Grants submitted to Breakthrough Cancer Research undergo a vigorous process of review before they are potentially awarded funding. This is to ensure they answer our research priorities, have scientific merit, appropriate project design and fulfil an unmet need.
International experts are involved in both Peer Review and our own Scientific Advisory Committee and our Public Patient Panel (PPI) helps determine our research priorities and provide opinion and analysis to grants during the review process.
Our grant review process
Click on any of the steps below for more details.
Small Grant
(<€50,000)
Grant issued for selected project
Following the review process, successful applicants are notified.
Principal investigator
The Principal Investigator (PI) has a question. They search for the answer to this question by reading about what is known already. From there, they develop an idea about how to answer this question and get a team together with the expertise that is needed. The PI then writes a detailed proposal describing their question, why this question needs to be answered, how they are going to answer it, the team they have assembled and how they hope this research will advance our cancer knowledge and help patients in the future.
Application submitted to us based on novel idea
The Principal Investigator and their team complete their application form, which describes their idea, how they are going to investigate it it, how it fits with the priorities of Breakthrough Cancer Research and how this will benefit people with cancer. They submit it to the Research Department of Breakthrough Cancer Research. The application then goes through a through review process.
Large Grant
(>€50,000)
Scientific advisory committee evaluation for scientific merit and need
All applications for Breakthrough Cancer Research projects up to the value of €50,000 are first assessed by the Research Department for alignment with Breakthrough's priorities. Secondly, there are review boards held with our International Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) three times every year. The SAC review each application individually and rank them. The final decision of which applications are funded is made during the review boards. An outcome letter is issued to each applicant following this process.
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Reviewed for alignment to research priorities
All applications submitted to Breakthrough Cancer Research are first assessed by the Research Department for alignment with Breakthrough's research priorities.
Patient panel review
All applications to Breakthrough Cancer Research projects are assessed by our Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) Panel for (i) priority of the research to cancer patients, (ii) appropriate inclusion of PPI and (iii) quality of the proposal. Our PPI panel receive training to enable them in this process.
International expert peer review
International experts are invited to review grant applications received by Breakthrough.
