Brain Tumour Research

Charity Number: 1153487

Annual Expenditure: £5.5M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £5,540,000 (charitable activities expenditure)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed - competitive international peer review process
  • Decision Time: Multi-stage process - preliminary application review followed by full application if invited
  • Grant Range: £2,400,000 - £2,500,000 per Centre (typically over 5 years)
  • Geographic Focus: United Kingdom
  • Application Status: No current open funding call

Contact Details

Website: www.braintumourresearch.org

Email: info@braintumourresearch.org

Phone: 01908 867200

Address: Suite 37, Shenley Pavilions, Chalkdell Drive, Shenley Wood, Milton Keynes, MK5 6LB

Overview

Brain Tumour Research was established in 2009 through the coming together of multiple brain tumour charities, with a vision to find a cure for all types of brain tumours. The charity registered with the Charity Commission on 20 August 2013 (charity number 1153487). With an annual income of £8.57 million and charitable expenditure of £5.54 million (year ending June 2024), Brain Tumour Research is the only national charity in the UK dedicated to funding continuous and sustainable scientific research into brain tumours. The organisation currently funds five Centres of Excellence at leading UK universities and has an ambitious goal to establish a network of seven research centres. The charity advocates strongly for increased government investment in brain tumour research, calling for funding to double to £20 million in 2025. Under CEO Dan Knowles (appointed September 2023), the charity continues its mission to address the fact that brain tumours kill more children and adults under 40 than any other cancer, yet historically received just 1% of national cancer research spending.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Centres of Excellence Programme - £2,400,000 - £2,500,000 over five years

Brain Tumour Research provides long-term funding to dedicated Brain Tumour Research Centres of Excellence at key academic institutions. This stable funding enables researchers to deliver innovative research leading to transformational impact, better treatments and improved outcomes for people affected by brain tumours. Applications are assessed through a rigorous and transparent international peer review process.

Priority Areas

Brain Tumour Research's strategy focuses on three pillars:

  1. Grow Capacity - Attract and retain talented researchers to increase the quantity of brain tumour research taking place in the UK
  2. Build Infrastructure - Support the research infrastructure, connecting and improving coordination across the UK brain tumour research community
  3. Accelerate Treatments - Improve the quality of brain tumour research in the UK and support innovative research to generate new treatments for brain tumours

Specific Research Focus Areas:

  • High-grade glioma including glioblastoma (GBM) in adults
  • Paediatric-type diffuse high-grade gliomas (PDHGG)
  • Personalised treatments for glioblastoma
  • Gentler, more specific and effective therapies for childhood brain tumours
  • Novel therapeutic developments and drug treatments

Infrastructure Support:

  • BRAIN UK Tissue Bank at the University of Southampton (world's first national virtual brain tissue bank)
  • Patient Research Involvement Movement (PRIME) in partnership with brainstrust
  • Brain Tumour Research Novel Therapeutics Accelerator (BTR-NTA)

What They Don't Fund

  • Funding is available for salaries, consumables and essential equipment or facilities
  • Not funded: Overheads or administration costs
  • The charity focuses specifically on establishing Centres of Excellence rather than individual project grants or short-term research funding
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Governance and Leadership

Current Trustees

Rob Hughes (Chair) - Brings wealth of experience from 33 years at Mars Inc, where he was Managing Director of Mars Food in the UK for 11 years

Sandy Saunders (President) - Established The Diana Ford Trust in 2002 with family members following the loss of his daughter Diana at age 38

Sue Farrington Smith MBE (Trustee) - Co-founder and former Chief Executive (stepped down June 2023), awarded MBE in 2016 New Year's Honours for services to brain tumour research and awareness-raising. Under her leadership, Brain Tumour Research raised £43 million and established five Centres of Excellence

Denise Sefton (Trustee, appointed November 2023) - Lost nephew Theo, aged four, after a two-year battle with an anaplastic ependymoma

Jack Goodwin (Trustee, appointed November 2023) - Lost his mother Debbie to a glioblastoma (GBM) in February 2023

Executive Leadership

Dan Knowles (Chief Executive, appointed September 2023) - Previously CEO of Oxfordshire Mind for seven years, with prior experience in strategy consultancy and corporates including Pepsi and John Lewis. Studied Biology at University of Oxford and Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School. Personally motivated by losing three family friends to brain tumours in two years.

