Project grants

Our project grants are for established researchers with a strong track record who want to work in one or more of our priority areas. Lead applicants must be based in the UK or Ireland.

In this section

We’re committed to supporting new researchers and we encourage applications from talented researchers at the start of their independent careers.

What's the purpose of the scheme?

The aim of our project grant funding scheme is to support scientific excellence and innovative research into breast cancer. Our Grants Committee (GC) will assess your application based on:

Your research plan

Clear relevance to breast cancer research

We expect that these projects will enrich the scientific understanding of breast cancer.

To be eligible to apply, you should have conducted independent research in the field of breast cancer or be an experienced researcher in a related field.

How long can a grant be?

We expect that most projects will last 3 to 4 years, though this may vary. We will consider shorter or longer projects, but this must be fully justified in your application.

If your project would last more than 4 years, please contact the research team as early as possible before applying.

How much funding can I apply for?

The funding available for projects can vary. We will consider applications requesting more than £400,000, but please contact the research team as early as possible before applying.

Funds will cover staff salary, research expenses and essential equipment. Funding will also include £2,500 for conference costs.

We consider applications for project grants and PhD studentships in the same funding round. We discuss these applications at the Grants Committee meeting. You may only apply for either 1 project grant or 1 PhD studentship as lead applicant. But you may apply as a co-applicant or collaborator on more than 1 application in either scheme.

Which areas of research do you support?

Areas we can support:
As part of your application, you should show how your proposal helps us to achieve 1 or more of our key strategic objectives:
- Improving treatments, care and services for those affected by secondary breast cancer
- Improving support for the physical and mental health, and the emotional wellbeing of people affected by breast cancer
- Developing kinder, smarter treatments for people with breast cancer and improving access to treatments for those affected
- Improving detection and diagnosis of breast cancer
- Furthering our understanding of why breast cancer occurs and spreads and using our knowledge to help prevent breast cancer developing
Areas we're unable to support:
We will not accept the following
- Applications from commercial entities
- Research proposals into conditions other than breast cancer
- Applications for equipment only. We will accept requests for small pieces of equipment as part of your proposal, but you must include a clear justification for this request
- Applications which request funding for consumables or running costs only
- Applications from individuals who aren’t based at a recognised university, research institution, or NHS trust in the UK or Ireland
- Requests to cover salary costs of tenured lead applicants or co-applicants. We provide funding to cover the salary of named post-doctorate researchers who are listed co-applicants on the application, as long as their salary isn’t already covered by other sources
- Project applications that request PhD studentship stipend costs or MD training costs. We have a separate PhD grant funding scheme
- Applications for methods or service development
- Projects part-funded with other funders