The Cancer Research UK Early Detection and Diagnosis Project Award 2026 provides up to £500,000 over four years to improve how early cancers and precancerous changes are detected and diagnosed. Projects can range from developing and validating a test to evaluating how diagnostic tools are used in clinical practice.
The round includes a spotlight on inequalities in early detection and diagnosis. Cancer Research UK welcomes projects that test ways to improve screening uptake in underserved groups, investigate barriers to timely diagnosis or assess how well detection tools work across different populations.
Eligibility Criteria
- Lead applicants must be scientists, clinicians or healthcare workers based at a UK university, medical school, hospital or research institute.
- Researchers at all career stages may apply. Early career leads are encouraged to include an established researcher as a co-applicant.
- The host institution must approve the application before the deadline and provide the space and resources needed for the work.
- In most cases, the host institution must fund the applicant throughout the award. Limited salary support is available under separate criteria.
- UK teams can include international or commercial collaborators in supporting roles.
- Proposals must address a clear question in early detection or diagnosis and show how the findings could benefit patients or populations.
Funding Details
- Maximum award: £500,000 over up to four years.
- Eligible costs: Postdoctoral and technical staff, project running costs and equipment requests of up to £50,000.
- Pilot studies: Smaller proposals are welcome, including those with less preliminary data.
Deadline
- Application deadline: December 3, 2026.
- Committee review: May 2027.