Professor Karen Brown is director of the Leicester Cancer Research Centre and co-chair of the UK Therapeutic Cancer Prevention Network. She reflects that there is a long-standing perception that there is no funding in prevention research. But, she says, that’s changing. “You can see what a difference the CRUK push towards biology-based prevention has made to applications. Ultimately people will go where the funding is – we need more funding from NIHR and UKRI”.
Strategic prioritisation has impact far beyond the projects that are subsequently funded. Government funders have broad reach: reflecting the potential of precision prevention in their strategies could raise the profile of the field, sparking more research activity. This signalling effect cannot be understated.
We’re therefore calling on NIHR and UKRI to ensure that precision prevention research is prioritised as part of broader shifts to fund more prevention research. However, the opportunity does not stop there. Researchers emphasise the need for core-funded infrastructure. While project funding is essential, its ‘stop-start’ nature can make it difficult to carry out long-term research projects. The lengthy timelines associated with precision prevention research mean that the stability of a core-funded institution would make the difference in facilitating this research.
The benefits of infrastructure go far beyond establishing stability. Professor Ruth Langley is a medical oncologist, specialising in the design and management of oncology clinical trials based at University College London.
Source link
