Blood Cancer Uk Research

Charity Number: 216032

Annual Expenditure: £16.8M
Throughout England And Wales, Scotland

Contact Info

Website: www.bloodcancer.org.uk

Phone: 020 7504 2200

Email: hello@bloodcancer.org.uk

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £23-24 million (current research portfolio)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: 4-6 months (estimate based on review process)
  • Grant Range: £30,000 - £8,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: UK-based institutions

Contact Details

  • Website: www.bloodcancer.org.uk
  • Email: hello@bloodcancer.org.uk
  • Phone: 020 7504 2200
  • Research Team: Contact via Grant Tracker system or hello@bloodcancer.org.uk for queries about funding schemes

Overview

Blood Cancer UK Research (Charity No. 216032) was founded in 1960 and has invested over £500 million in research projects since inception. The charity currently funds £23 million of research across 65 research projects at 23 institutions throughout the UK. Operating entirely on voluntary donations without government funding, Blood Cancer UK's mission is to bring forward the day when no one dies of blood cancer or the side effects of its treatments. Under Chief Executive Helen Rowntree's leadership since 2023, the organization has set an ambition to double its income and dramatically increase research spending. Blood Cancer UK is a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) and is now a recognised endorsed funder for Global Talent visas, enabling funded researchers to receive UKRI endorsement.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Blood Cancer UK runs four annual grant schemes across the spectrum of discovery, translational and clinical research:

  • Innovative Pilot Grants: £30,000 maximum, 12 months duration. Opens September, deadline November. Early career researchers particularly encouraged to apply. Rolling announcement of decisions.
  • Project Grants: Up to £300,000, up to 36 months. Annual call. Supports world-class research proposals addressing vital questions in blood cancer.
  • Early Career Advancement Fellowships: £400,000-£450,000, 3 years full-time or 5 years part-time. Opens June, deadline September. Designed for talented researchers with PhDs transitioning to independence.
  • Large-Scale Clinical Trials: £4-8 million maximum, up to 7 years. Two-stage process with Expression of Interest (June deadline) and full application (October deadline). Focus on innovative trials for blood cancers with less than 50% 5-year survival rates.

All applications submitted via Grant Tracker online system (grants.bloodcancer.org.uk).

Priority Areas

Research must align with Blood Cancer UK's overarching strategic aim and at least one of three priority themes:

  1. Prevention: Understanding risk factors and developing interventions to prevent blood cancer
  2. Early Detection and Predicting Outcomes: Improving diagnosis speed and accuracy, identifying who will benefit most from treatments
  3. Treatment: Developing new, more effective treatments with fewer side effects, particularly for younger people and hard-to-treat cancers

Strategic Investment Areas (2025-2030):

  • Discovery research across all blood cancer types
  • Clinical trials with embedded translational research
  • PhD training and early career fellowships
  • Strategic partnerships focusing on childhood blood cancer, rare conditions, and translation to real-world treatments

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions not explicitly stated, but research must be conducted at UK-based institutions and align with blood cancer research priorities.

Governance and Leadership

Chief Executive: Helen Rowntree (appointed January 2023) - Previously Director of Research, Services and Engagement at Blood Cancer UK since 2019. Former senior NHS leader in digital services development. Rowntree has stated the charity's ambition to “double our income, dramatically increase the amount we spend on research” with focus on “hard-to-treat blood cancers and investigate treatment types that could be more effective and potentially less harmful, particularly for younger people.”

Chair of Trustees: Matthew Wilson (appointed early 2024) - Former CEO of Brit Insurance with 35 years' leadership experience in insurance. Diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2021, he founded the Matthew Wilson Multiple Myeloma Fund for the charity.

Board of Trustees: Includes Jules (Chief Executive of Pause), Professor Claire Harrison (Consultant at Guy's and St Thomas Hospital and Deputy Chief Medical Officer), Megha (Co-leader of McKinsey's Global payment practice), Claude Littner, and Professor Christine (specialist in Childhood Cancer Cytogenetics).

