Sarcoma UK’s Ultra-Rare Sarcomas Research Call provides support for research projects exploring ultra-rare sarcoma subtypes.
About this call
In our Research Strategy to 2025, Sarcoma UK has committed to running targeted calls for research in areas of strategic priority. Conversations with the sarcoma research community and people affected by sarcoma have highlighted ultra-rare sarcomas as a particular area of unmet need. An expert consensus paper (Stacchiotti et al., Cancer, 2021) has highlighted ultra-rare sarcomas as being ‘particularly challenging’ for research, especially in terms of diagnosis, understanding disease biology and generating clinical evidence to support drug development.
In line with to this paper, for the purposes of this funding call, ultra-rare sarcomas are defined as those with an incidence of approximately ≤1 per 1,000,000, comprising a list of 56 soft tissue sarcomas and 21 bone sarcomas. Please see the Guidance for Applicants (below) for this list in full.
Scope and remit
Sarcoma UK’s Ultra-Rare Sarcomas Research Call provides support for research projects exploring ultra-rare sarcoma subtypes.
Sarcoma UK’s strategic approach to research is flexible and broad, and the charity is open to supporting high-quality research across a number of scientific and clinical fields across all its funding calls. Areas of exploration that could be considered for funding include, but are not limited to, improving understanding of disease biology, improving diagnosis, developing new or better treatments, and improving quality of life.
Sarcoma UK warmly welcomes applicants from all backgrounds; from centres across the UK, as well as from research groups outside the sarcoma research space.
Applications for funding will be assessed on both scientific quality and relevance to people affected by sarcoma. Therefore, successful applications will also have a pathway to impact for people affected by sarcoma; applicants should clearly justify this in their proposal.
Sarcoma UK especially welcomes proposals which analyse an existing genomic or biological sample dataset.
Please see the Guidance for Applicants for a full list of the ultra-rare sarcoma subtypes which will be considered in scope for the call. Applicants may focus on one ultra-rare subtype, or a group of ultra-rare subtypes, in their proposal.
The total budget of the call will be £300,000.
Grant types available
Small Grants, £50,000 – for pump-priming ideas, providing proof of concept, or funding additional research to a larger project already underway.
Large Grants, £150,000, to support a substantive piece of work; must support a member of staff.
PhD studentships, £130,000. Sarcoma UK seeks to provide funding for new PhD studentships in lab-based science, with the aim of attracting high-calibre graduates who will go on to develop a career in sarcoma research. Our PhD studentships offer up to £130,000 funding, comprising a stipend, fees and research expenses. Funding is available for three and a half years, with thesis completion expected within four years of the start date. Applications for PhD studentships will not be accepted if the studentship is already underway.
Call timelines
Call opens: April 2023
Deadline for submissions: 12pm (midday, BST) Thursday 13th July 2023
Applications received after this deadline will not be accepted. Applications will undergo a light touch triage process by Sarcoma UK’s Research Team to ensure they are in scope for the call.
Applicant response to peer and lay review: October 2024
Applicants informed of outcome: December 2023
Details for applicants
The guidance documents for this call can be downloaded below.
Ultra-Rare Sarcomas: Guidance for Applicants – PhD Studentships
Ultra-Rare Sarcomas: Guidance for Applicants – small and large project grants
Assessment Criteria
Sarcoma UK’s research programme is flexible and broad. Proposals will be assessed on scientific quality and relevance to people affected by sarcoma.
All applications will proceed to review unless they are deemed out of remit for the call shortly following submission. Applications will be assessed on a variety of criteria by peer and lay written reviews and Sarcoma UK’s Grant Review Panel, including scientific quality, pathway to impact and the team and environment. Read more about how your proposal will be assessed.
Eligibility criteria for our funding calls
If you are unsure about the eligibility of your application, please contact Sarcoma UK’s research team by emailing research@sarcoma.org.uk.
Host institution requirements
- The host institution for the project must be a UK-based higher education institution or the NHS.
- The host institution must be the employer of the grant holder.
- The host institution will be responsible for the entirety of the award, including all administration, liaison with third parties and ensuring compliance with conditions of award by other institutions where appropriate.
- Work on the project may take place at other institutions, which may be outside of the UK, but the host institution is responsible for any sub-contracting and payment of funds to other organisations.
Applicant requirements
- The Principal Investigator (PI) is responsible for the intellectual leadership of the research project and must be actively engaged in the overall management of the research.
- The PI should be able to demonstrate evidence of a strong research record, with experience to drive and lead a research project which addresses your proposed research questions. Demonstrable evidence could include publications, successful grant applications and an ability to lead teams.
- The PI and the proposed project must be based in the UK at a Higher Education Institution (HEI), Research Institute or Clinical Institution. The principal investigator of the work must have a contract of employment within the host institution for the duration of the grant prior to application.
- Where the PI is on a fixed-term contract, their contract must extend at least one year beyond the lifetime of the project, or the host institution must demonstrate that it intends to award a permanent position at the end of the fixed term. In addition, a co-applicant with a permanent post at the host institution should be listed on the application.
- Named Co-Is must be actively involved in the running of the project to the extent indicated in the application.
Resubmission guidance
For submissions of proposals across any Sarcoma UK grant rounds, we allow only one resubmission of a previously unsuccessful proposal, unless you have been explicitly invited to resubmit for a second time.
For all resubmissions, we require a full explanation of the revisions (additions, deletions and modifications) made to the proposal from its previous iteration, and responding to any concerns raised by reviewers or the Grant Review Panel. Please include this explanation as a maximum of 2 pages of A4 attached prior to your application form.
Resubmissions will be checked as part of our triaging process; applications which do not meet the above requirements will not be accepted.
Other requirements
Applications will not be accepted:
- Where the primary intent of the grant is for purchase of equipment
- From commercial organisations.
- Where the PhD studentship is already underway.
- Where the application has been submitted to any of Sarcoma UK’s funding calls on more than one previous occasion unless explicitly invited.
- Please note that the member of staff supported on a large grant may not be a PhD student.
