Sarcoma UK’s Adolescents and Young Adult Sarcomas Research Call supports research which ultimately aims to improve outcomes for adolescents and young adults with sarcoma.
About this call
In our Research Strategy to 2025, Sarcoma UK has committed to running targeted calls for research in areas of strategic priority. This year, sarcomas in adolescents and young adults (AYA, 16-39 year olds) have been highlighted as a particular area of unmet need.
Sarcomas represent 8% of cancers in young people compared to just 1% in adults over 25. Despite this, prognosis is generally poorer for AYA patients with sarcoma compared to patients from other age groups. Research has demonstrated that AYA sarcomas have distinct biological and clinical features. These patients also experience other disparities, including unique psychosocial challenges and poor representation in clinical trials and treatment guidelines.
Scope and remit
The aim of the Sarcoma in Adolescents and Young Adults funding call is to support research which ultimately aims to improve outcomes for adolescents and young adults with sarcoma.
Funding is available for clearly defined research projects from any field of research which address key questions and challenges for this group of patients. 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 may cover, but are not limited to, the following research areas:
- Improved understanding of underlying biology, development or mechanisms of disease
- Development of kinder or more effective treatments
- Identification of diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers
- Improvements in quality of life or survivorship
Applications must have specific relevance to sarcomas occurring in the ‘adolescents and young adults’ age group, defined as 16-39 year olds at the time of diagnosis. Applicants will be asked to justify the relevance of their proposal to this age group as part of their application. Applications for funding will be assessed both on scientific quality and relevance to people affected by sarcoma. Therefore, proposals should have a clear and considered line of sight towards further research and clearly outline the potential impact for adolescents and young adults with sarcoma.
Sarcoma UK especially welcomes translational research proposals which will advance the development of novel therapeutics.
The total budget of the call will be £350,000.
Grant types available
Small Grants, £100,000 – for pump-priming ideas, innovative pilot studies, providing proof of concept, or funding additional research to a larger project already underway.
Large Grants, £200,000, to support a substantive piece of work; must support a member of staff.
We are able to consider exceptional proposals of up to £350,000. Investigators wishing to apply for grants larger than £200,000 must discuss this with Sarcoma UK’s research team prior to application
Call timelines
Call opens: March 2025
Deadline for submissions: 12pm (midday, BST) Thursday 3rd July 2025
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 2025
Applicants informed of outcome: December 2025
How to apply
Please get in touch with Sarcoma UK’s research team at research@sarcoma.org.uk to request an application pack.
Applicants wishing to discuss a project proposal of more than £200,000 must get in touch to discuss this with the charity prior to application.
Applications must be submitted to research@sarcoma.org.uk by the deadline advertised; late applications will not be accepted.
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, research institute or within the NHS.
- The principal investigator of the work must have a permanent contract of employment within the host institution for the duration of the grant prior to application.
- 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.
- Multi-institutional and collaborative applications are strongly encouraged; collaborators may be based outside the UK. The contribution of co-applicants and collaborators to relevant work packages must be clearly outlined in the application.
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.
- Applications from researchers outside the immediate field of sarcoma are welcome but are strongly encouraged to involve the expertise of investigators with a background or expertise in sarcoma biology and/or sarcoma clinical management.
- 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.
- Please note that salary costs for Principal Investigators or Co-Investigators may not be requested.
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.
- For PhD studentships
- 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.
