Published: 02 April 2024
The Cancer Research Transatlantic Development and Skills Enhancement (DSE) Award opened today, meaning UK researchers focused on cancer have another opportunity to undertake a placement with a leading US cancer research institute.
This is the second round of the post-doctoral award, which aims to drive improvement and collaboration in cancer care and research. The first round launched in September 2023, with successful applicants due to start their placements in summer 2024.
The award is the result of a successful collaboration between:
- NIHR
- Medical Research Council (MRC) through the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF)
- US National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Cancer Institute (NCI).
All three organisations are focused on fostering long-term collaborations and knowledge sharing between the UK and the US. As cancer is a global issue, this type of international collaboration will build on mutual strengths, ideas, expertise, and infrastructure. This will drive advancements in the fight against cancer.
Significant opportunity for UK researchers
This opportunity represents a significant investment in the future of cancer research. These awards will fund early to mid-career researchers, from the UK, to spend between 6 and 12 months at an NCI Intramural Institute. Researchers will:
- gain new skills and experiences
- develop international collaborations
- fast-track their career development
- undertake training and networking
- receive co-mentoring and support throughout their placement.
Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Executive of the NIHR, said: ‘International research partnerships are crucial as we continue to advance our knowledge of cancer. We are delighted to launch the second round of the Cancer Research Transatlantic DSE and continue our collaboration with our esteemed partners in the US. This award is a brilliant opportunity for early to mid-career researchers to develop their research skills, build collaborations and progress their careers, laying the foundations for an even stronger generation of cancer researchers.’
Dr. W. Kimryn Rathmell, Director of the NCI, said: ‘The award provides post-docs from the UK a transformative year to learn, collaborate and innovate with US experts in cancer research. It’s a special opportunity for these researchers to expand their professional community and for both the post-docs and their US partners to enrich their work with new perspectives.’
The award is open for applications from 2 April 2024 to 2 August 2024. The funding available for this call is up to £1.85 million, and the award is jointly funded by the NIHR and MRC. In-kind support is provided by the NIH NCI. Applicants must have the support of an NCI host institution before submitting their application. Match-making support provided by the NCI is available from 2 April until 7 June 2024. See the guidance notes for more information on identifying and contacting NCI hosts.