2 Summary of Key dates .................................................................................................................... 3
3 Cancer Research UK’s contacts ....................................................................................................... 3
4 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 3
4.1 Purpose of these guidelines .................................................................................................... 3
4.2 Introduction to Cancer Research UK ....................................................................................... 3
4.3 The Catalyst Award ................................................................................................................. 4
5 Eligibility and remit ......................................................................................................................... 4
5.1 Who will we fund? .................................................................................................................. 4
6 Funding ........................................................................................................................................... 5
7 Submission process ......................................................................................................................... 5
8 Expression of interest ..................................................................................................................... 7
8.1 Format ..................................................................................................................................... 7
8.2 Content ................................................................................................................................... 7
8.3 Criteria..................................................................................................................................... 8

November – January 2015:
19 th February 2016:
16 nd
March 2016:
25 th
May 2016:
14-15 th
November 2016:
Individual meeting with CRUK staff
Expressions of Interest deadline
Applicant joint meeting
Full application deadline
PRC
Direct Contact
General contact
Skye Curtis ( skye.curtis@cancer.org.uk
) catalyst.awards@cancer.org.uk
4.1 Purpose of these guidelines
These guidelines are for the preparation of expressions of interest applications for the
Catalyst Award only. Application guidelines for the Cancer Research UK’s other funding
Award are available on the Cancer Research UK website.
These guidelines include the following information: o Before you apply:
 About the Award process: purpose, remit, eligibility, how applications will be assessed o The application process:

The Expression of Interest proposal – format and content
4.2 Introduction to Cancer Research UK
Our vision is to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured. This is what we aspire to, whey we exist, and highlights the impact Cancer Research UK (CRUK) would like to have on society.

In our research strategy we have clearly articulated our ambition to accelerate the progress such that, within the next 20 years, three in four people diagnosed with cancer will survive for at least ten years.
We will achieve our ambition by funding a broad range of research that will help us better understand, prevent and diagnose early. Included in this is the Catalyst Award, which will provide significant investment for multidisciplinary collaboration in population research, enabling research groups to come together to deliver impact over and above what they could do alone.
4.3 The Catalyst Award
The Catalyst Award will support capacity building and collaboration, enabling research groups to come together to deliver impact over and above what they could do alone.
It will provide research investment to collaborations between UK and international institutions that have a focus on population research in cancer. The Award will encourage innovation arising from cross-talk between disciplines across the world to accelerate progress.
The Award will be offered to a new collaboration that fits within the parameters of CRUK research strategy, and that spans across at least 3 locations. It will be offered to a collaboration that can build capacity in population research and is sustainable, further developing the partnerships with the locations beyond the lifetime of the Award.
5.1 Who will we fund?
Applications for the Catalyst Award are welcomed from UK and international research institutions. However, applications for the Award should consist of at least one UK based institution.
Applicants for the award can cross a breadth of disciplines including but not limited to: behavioural, population, epidemiology, health sciences, physiology, molecular biology, policy, software development and technology, engineering and physical sciences.
Applicants for the Award would be expected to: o Build a new collaboration:

Develop collaboration between at least 3 locations, forming a hub. Collaborating institutions may be international, and whilst the hub should have a cancer focus, collaborators may have relevant expertise that goes broader than cancer.


Be formed of groups/institutions which will equally contribute to the collaboration and have no prior experience of holding a substantial grant together. o Showcase novel and innovative research:
 Develop proposals that support a new research direction for the hub, in line with
CRUK strategic priority areas. o Commit to data sharing and open access to resources. o Demonstrate integration in wider UK research networks:

Such as CRUK Centres, the Farr Institute, UKCRC Public Health Centres of
Excellence where appropriate.
Funding requests would be flexible, but may include funds to support the following types of activities:

Central coordination of the hub across the collaborating institutions.
 Discretionary fund to be spent on pilot/development studies for innovative/high risk work, or for bridge-funding exceptional early career researchers.
 Recruitment of rising star or senior expert into the hub, where expertise is currently lacking.
 Infrastructure, e.g. data/sample curation and management
 Multidisciplinary research projects.
Funding will go to each collaborating institution individually (UK or international). Each institution would have to agree to a consortium agreement prior to funds being released. It is advised that applicants contact catalyst.awards@cancer.org.uk
to discuss funds further.
Please go onto the website to see more about CRUK’s funding policies.
The Catalyst Award will be funded through a unique process with greater collaboration between the applicant and Cancer Research UK, in order to ensure that truly innovative and inspiring ideas are brought forward for review. The application process will allow more time for collaborations to be formed and ideas to be developed.