Funding Committees: Research Funding Committee, Clinical Trials Review Committee, and Fellowships Committee review applications alongside the Board of Trustees.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

  1. Register for Grant Tracker: All applicants, co-applicants, department heads and research office signatories need accounts at grants.bloodcancer.org.uk
  2. Await Approval: Receive automated confirmation and unique password after administrator approval
  3. Complete CV Details: Enter and maintain CV information via 'Manage my details' section
  4. Prepare Application: Download scheme-specific guidance documents; involve patient and public representatives
  5. Submit Application: Complete application early to allow time for required institutional signatories (Head of Department and Head of Research Office) to approve
  6. Monitor Progress: Blood Cancer UK Research Office acknowledges receipt by email

Decision Timeline

Multi-stage Review Process:

  1. Eligibility check
  2. Peer review by independent medical and scientific experts
  3. Review by people affected by blood cancer
  4. Applicant response to reviewer comments
  5. Review by relevant funding committee (Research Funding, Clinical Trials, or Fellowships)
  6. Committee meeting and scoring
  7. Board of Trustees approval
  8. Decision communication

Estimated Timeline: 4-6 months from submission deadline to decision notification (based on review process stages). Trustees' decision is final and non-negotiable.

Success Rates

Success rates not publicly disclosed for recent funding rounds. Blood Cancer UK provides resources on their website regarding success rates for specific schemes, available to registered researchers.

Reapplication Policy

Reapplication policy not explicitly stated in public materials. Applicants should consult scheme-specific guidance documents or contact the Research Team directly. All unsuccessful applicants receive detailed feedback including reviewers' comments and committee evaluations.

Application Success Factors

Key Requirements from the Funder:

  • Patient Impact: “Clearly outline the potential impact for people affected by blood cancer” in all applications
  • Patient and Public Involvement (PPI): Blood Cancer UK “strongly encourages all applicants to involve someone affected by blood cancer when preparing” the PPI section. The charity “values the insights of patient reviewers as vital to the grant review process”
  • Inclusive Research: "Tell us how you'll involve people with lived experience and clinical peers in your project, especially those who are less likely to access clinical trials"
  • Strategic Alignment: Ensure research addresses at least one priority theme (Prevention, Early Detection/Predicting Outcomes, or Treatment)
  • Clear Project Plan: “Provide details of the proposed project as clearly as possible, including the background to the work and the plan for delivery”

Recent Funded Projects (2024 Examples):

  • Dr Jasmeen Oberoi (University of Sussex): Understanding BCR-ABL protein in chronic myeloid leukaemia for new treatment approaches
  • Dr Neil Rodrigues (Cardiff University): Investigating molecular restoration of blood cell function in acute myeloid leukaemia
  • Professor Guido Franzoso (Imperial College London): Identifying DLBCL patients who benefit from targeted treatments
  • Dr Daniel Royston (University of Oxford): New diagnostic technology for myeloproliferative neoplasms
  • Dr Paul Maciocia (UCL): Enhancing CAR-T cell therapy effectiveness for T-cell ALL
  • Dr Kristina Kirschner (University of Glasgow): Early detection through blood mutation analysis

Application Tips:

  • Engage with institutional research offices and finance teams early in the application process
  • Submit applications well before deadlines to allow time for institutional approvals
  • Use patient-friendly language when describing impact and involve patients in application development
  • Review AMRC principles: proportionality, independence, diversity, rotation, impartiality, and transparency
  • Early career researchers should not hesitate to apply, particularly for Pilot Grants and Fellowships
  • Consider how your research addresses “hard-to-treat blood cancers” and treatments that are “less harmful, particularly for younger people”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Impact is paramount: Every application must clearly articulate potential benefits for people affected by blood cancer. Patient involvement in application development is strongly valued.
  • Strategic fit matters: Align research explicitly with at least one of the three priority themes (Prevention, Early Detection, Treatment) and demonstrate how it advances the mission of preventing blood cancer deaths.
  • Early career researchers are welcome: Blood Cancer UK actively encourages applications from early career researchers, particularly for Pilot Grants (£30,000) and Fellowships (£400,000-£450,000).
  • Rigorous but fair review process: Expect thorough peer review, patient review, and committee evaluation. Applicants have opportunity to respond to reviewer comments before final committee consideration.
  • Institution must support: Ensure your UK-based host institution's Head of Department and Research Office can approve your application before the deadline - build in time for this.
  • Focus on innovation for hard-to-treat cancers: Leadership prioritizes research into “hard-to-treat blood cancers” and treatments that are “more effective and potentially less harmful, particularly for younger people.”
  • Use Grant Tracker system: All applications must be submitted via the online Grant Tracker platform - register early and familiarize yourself with the system well before deadlines.

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References