Our funding schemes
We provide funding for laboratory-based research projects to address important questions in the field of blood cancer.
We're implementing our new research strategy and will be opening more funding calls in the coming year.
Research projects
Applications to the following scheme are considered by our Research Funding Committee.
Project grants - call for applications
Blood Cancer UK has opened a response-mode funding call for new research project grant applications.
Project grant awards are for a maximum of £280,000 and up to three years, for clearly defined research projects addressing novel questions in blood cancer that could help us move closer to reaching our goal of a world where no dies as a result of blood cancer. We aim to fund up to 5 projects in this round; applicants may wish to note there will be a themed treatment round opening in Spring 2023.
The deadline for submission of applications will be 3pm, Thursday 23 February 2023.
Please note that new applications for biobank funding will not be considered.
Please contact the research team with queries (research@bloodcancer.org.uk). More details about the scheme, application process and assessment criteria can be found in the Project Grant Guidance for Applicants document below.
All applications must be submitted via Grant Tracker.
Matthew Wilson Multiple Myeloma Fund
The Matthew Wilson Multiple Myeloma Fund at Blood Cancer UK will improve patient outcomes and quality of life for people living with multiple myeloma.
Our vision is to find a cure for multiple myeloma and the research goals of the Matthew Wilson Multiple Myeloma Fund are to:
- extend life expectancy following diagnosis and accelerate progress towards finding a cure for multiple myeloma by funding impactful and innovative research;
- create a long-lasting legacy for the fund, by directly investing in the careers of current and future research leaders in multiple myeloma research and clinical trials.
Multiple Myeloma Research Leaders - call for applications
The first funding call for the Matthew Wilson Multiple Myeloma Fund is for applications from PhD supervisors at UK Higher Education Institutes or Clinical Institutions linked to a Higher Education Institute. Funds can be requested to provide a clinical salary and consumables for a PhD project to support a clinician wishing to develop as a leader in multiple myeloma research. See the guidance for applicants below for further details of the scheme.
Completed application forms must be submitted to research@bloodcancer.org.uk by 3pm, Thursday 23 February 2023.
Timelines
Open grant calls
Funding Round 1 FY24 - Open call for projects addressing novel questions in blood cancer
- Round opened mid-November 2022
- Close date 23 February 2023
- July 2023 - outcomes will be known by this date.
Matthew Wilson Multiple Myeloma Fund - Multiple Myeloma Research Leaders
- Round opened mid-November 2022
- Close date 23 February 2023
- July 2023 - outcomes will be known by this date.
Closed grant calls
Funding Round 1 FY23 - Research Priority Areas 1 & 2 only (see 'Project Grant Priorities' below)
- Closed on 6 September 2022 - 4pm deadline for submission of applications
- March 2023 - outcomes will be known by this date.
Funding Round 2 FY23 - Research Priority Area 3 only (see 'Project Grant Priorities' below)
- Closed on 4 October 2022 - 3pm deadline for submission of applications
- March 2023 - outcomes will be known by this date.
Clinical Trial Proposals
- Closed on 4 October 2022 - 3pm deadline for submission of applications
- April 2023 - External peer review and funding committee review process completed. We will seek external funding for new trial proposals that have successfully completed our quality assurance and approvals process.
If you have grant application queries, please contact the research team at research@bloodcancer.org.uk
Project grant priorities
For our first call for applications in 2022 (Funding Round 1), which closed on 6 September 2022, we invited applications that align to either of the two prioritised areas below:
- Improving understanding of fundamental disease processes - including underlying areas such as disease origin, transformation, and relapse, so that we can better predict, and in the future prevent, blood cancer.
- Improving treatment options for the individual – including personalised approaches and immunotherapies, resulting in improved survival with fewer side effects (due to less toxic treatments).
For our second call for applications in 2022 (Funding Round 2), which closed on 4 October 2022, we invited applications in the following research priority area only:
3. Developing novel approaches to the use of data – advancing our understanding through analysing large and rich data sets to facilitate benefits across blood cancers.
For more information on these priorities, please refer to our research strategy page.
Grant application success rates for response mode funding schemes
Funding decisions are made on the basis of scientific quality. Success rates vary over time due the levels of funding available, the level of demand from the research community and quality of applications received.
2018/2019 summary:
82 grant funding applications received;
17 awards were made with a total value of £4.38 million;
21% success rate (all grants).
2019/2020 summary:
52 grant funding applications received;
15 awards were made with a total value of £3.71 million;
29% success rate (all grants).
2020/2021 summary:
47 grant funding applications received;
9 awards were made with a total value of £2.57 million;
19% success rate (all grants).
2021/2022 summary:
30 project grant funding applications received;
13 awards made with a total value of £3.03 million;
43% success rate (all grants).
Partnership funding schemes
We work with other national and international funders to support innovative blood cancer research.
Our research strategy includes a goal of developing new partnerships, bringing new funding into blood cancer research and accelerating progress by strengthening collaboration. Most recently, we have come together with industry partners and other charities to lead the Vaccine Research Collaborative.
Where there is alignment of specific research interests, with funding partners, we may prioritise research into particular conditions or themes.
If you feel that you have a research proposal that may be appropriate for partnership funding, please contact our research team.
Clinical and Non-clinical Research Fellowships
We are proud to once again offer funding to support early career researcher careers. Specifically, this support is aimed at helping scientists to become independent investigators through a programme of research and training lasting up to five years.
We have a long history of funding in this area via a range of schemes, including the Gordon Piller PhD studentships, Bennett fellowships for post-doctoral researchers, and Clinical Research Training fellowships for haematologists training for a PhD and Lectureships.
Both clinical and non-clinical fellowships below are funded in a partnership with the Medical Research Council (MRC).
Clinician scientist fellowship (clinical)
- Find out more about the clinician scientist fellowship on the MRC website.
- Read specific guidance to applicants here.
- To apply for joint funding you must include the joint funding form as part of your cover letter and specify Blood Cancer UK as the co-funder.
- Deadlines: the next round for applications has opened and is due to close on 11 January 2023 (4pm).
Career development award (non-clinical)
- Find out more about the career development award on the MRC website.
- Read specific guidance to applicants here.
- To apply for joint funding you must include the joint funding form as part of your cover letter and specify Blood Cancer UK as the co-funder.
- Deadlines: for the next round, applications open on 24 February 2023 and close 19 April 2023 (4pm).
Discontinued grant schemes
Programme Continuity grants
This funding scheme has been discontinued and no new funding rounds are due to open.
For further enquiries, please contact the research team at research@bloodcancer.org.uk.
Early Phase Clinical Trial grants
This funding scheme has been discontinued and no new funding rounds are due to open.
For further enquiries, please contact the research team at research@bloodcancer.org.uk.
Training and career development awards
At present there are no open rounds for this committee.