Applicants will need to contact the office to discuss their ideas before they can begin to complete their Expressions of Interest application. The deadline for the Expressions of
Interest is the 19 th
of February 2016 .
The Applicant Joint Meeting will be held on the 16 th of March 2016 and interested applicants will receive more information closer to the time. The meeting will provide an opportunity for prospective applicants to share insights and best practice. This meeting will also provide a forum for sharing ideas and plans for the Catalyst Award, and give the opportunity for discussion around potential collaboration prior to the full application submission.
The deadline for the full applications will be the 25 th
of May 2016 . Further guidance around submitting the full application will be available closer to the time.
Nov – Jan
2015
1.
Idea development
It is mandatory for applicants to contact the CRUK population research team ( catalyst.awards@cancer.org.uk
) to discuss their research idea in more detail. This will help ensure suitability for the scheme ahead of writing formal expressions of interest applications.
19 th
February
2016
16 th
March
2016
2.
Expressions of interest
You will be asked to submit an abstract and brief research proposal.
More details in section 8.
3.
Applicant Joint Meeting
The meeting will provide an opportunity for prospective applicants to share insights and best practice. This meeting will also provide a forum for sharing ideas and plans for the Catalyst Award, and give the opportunity for discussion around potential collaboration prior to the full application submission. The date will be shared closer to the time.
25 th
May 2016
September
2016
March 2017
4.
Full Application Deadline
5.
Panel Meeting
6.
Funding released

The deadline for emailing an expression of interest for the Catalyst Award will be February the 19 th , 2016.
The expressions of interest should be emailed to catalyst.awards@cancer.org.uk
8.1 Format
Expressions of interest should be no more than 2 sides of A4 paper in size 10 Arial font, excluding the appendix overview of costs. Diagrams can be included if necessary.
8.2 Content
The expressions of interest are your opportunity to describe your idea. The expression of interest should include a detailed summary of the proposed Award. Please use the following headings to structure the expression of interest. Note that these expressions of interest may be shared with other applicants ahead of the applicant joint meeting in March 2016, so please indicate if any aspects of the proposal are confidential.
1.
Title
2.
Key collaborators
The collaborating institutions and 1-2 key collaborators from each institution.
3.
Aim of the award
A succinct summary in 1-2 sentences of the aim of the Award.
4.
Benefits of the Award
A few lines to discuss how the Award will help set up a new collaboration and how this new collaboration will help the collaborators explore a new and innovative research direction.
5.
Background and rationale
A summary of the information to demonstrate the importance of the work and feasibility of the proposed Award.
6.
Implementation plan
A summary of the proposed plan for achieving the aims of the Award, including the particular roles of each collaborating institution.
7.
Appendix 1: Overview of costs

Please include a broad summary of the proposed costs on as an appendix to the main document, which will not count towards the page limit. This will be treated as strictly confidential.
8.3 Criteria
Applications will be judged on the following criteria:

Scientific excellence – all applications must have a strong scientific rationale to support the proposed research;
 Cancer relevance – value of the proposed work in furthering the fundamental understanding of cancer or improving prevention, diagnosis or survival;

Track record - the applicants must have an excellent track record and potential to produce outstanding results;

Taking a novel approach, and/or tackling a problem that could be considered intractable;
 Written with the potential to be paradigm shifting;
 Collaborative in nature, working with some of the best institutions across the world to achieve over and above;

Excellent people and collaborative environment – suitability and feasibility of the collaborating parties (and supporting roles) to carry out the proposed research with access to the resources and facilities required for the fulfilment of the Award.
Please go onto the website to see more about CRUK’s funding policies.