Our application process
Find out about our application process, how it works and what to expect. Read our grant application handbook, which contains all the information you need to know.
We currently accept applications for funding once a year.
The grant round usually opens in mid-February and closes in April, but you should check our information for researchers page regularly for the most up-to-date information.
Our application process:
Before you begin the process of submitting your application, it is advised that you read all of our funding criteria. You can only apply for funding if you agree to all of our Terms & Conditions.
Stage 1 - Initial eligibility check
All applications will be subject to an initial review of eligibility against our funding criteria and research policies. Applications which do not meet these conditions will be rejected at this stage.
Stage 2 - Preliminary triage
Remaining applications are sent to our Scientific Advisory Committee for preliminary triage. The committee considers how the application meets the remit of our Research Strategy and how competitive the idea is for funding.
We contact all applicants as soon as possible to advise whether they have passed or not passed this preliminary triage. Please note that we cannot provide feedback.
If the lead applicant on an application is rejected at this stage, they cannot resubmit the same research proposal. However, they can submit a new application in the next grant round with a research proposal that is sufficiently different (at least 50%).
Stage 3 - Written expert review
Passing applications will be sent out to external peer reviewers for full review. We aim to obtain three external reviews for each application.
We are a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) and as such we follow the AMRC’s high standard and recommended principles of expert review.
All applications that include proposals to use mammals with special protection under UK law (cats, horses, dogs and non-human primates) will undergo an additional layer of external review by the UK’s National Centre for the 3Rs for an expert assessment of animal welfare. For more information please read our use of animals in research policy.
Stage 4 - Scientific Advisory Committee meeting
After external peer review, the Scientific Advisory Committee will conduct a secondary triage. The remaining applications will be discussed and scored at the Scientific Advisory Committee meeting. Applications will be awarded funding on the basis of this scoring list until all of the available funds are allocated. Inevitably some high quality projects with good external peer review will not be funded simply because we never have enough money to fund all of high quality ideas that we would love to support.
Stage 5 - Notification of outcome
The outcomes of all applications assessed by the Scientific Advisory Committee will be reported to the applicant by email following the meeting. We will also enclose written comments from the external reviewers. However, please note that we will not enter into any correspondence or discussion regarding the content of reviewer’s comments, or the decision of the Scientific Advisory Committee, which is final.
Find out more
Our funding criteria
Your application for funding must meet the remit of our Research Strategy and the criteria for funding set out in our application handbook.
Read before applying
Our research policies
We have set of research policies that must be adhered to by all grantholders or funding from Worldwide Cancer Research. Find out more here.
