2016 Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer
Research Scheme
Funding Partners and Research Priorities for 2016 Round
Cancer Australia
Cancer Australia’s framework of research priorities relate to specific areas of cancer
research, tumour types and populations with poorer outcomes. In looking to support
research in these areas, Cancer Australia encourages research which focuses on
emerging issues, innovation and novel approaches.
Origins and causes of cancer
Aetiology
 Exogenous Factors in the Origin and Cause of Cancer.
Prevention of cancer
Prevention
 Personal Behaviours That Affect Cancer Risk;
 Nutrition, Chemoprevention, or Vaccines.
Early Detection and Treatment of cancer
Early Detection, Diagnosis & Prognosis
 Technology and/or Marker Evaluation or Testing in a Clinical Setting.
Treatment
 Discovery and Development of Localized Therapies;
 Clinical Applications of Localized Therapies, Systemic Therapies or
Combinations of Localized and Systemic Therapies.
Cancer Control, Survivorship & Outcomes
 Patient Care, Survivorship Issues, or End-of-Life Care including Complementary
and Alternative Approaches;
 Health Services, Economic and Health Policy analysis and Surveillance;
 Behaviour, Education and Communication.
Tumour types
Research addressing cancers of the lung, colon and rectum, pancreas, cancer of
unknown primary, lymphoma, kidney, bladder, stomach or oesophagus is strongly
encouraged.
Translational research
 Translational research involving the testing or application of technologies,
markers and therapies in a clinical setting;
 Translational research associated with surveillance and prevention of cancer;
 Translational research to improve: patient care, survivorship, supportive and
end of life care, health services, economic and health policy.
Populations with poor and unwarranted variations in cancer outcomes
Cancer research focusing on populations who experience poor and unwarranted
variations in cancer outcomes is strongly encouraged, including variations by:
 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status;
 socioeconomic status;
 geographic location.
Cancer Australia: gynaecological cancers
Cancer Control, Survivorship & Outcomes research in gynaecological cancer
 Patient Care, Survivorship Issues, or End-of-Life Care including Complementary
and Alternative Approaches;
 Health Services, Economic and Health Policy analysis and Surveillance;
 Behaviour, Education and Communication.
Translational gynaecological cancer research
 Testing or application of technologies, markers and therapies in a clinical
setting;
 Surveillance and prevention of cancer.
Populations with poor and unwarranted variations in cancer outcomes
 Gynaecological cancer research focusing on reducing unwarranted
variations/ improving outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women
is strongly encouraged.
Endometrial cancer research
 Applications which encompass endometrial cancer research are particularly
encouraged.
Cancer Australia: lung cancer
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Research that focuses on improving outcomes for people with lung cancer,
including prevention and treatment of brain metastases;
Research that focuses on the prevention and early detection of lung cancer,
to assist in diagnosing patients at an earlier stage of disease;
Research that focuses on reducing the variations in lung cancer care,
including access to curative treatment and improvements in the coordination of care across the lung cancer pathway;
Research into patient focused symptomatic, supportive and end-of-life care,
particularly for people with advanced lung cancer;
Research that further focuses on the aetiology of lung cancer, particularly
relating to the increased proportion of women diagnosed with lung cancer
who were never smokers.
The Australasian Sarcoma Study Group
The Australasian Sarcoma Study Group wishes to fund translational research across all
sarcoma types. Translational research should highlight the application of the
discovery to the treatment of patients with sarcoma.
Research falling under the category of translational research may encompass:
 Preclinical/early translational research – the translational process that follows
fundamental discovery and precedes definitive, late-stage trials.
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Clinical/translational research – research at the clinical application end of the
translational spectrum which is focussed on the testing of technologies or
markers in a clinical setting, and the clinical application of localised and/or
systemic, or complementary and alternative approaches to treatment.
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Epidemiological research/cancer prevention – research focussed on the
surveillance and prevention of cancer.
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Patient outcomes research and survivorship – research primarily focused on
needs in the area of patient care and survivorship, and may include patient
care, supportive care, survivorship.
Cancer Council Australia
Populations with poor and unwarranted variations in cancer outcomes
Cancer research focusing on populations who experience poor and unwarranted
variations in cancer outcomes is strongly encouraged, including variations by:
 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status;
 socioeconomic status;
 geographic locations.
Cancer Council NSW
Cancer Council NSW invites research applications that address one or both of the
following:
a) Research that is categorised in Common Scientific Outlines including:
i)
ii)
iii)
Aetiology;
Prevention;
Cancer control, survivorship & outcomes research;
and/or
b) Research that focuses on specific tumour types including:
i)
ii)
iii)
iv)
v)
head and neck;
lung;
lymphoma;
oesophagus;
pancreas.
Cure Cancer Australia
Cure Cancer Australia wishes to fund innovative, high-achieving, early-career
researchers, and will be assessing the applicant's track record and publications
(relative to opportunity). Applicants are advised to consider the following research
priorities in their applications:
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Project grants will be awarded in any field of research (including basic
laboratory, epidemiology, psychosocial, translational, and clinical) into
malignant disease;
Cure Cancer Australia aims to provide ‘start-up’ funding to support postdoctoral researchers with less than seven years post-doctoral or less than
seven years post-MBBS experience at the time of application;
We select for leadership and innovation as well as scientific excellence,
therefore the applicant must nominate themselves as sole Chief Investigator
of their project. This assists early-career researchers to advance their research
and to increase their competitiveness for funding from other granting
agencies in the future. Please note that this funding cannot be used as part of
a larger PdCCRS project grant application.
Cure Cancer Australia funding may be used for the applicant's own salary, or the
salary of a research assistant, and/or research materials for the specified project.
National Breast Cancer Foundation
Prevention and Risk
 Research about potential methods for the prevention of breast cancer;
 Research about how health and lifestyle factors, such as diet, exercise and
stress, affect a person’s risk of breast cancer.
Early Detection
 Research into effective methods for the early detection of breast cancer;
 Research into improving the quality and effectiveness of breast screening.
Familial breast cancer
 Research into genes involved in hereditary breast cancer and methods to
determine those at high risk of developing familial breast cancer.
Novel therapies
 Research into the development of new therapies, and other repurposing of
therapies used for other disease areas, to improve treatment outcomes for
patients with breast cancer;
 Research into new technology for detecting and treating breast cancer.
Personalising treatment
 Research into the complexity of breast cancer sub-types;
 Research into optimising cancer treatment and determining which patients
will benefit from different treatment approaches.
Advanced breast cancer
 Research into the causes and drivers of breast cancer cells spreading to other
parts of the body;
 Research into new therapies to stop spread of breast cancer.
Survivorship
 Research into the physical, psychological and emotional effects of life after
breast cancer treatment;
 Research into improving quality of life, health and wellbeing for patients after
breast cancer treatment through exercise and weight loss.
Young women
 Research into key issues relating to breast cancer in younger women including
breast cancer in pregnancy, fertility and early menopause;
 Research into triple negative breast cancer – a specific type of breast cancer
common in young women.
The Kids’ Cancer Project
The Kids’ Cancer Project is seeking to support research which will have the greatest
impact on childhood1 cancer survival. The Kids’ Cancer Project defines a child as an
individual up to the age of 18 years old
Improving Survival and Treatment
Research into best practice and emerging technologies spanning all modalities of
treatment towards improving treatments for childhood cancer to directly impact on
survival rates
Long term effects of cancer survival
Research into improving the quality of life of childhood cancer survivors
Causes of childhood cancer
Research into the underlying causes of childhood cancer