work you do and will always support you.
    A little disappointed that N .IRELAND not included

  • Adrian Sullivan
    30 January 2022

    So, six centres in England, one in Scotland, none in Wales?
    Highly weighted to 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿.

  • Malcolm Coxon
    30 January 2022

    I feel happy to know that in my country there is so much investment and research in learning how to beat the terrible illness that has wrecked so many lives and families. I feel honoured to be donating to such a wonderful cause and congratulate all within it.

  • Jim Reynolds
    29 January 2022

    Hello Cancer Research UK
    I am a subscriber to your work, in memory of my wife, who died here in Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire in 2014. One question: Why does your list of Research UK Centres not list a West Midlands or Welsh location? Please answer within seven days, as this reasonable request will be copied out to readers of my local newsletter ‘The Cleobury Clarion.’
    Thank you for all the wonderful work you do, but there are people in need of your
    support all over the country.
    With the greatest respect for the work you do.
    Jim Reynoplds

  • reply
    Katie Roberts
    3 February 2022

    Hi Jim,

    Thanks for your comment and for your ongoing support. Our Centres are just one of the many ways we support research, we also fund individual research programmes, projects and strategic initiatives in different locations throughout the UK. You can read more about of our individual research projects – including our research in Birmingham and Cardiff – on our website.

    Please let me know if you’d like any more information.

    Best wishes,

    Katie, Cancer Research UK

  • Suzanne Barltrop
    29 January 2022

    I think it is great that CRUK is doing so much for Cancer Research
    I owe my life to Cancer Research so I am eternally grateful
    However I feel that the huge amount of work
    Raising awareness
    Talking to survivors
    Raising money
    Done by thousands of volunteers an employees of CRUK is not always noted in your
    information to volunteers
    The huge teams of people working to run support etc etc the Cancer Research shops
    are never mentioned in your letters emails etc

  • Sarah Gallagher
    29 January 2022

    Very important information.

  • Sinikiwe Nyaningwe
    29 January 2022

    Cancer reseach is doing a good job, i will be part of fundraising team every year

  • Ambily Paul
    28 January 2022

    I am a registered nurse working the medical wards. I would like to work as a research nurse. Currently, l am located in Redhill with my family. Please can you help me to know whether you have any research nurse vacancy in Redhill, Surrey?

  • Mrs Janet Rebair
    28 January 2022

    It is great to see my town chosen to receive some of this money into research.But having survived an extremely rare cancer it was disappointing to find out that the rarer the cancer unfortunately the less research.

  • Graham Madeley
    27 January 2022

    Not really happy that you have not a research centre in the West Midlands I would like to know the reason. Is this that you don’t consider us as not being educated to a sufficient level

  • reply
    Katie Roberts
    27 January 2022

    Hi Graham,

    Thanks for your comment. Our Centres are just one of the many ways we support research, we also fund individual research programmes, projects and strategic initiatives in different locations throughout the UK. You can read more about of our individual research projects – including our research in Birmingham – on our website.

    Please let me know if you’d like any more information.

    Best wishes,

    Katie, Cancer Research UK

  • Shannon Draisey
    26 January 2022

    I really hope that this funding can lead to some positive developments and I’m happy to see my home town listed here.