Research grants
The Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) is dedicated to the support of cancer research in Australia and does so by awarding grants of significant magnitude to leading Australian scientists in their fight against cancer.
The best applications in 2011 announced by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees in November were awarded a total of $9 million.
Since its inception, ACRF has awarded $79 million in research grants to Australian cancer research institutes, including four of the largest private cancer research grants ever awarded – $5 million each to the Melbourne Comprehensive Cancer Centre (2006), Sydney’s Centenary Institute for Cancer Research (2007), the Garvan St Vincent’s Campus Centre (Kinghorn Cancer Centre) (2010) and the Westmead Institute for Cancer Research most recently in 2011.
$53 million of those grants has been awarded since 2006 – a reflection of the increasing need for funding to rapidly progress the diagnosis and treatment of cancer since the mysteries of DNA were unravelled.
There has been great progress with many cancers and cancer treatments in the last few years, but costs for sophisticated equipment and laboratories are immense.
Our aim is to provide the funding for the best-equipped laboratories here in Australia, and to attract and inspire the best and brightest scientific minds to take on groundbreaking new research with the potential to prevent and cure this devastating disease.
In 2007 we increased the minimum amount of our grants to $1.5 million, and invited applications for grants of up to $5 million for ambitious, innovative research projects. Since 2007 results have been hugely encouraging for cancer patients – we have received a record number of outstanding applications and one day our dream is to be able to fund all that meet our standards of excellence.
Why ACRF grants are significant and different
There are many agencies and organisations providing funding support and raising funds for research projects, research education, training and clinical support.
However, there are deficiencies in the provision of major capital grants from private resources to ensure Australia’s cancer research scientists can continue their important work.
The ACRF has been addressing these deficiencies since 1984, by providing major grants in excess of $1 million and up to $5 million, for building and updating research centres and laboratories, purchasing the latest, state-of-the art technology and equipment and the establishment of national facilities.
Grants of this magnitude are not available from other sources, outside of government, in Australia and our Board of Trustees is prepared to award up to $5 million for any single project with the potential to deliver outstanding results.
ACRF grants are awarded on the basis of research excellence. All applications for grants are subject to a rigorous approval process overseen by our honorary Medical Research Advisory Committee whose members are among Australia’s most respected researchers.
What research is being done into what cancers
ACRF’s significant grants support all aspects of cancer research, including cell and molecular biology, epidemiology, prevention and the development of new, targeted therapies to reduce the side effects of patient treatment and extend life. We fund research programs and projects which have a wide impact on the prevention, diagnosis and management of all cancers, including:
- breast
- prostate
- lung
- colorectal (bowel)
- melanoma
- ovarian
- cervical
- oesophagael
- leukaemia
- lymphoma
- brain
- pancreatic
Contact us
If you have any questions regarding ACRF grants process, please contact Cheryl Riddington on 1300 884 988 or criddington@acrf.com.au.
On behalf of Australia’s leading cancer researchers, we thank our donors and supporters. It is their generosity that makes it possible to provide these major grants – we receive no funding from any other sources.
