Sarcoma UK’s Open Grant Round provides support for research projects across the spectrum of sarcoma research, including laboratory and clinical research, and for PhD studentships.
Scope and remit
Sarcoma UK’s 2024 Open Grant Round provides support for research projects across the spectrum of sarcoma research, including laboratory and clinical research, and for PhD studentships.
Sarcoma UK is committed to funding world-class science to understand sarcoma better, improve treatments and make a difference to the lives of sarcoma patients. Since 2009, we have funded over £8 million of research to a range of high-quality institutions and projects across the UK.
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.
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.
Budget and grant types available
The total budget for the Open Grant Round is £1,000,000, not including any additional contributions made from our partner charities (see below).
Available grant sizes include:
- Small grants: innovative pilot projects or requests to support small pieces of follow-on research needed to complete a project up to a maximum value of £60,000.
- Large grants: substantive pieces of research supporting a member of staff up to a maximum value of £175,000.
- PhD Studentships: 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 £140,000 in funding, comprising a stipend, fees and research expenses. Funding is available for up to four years, with thesis completion expected within four years of the start date.
Key dates
Call opens: Spring 2024
Deadline for submissions: This call is now closed
Applications will undergo a light touch triage process by Sarcoma UK’s Research Team and Grant Review Panel Chair to ensure they are in scope for the call.
Applicant response to peer and lay review: Mid-December 2024 to Mid January 2025
Applicants informed of outcome: March 2025
Dates later in the year are subject to small changes; applicants to the round will be kept informed.
How to apply
This call is now closed
Synovial Sarcoma
Synovial sarcoma is a non-ultra-rare subtype of sarcoma with a relatively poor survival rate compared to a number of other subtypes. Analysis of Sarcoma UK’s research programme to date has shown that the charity has received and consequently funded very few research projects exploring synovial sarcoma.
Therefore, applications of all types of research focussing, entirely or in part, on synovial sarcoma are especially encouraged through this funding call.
More information on sarcoma subtype incidence and survival can be found in our data hub.
Partner Charities
Sarcoma UK is also pleased to be working with GIST Cancer UK and the Sarah Burkeman Trust on this funding call. Applications which address the areas of research highlighted below are encouraged and may be considered for funding by Sarcoma UK and/or its partner charities.
GIST
We are pleased to be working for a second year with GIST Cancer UK, a charitable trust which aims to support GIST cancer patients and fund research into GIST to improve treatments and find a cure for this rare cancer. GIST Cancer UK is able to collaboratively fund selected research projects submitted to the open grant round with a focus on GIST cancers.
GIST Cancer UK is interested in supporting applications that:
Target the unmet needs of Paediatric, Adolescent, Wild-Type and Syndromic (PAWS) GIST patients, including:
- improving our understanding of these subtypes
- developing novel therapeutic strategies and treatments
Please note that any funding provided by GIST Cancer UK is not in addition to the funds provided by Sarcoma UK; the purpose of this scheme is that projects deemed fundable through Sarcoma UK’s research review process can be co- or fully-funded by GIST Cancer UK when an award is made.
All applications made through Sarcoma UK’s grant rounds will be subject to the same rigorous review process, administered by Sarcoma UK. All such applications will be assessed and ranked alongside every other application Sarcoma UK receives for the round. Those deemed to be fundable will be shared with GIST Cancer UK, who will make the final decision on which projects to support with this funding, in partnership with their Medical Advisory Board.
The Sarah Burkeman Trust
Sarcoma UK is pleased to be working with the Sarah Burkeman Trust, a charitable foundation set up in memory of Sarah Burkeman, who sadly passed away from sarcoma. Sarah was a much-loved and highly talented documentary film-maker who was diagnosed with an undifferentiated uterine sarcoma in 2013. For more on Sarah’s story, please visit this page.
The Sarah Burkeman Trust is able to fund selected research projects submitted to the Open Grant Round, up to a maximum total commitment of £200,000. Please note that this is not additional funding on top of the funds requested from Sarcoma UK; the purpose of this scheme is to allow the Sarah Burkeman Trust to fully- or co-fund applications submitted to Sarcoma UK’s funding calls.
Applications for this funding are welcome for translational research projects in the following areas in adjacencies to Sarah’s own cancer journey:
- Gynaecological sarcomas
- Sarcomas that can particularly affect young people
- Poorly differentiated sarcomas
- Research focussed on early diagnosis
- Immunotherapy
All applications made through Sarcoma UK’s grant rounds will be subject to the same rigorous review process, administered by Sarcoma UK. All such applications will be assessed and ranked alongside every other application Sarcoma UK receives for the round. Those deemed to be fundable will be shared with the Sarah Burkeman Trust, who will make the final decision on which projects to support with this funding, in partnership with their Scientific Advisory Panel.
Key eligibility criteria
- The host institution for the project must be a UK-based higher education institution, research institute or within the NHS.
- The principal investigator must hold a permanent, salaried post at the host institution. 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.
- Sarcoma UK will allow only one resubmission of a previously unsuccessful proposal, unless you have been explicitly invited to resubmit for a second time.
For further details on eligibility for applying for this funding call, please refer to the Guidance for Applicants for the grant type you are applying for. Please contact research@sarcoma.org.uk with questions.
