The NCRI Partners include the largest UK funders of cancer research from the government, charity and industry sectors.
The strategic analysis published in 2002 by the NCRI revealed that research into supportive and palliative care (SuPaC) accounted for only about 4% of direct cancer research expenditure by NCRI Partners. In response to this the NCRI established a Strategic Planning Group (SPG) to make recommendations on actions that could be undertaken to enhance research in this field.
One of the key recommendations made by the SPG was the establishment of interdisciplinary NCRI Supportive and Palliative Care Research Collaboratives. The Research Collaboratives scheme will provide a source of dedicated funding (£5 million over five years) and will be funded by the Department of Health, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Macmillan Cancer Relief, Cancer Research UK and the Medical Research Council.
Marie Curie Cancer Care, which has managed the call and the selection process, will continue to administer the awards on behalf of the funding partners.
Awards for collaborative studies, over five years, were made to two collaborative groups in 2005. Each collaborative was awarded £1.9 million. The corresponding applicants for the two collaborative groups are:
- CECo - Professor Julia Addington-Hall, University of Southampton.
- COMPASS - Professor Michael Sharpe, University of Edinburgh together with Professor Alison Richardson, King's College, University of London.
In addition to the collaborative awards, a sum of £830,000 has been awarded to 11 investigators and clinical professionals to build capacity in supportive and palliative care (SuPaC) research. The awardees of the Capacity Building Grant are:
- Dr Sara Booth, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Professor Kenneth C H Fearon, University of Edinburgh
- Dr Deborah Fenlon, University of Southampton
- Dr Leanne Fleming, University of Glasgow
- Dr Miriam Johnson, University of Hull
- Dr Barry J A Laird, University of Edinburgh
- Dr Gozde Ozakinci, University of St Andrews
- Dr Emma Ream, King’s College, London
- Miss Vanessa Siddall, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Dr Patrick Stone St George’s University of London
- Dr Bee Wee, Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust
For further background information about the SuPaC initiative and the grant terms and conditions, please click on the titles listed below to download relevant documents.
For queries and further information about NCRI SuPaC programme, please contact:
- Dr Teresa Tate
Medical Adviser
Tel: 020 7599 7252, or
Send an email - Dr Gek Kwan-Lim
Research Collaborative Project Manager
Tel: 020 7599 7246, or
Send an email
