The Brain Tumour Charity

Charity Number: 1150054

Annual Expenditure: £14.7M

Throughout England And Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland

Contact Info

Website: www.thebraintumourcharity.org

Phone: 01252 418190 or 01252 749990

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Quick Stats

Annual Giving: £7.6 million (research funding, based on £38m over 5 years)
Success Rate: 37% (Future Leaders full application to funding); 43% (Future Leaders LOI to full application)
Decision Time: 12-16 weeks (approximately 3-4 months from submission to decision)
Grant Range: £5,000 - £1,500,000
Geographic Focus: UK-based institutions (international researchers eligible for some programmes)

Contact Details

Website: www.thebraintumourcharity.org

Research Enquiries: research@thebraintumourcharity.org

Phone: 01252 418190 or 01252 749990

General Enquiries: enquiries@thebraintumourcharity.org

Grant Portal: All applications must be submitted through their online grant management portal

Overview

The Brain Tumour Charity was created in 2013 through the merger of Brain Tumour UK, the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust, and the Joseph Foote Trust. As the largest dedicated funder of research into brain tumours globally, the charity has committed £38 million to world-class research over the past five years, leveraging an additional £89 million from other sources. Led by CEO Dr Michele Afif, a former consultant in paediatric haematology and oncology, the charity operates under its “Accelerating a Cure” research strategy (to 2027), aiming to double survival rates and halve the harm caused by brain tumours. The charity holds the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) Certificate of Best Practice in Research Peer Review, demonstrating its rigorous and transparent funding processes.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Quest for Cures - £1,500,000 over 5 years

Funds collaborative, multidisciplinary research programmes with a view to clinical application. Teams must demonstrate how collaborative work will achieve goals not possible through individual components.

Future Leaders - Up to £75,000 per year over 3 years (Postdoctoral Fellowship stage); up to £1.8 million over 12-year programme

Supports early-career academic and clinical researchers to establish themselves as leading experts. Initial applications made by strong mentors. Senior Fellowships must be held at UK institutions.

Expanding Theories - £150,000 over 2 years

Supports pilot studies exploring novel concepts that could lead to significant improvements in clinical outcomes, including quality of life. Welcomes innovative approaches to understanding, diagnosis, and management.

Quality of Life Award - Varies (recent cohort: £380,000 total across 4 projects)

Promotes multidisciplinary collaborations to develop interventions improving quality of life for children and young adults (up to 25 years) living with brain tumours.

Translational Award - Up to £400,000 per project (some projects up to £2.2 million)

Supports translation of laboratory discoveries into novel therapeutics. Open to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies as well as academic institutions (launched 2024).

Conferences and Workshops - Up to £5,000 per event

Funds researcher-led scientific conferences and workshops facilitating collaboration aligned with charity's research strategy. 80% allocated prior to event, final 20% on receipt of scientific report.

Application methods: All grants are competitively awarded through rounds advertised on their website, in relevant journals, and via mailing list. Applications submitted through online grant management portal.

Priority Areas

All applications must address at least one priority area from the “Accelerating a Cure” research strategy:

Novel diagnostic techniques to reduce diagnosis times
New treatments for brain tumours in adults and children
Research to improve quality of life for people affected by brain tumour diagnosis
Research across the full spectrum from basic science to clinical trials
Projects with clear potential for patient benefit
Multidisciplinary and collaborative approaches

What They Don't Fund

The charity focuses exclusively on research into brain tumours. They do not provide grants for:

Research unrelated to brain tumours
Projects that do not align with their research strategy priorities
Applications that cannot demonstrate potential for patient benefit

Governance and Leadership

CEO: Dr Michele Afif (appointed July 2023)

Dr Afif is a doctor by training who worked as a consultant in paediatric haematology and oncology for more than 10 years. On her clinical experience, she states: “It left an indelible mark on me as a clinician and ignited a deep desire to find more ways to do more for more – in honour of those I have met along the way.”

Chair of Trustees: Jack Morris CBE

Jack became Chair in July 2018 following personal experience after losing his 31-year-old daughter Emily to glioblastoma. On leadership appointments, he stated: "Alex is a seasoned, ambitious and thoughtful leader, with the vision and passion to take The Charity's impact for friends and families affected by brain tumours to the next level."