Scientific and Medical Advisory Board

The SMAB provides independent, objective reviews of the research programme and strategy, ensuring investment in high quality, peer-reviewed research. Members are chosen for their internationally regarded experience and expertise.

Known members include:

  • Dr Sean Lawler - Managing Director of the Harvey Cushing Neuro-oncology Laboratories, Brigham and Women's Hospital, focusing on glioblastoma research
  • Dr Neil Kad - Patient Representative on SMAB (lost sister to brain tumour in 2015), Senior Lecturer at University of Kent studying DNA repair mechanisms
  • Professor Sheila Singh - Practising paediatric neurosurgeon at McMaster Children's Hospital, Canada, and Professor of Surgery and Biochemistry at McMaster University
  • Dr Laura K Donovan - Assistant Professor of Paediatric Neuro-oncology at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health

No trustees receive any remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Brain Tumour Research operates through periodic calls for new Centres of Excellence rather than open rolling applications. There is currently no open funding call.

When funding opportunities arise, the application process involves:

  • Comprehensive details of the proposed programme of research
  • Existing study areas and how these will be included in the Centre
  • Approach and methodology of planned investigations

Applications undergo a rigorous and transparent international peer review process.

Decision Timeline

The multi-stage application process includes:

  • Initial screening by the Scientific and Medical Advisory Board
  • International peer review for shortlisted applications
  • Final decision by Trustees

Specific timelines are not publicly disclosed, but the comprehensive review process suggests several months from preliminary application to final decision.

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed. Given the substantial funding commitment (£2.4-2.5 million per Centre over five years) and the goal of funding seven Centres nationwide, opportunities are highly competitive and limited. As of January 2025, the charity funds five Centres of Excellence.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy is publicly documented. Given the periodic nature of calls for new Centres of Excellence, unsuccessful applicants would need to wait for the next funding call to be announced.

Application Success Factors

Current Centres of Excellence as Examples

Understanding the funded Centres provides insight into what Brain Tumour Research values:

Imperial College London - Focuses on improving diagnosis and treatment of adults with high-grade glioma, including glioblastoma (GBM)

The Institute of Cancer Research - Studies paediatric-type diffuse high-grade gliomas (PDHGG), identifying, testing and validating new therapeutic targets. Led by Professor Chris Jones, this Centre received £2.5 million to find cures for the deadliest childhood cancers

Queen Mary University of London - Develops personalised treatments for glioblastoma in adults and discovers gentler, more specific and effective therapies for childhood brain tumours

University of Plymouth - Successfully transitioned from supported Centre to sustainable brain tumour research centre after nine years of Brain Tumour Research funding

Scottish Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence (Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow) - Launched January 2025 with £2.4 million over five years, funded through collaboration between Brain Tumour Research and Beatson Cancer Charity

Key Success Factors

Institutional Strength: All funded Centres are established at leading UK universities with strong research infrastructure

Sustainable Research Plans: The charity values “continuous and sustainable scientific research” - applications must demonstrate long-term strategic research vision

Focus on Underserved Areas: Brain tumour research receives historically low investment (1% of national cancer research spend), so novel approaches addressing critical gaps are prioritised

Patient Impact Pathway: Clear translation from research to improved treatments and outcomes for patients

Research Quality: As a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC), the charity adheres to high standards - research funding is automatically increased by 28% through AMRC membership

Leadership Excellence: Strong research leadership and institutional commitment are essential given the five-year funding commitment

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Strategic Timing: Monitor the Brain Tumour Research website and communications for announcements of new funding calls - applications are by invitation following preliminary assessment, not open rolling
  • Long-term Commitment: This is not project funding but institutional Centre funding requiring five-year strategic vision and sustainability planning
  • Institutional Readiness: Only established university-based research institutions with strong brain tumour research capabilities are viable candidates
  • Focus on Sustainability: Brain Tumour Research specifically seeks to fund “continuous and sustainable” research - demonstrate how the Centre will continue beyond initial funding
  • Patient-Centred Approach: Align proposals with the charity's mission to improve outcomes for brain tumour patients, particularly addressing high-grade gliomas and paediatric brain tumours
  • Infrastructure Value: Consider how your Centre contributes to the UK brain tumour research ecosystem and coordination
  • Financial Transparency: Budget must clearly separate allowable costs (salaries, consumables, essential equipment) from overheads/administration which are not funded
  • Multi-stage Engagement: The preliminary application is a critical screening stage - ensure this clearly demonstrates strategic fit before being invited to full application

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