Major Awards in Immunology and Immunotherapy

This call is now closed. We do not have any plans to re-open this call.

Our ambition is to stop prostate cancer from killing thousands of men each year. Every man diagnosed with the disease should receive the most effective treatment for their cancer. To achieve this, we need to add new treatment options to our arsenal, and to be smarter with how and when we use these therapies to achieve maximum effect.

On 7 May 2019 we launched a funding call for proposals to investigate the immunology of prostate cancer, providing the framework for new immunotherapeutic approaches for treating prostate cancer. The specific remit for this call is detailed in the corresponding guidance notes.

The submission deadline was 12pm noon Monday 22 July 2019.

Why immunology and immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy has emerged as an exciting approach in the treatment of cancer, with benefits being seen in melanoma and blood cancers. However to date, clinical studies show a limited response to this approach in the treatment of prostate cancer due to reasons that are still not well understood.

Harnessing the immune system still holds huge potential for the treatment of prostate cancer and could provide better outcomes for men, increasing the length and quality of their lives, giving them valuable additional time with their loved ones.

In June 2018, we brought together leading researchers from across the world, from a variety of different disciplines, for a Frontier Meeting to discuss prostate cancer immunology and the future of immunotherapy in this field. The key outcome of the Frontier Meeting was the identification of the 5 most significant knowledge ‘gaps’, the addressing of which would accelerate progress and enable immunotherapy, in its various guises, to become a clinical reality for men with prostate cancer. Read our guidance notes for a detailed description of the 5 knowledge gaps we want to see addressed through this call. 

Application process

Applications must be made by the Principal Investigator using our online Grant Management System.  The funding call will consist of a single application stage.

  • Applications must address at least one of the 5 specified knowledge gaps. Please be sure to read the accompanying guidance notes for further details.
  • Submission deadline was 12pm noon on Monday 22 July 2019.
  • Applications received will first be validated by the Research Team at Prostate Cancer UK to ensure that they meet the basic eligibility criteria for this call. Proposals which do not meet the scope of this call will be rejected.
  • Applications will then be peer reviewed by at least three independent referees (in accordance with AMRC guidelines).
  • Rebuttals of peer reviewer comments must  be submitted  by 28 October 2019.
  • Following peer review, proposals will be assessed by representatives of our Research Advisory Committee and co-opted members with particular expertise needed to assess applications to this call.  

Final funding decisions will be made before the end of December 2019. All awards are subject to our standard terms and conditions. Please note that these terms are subject to change.

Major Awards 2019/20 Existing Trials: New Answers

This call is now closed. We do not have any plans to re-open this call.

Over the past decade, many clinical trials have and are taking place internationally which are changing the way prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated. Many of these trials have not only produced practice-changing results, but in addition have amassed large quantities of clinical data and patient samples which hold huge potential to help the research community investigate a number of unanswered questions. In addition, organisations such as Biobank UK and UK Clinical Research Collaboration have developed valuable resources to help researchers access patient data and samples to investigate the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of serious and life-threatening illnesses.

If the data and samples amassed through these clinical trials and other initiatives could be used to answer those questions, we may be able to significantly and quickly improve the way prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated.

On 5 August 2019, we launched a funding call for proposals looking to utilise and interrogate existing patient samples and/or data from recently completed or ongoing prostate cancer clinical trials, or from other data/sample repositories.

The specific remit for this call is detailed in the corresponding guidance notes

The submission deadline is 12pm (noon) Monday 14 October 2019

Remit & Eligibility

Proposals must seek to answer new and innovative questions, which if addressed, could make a significant impact in the way prostate cancer is diagnosed or treated. This could be the in-depth analysis of trial databases, repositories of patient data, images and/or patient samples, to investigate new hypotheses that could, for instance, help identify responders/non-responders to particular therapies, or to discover biomarkers which may more accurately distinguish aggressive cancer from indolent disease etc.

Proposals must have a strong central hypothesis. Applications that are not hypothesis-driven and which are seeking to only collect or curate patient samples/trial data will not be accepted.

In order to be within the remit of this funding call, your application must:

  • Be led through a UK based academic institution (international collaborations are encouraged)
  • Align with our research strategy; better diagnosis, better treatment and better prevention
  • Be hypothesis driven, clearly outlining the new question(s) that this specific grant will aim to answer
  • Identify appropriate existing datasets, images or patient samples to answer an innovative question that may impact the way prostate cancer is diagnosed or treated
  • Have written agreed access to the data, samples or images from the relevant parties at the point of application.

Applications intending to utilise/interrogate datasets, samples or images from international and/or industry partners are eligible and encouraged. However, proposals must be led by an individual(s) based at a UK academic institution (please refer the guidance document for further details).

Researchers with proposals which are not within remit for this call but which are innovative and address one or more of the areas outlined within our research strategy should consider applying to our Research Innovation Awards Scheme.

Application Process

Applications must be made by the Principal Investigator using our online Grant Management System.  The funding call will consist of a single application stage.

  • Submission deadline in 12pm noon on Monday 14 October 2019.
  • Applications received will first be validated by the Research Team at Prostate Cancer UK to ensure that they meet the basic eligibility criteria for this call. Proposals which do not meet the scope of this call will be rejected.
  • Applications will then be peer reviewed by at least three independent referees (in accordance with AMRC guidelines).
  • Rebuttals of peer reviewer comments must be submitted  by 20 January 2020.
  • Following peer review, proposals will be assessed by representatives of our Research Advisory Committee and co-opted members with particular expertise needed to assess applications to this call.  
  • Final funding decisions will be made before the end of March 2020. All awards are subject to our standard terms and conditions. Please note that these terms are subject to change