Advisory Structure:

Biomedical Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) - internationally renowned scientific and medical experts
Lay Advisory Board (LAB) - representatives of people affected by brain tumours
Translational Advisory Board (TAB)
Grant Review and Monitoring Committee (GRAM)

Many trustees have been personally affected by brain tumours or lost loved ones to the disease. One trustee, Rachel, noted: "Alongside all the support and resources The Brain Tumour Charity provides, I'm so impressed by their evidence-led strategies."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Register for notifications: Join their mailing list to receive alerts about funding opportunities
Review requirements: Read Grant Conditions and Finance Guidelines before applying
Submit via portal: All applications must be submitted through their online grant management portal
Involve patients: The charity strongly recommends accessing their Involvement Network (IN) for public and patient involvement
Allow sufficient time: Late submissions cannot be guaranteed acceptance

Contact for questions: research@thebraintumourcharity.org or 01252 418190

Decision Timeline

Typical process: 12-16 weeks (approximately 3-4 months) from submission to funding decision

Review stages:

Internal triage to check eligibility
External peer review by international experts (comment on applicant expertise, feasibility, potential impact)
Applicant response to reviews
Advisory Board meetings to discuss applications, reviews, and responses
Trustee final decisions based on Advisory Board recommendations

Example timeline: Applications submitted by 31 January 2023 received funding recommendations by May 2023

Success Rates

Future Leaders programme:

Letter of Intent (LOI) to full application invitation: 43% (rolling 3-round average)
Full application to funding: 37% (rolling 3-round average)

Success rates for other programmes not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

Specific reapplication policies for unsuccessful applicants not publicly available on website. Applicants are given opportunity to respond to peer reviews during the assessment process. For details on reapplication policies, contact research@thebraintumourcharity.org.

Application Success Factors

Strategic Alignment is Critical

All applications must:

Address at least one priority area from “Accelerating a Cure” research strategy
Demonstrate clear potential for patient benefit
Show willingness to work with people affected by brain tumours throughout research

Patient and Public Involvement

The charity strongly recommends accessing their Involvement Network (IN) for public and patient involvement in research design and delivery. Applications are reviewed by Lay Advisory Board members alongside scientific experts.

Collaborative and Multidisciplinary Approaches

Quest for Cures applications must outline collaborative team strengths and demonstrate how proposed work achieves goals not possible individually. The charity values research that creates new collaborations (their £38m investment resulted in 63 new collaborations among 56 organisations).

Quality Over Speed

Use rigorous peer review process recognized as best practice. Allow sufficient time for approval steps required to complete submission - late applications cannot be guaranteed acceptance.

Clear Path to Impact

Reviewers assess:

Suitability of applicants' expertise
Feasibility of proposed work
Potential impact for those affected by brain tumours

Recent Funded Projects as Examples

Dr Jun Ishihara (Imperial College London): £1.5m Quest for Cures grant for glioblastoma immunotherapy research
UCL/QMUL/Great Ormond Street team: £1.6m for Everest Centre research on children's brain tumours
Three translational projects: £400,000 each to develop scientific discoveries into real-world advances

Terminology and Language

The charity emphasizes:

“Accelerating a cure” and “transformation in research”
“Doubling survival and halving harm”
Patient benefit and clinical application
Collaboration and multidisciplinary approaches
Innovation and novel concepts

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Demonstrate strategic alignment: Explicitly link your proposal to at least one priority in “Accelerating a Cure” strategy. Reviewers assess alignment first.

Engage patients from the start: Access the Involvement Network early. Lay Advisory Board reviews all applications alongside scientific boards - patient involvement strengthens applications.

Emphasize collaboration: The charity values research that creates partnerships (their funding leveraged £89m additional investment). Show how collaboration achieves what individual work cannot.

Focus on patient benefit: Every application must clearly demonstrate potential to improve outcomes for people affected by brain tumours. Clinical application matters more than purely theoretical advances.

Choose the right programme: Match project stage to grant type - pilot studies to Expanding Theories (£150k), established collaborations to Quest for Cures (£1.5m), early-career researchers to Future Leaders.

Prepare for rigorous review: AMRC-certified peer review process with international experts, three advisory boards, and trustee approval. Quality and thoroughness essential.