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Mikail and his family are on the left-hand side. Image of Mikai holding a star award on the right hand side.

Research in children's and young people's cancer

Different challenges. Same determination. 

We’re prioritising research in children's and young people's cancer to address the unique barriers researchers and partners face in driving progress in this area. 

Our research helps children like Mikail (pictured above with his family), who was first diagnosed with lymphoma in 2020.

Contact us to learn more

Our commitment

Cancer in children and young people is different to cancer in adults. From the types of cancer to the long-term effects of treatment, it presents a specific set of challenges to the research community

Over the past 50 years, research has helped transform the survival of children and young people with cancer. We partner with other charities, funders and people affected by children's and young people's cancers across the UK and around the world to have the biggest possible impact. We’re proud of our role as the biggest funder of research into children’s and young people’s cancer research in the UK, having doubled our annual spend in this area in the last five years.

We support a wide portfolio of children's and young people's cancer research across the pipeline, from discovery and data science to translational studies and clinical trials. We're continuing this investment through our current funding schemes across all cancer types, which are open to children's and young people's cancer researchers.

Explore our funding schemes

Resources, support and opportunities

We’re building on our current funding schemes and providing further opportunities, resources, and tools to foster new collaborations, drive data-driven research, and translate promising treatments into the clinic for children and young people.

VIVO Biobank

VIVO Biobank is the UK’s leading research resource dedicated to storing samples and data of cancers affecting children and young people.

Experimental cancer medicine centre (ECMC) paediatric network

The ECMC paediatric network brings together clinicians and translational scientists to run early-phase clinical trials for children and young people with cancer. We jointly fund the initiative with the Little Princess Trust, the National Institute for Health and Care Research in England and the Departments of Health for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Childhood Cancer Therapeutic Catalyst

The Childhood Cancer Therapeutic Catalyst accelerates the translation of discovery research into novel therapeutics. We are seeking projects with strong potential to deliver novel therapeutics for children and young people with cancer.

Translating cancer therapeutics for children and young people

C-Further, an international consortium launched by Cancer Research Horizons and LifeArc, unites a broad network of experts with a shared commitment to developing new cancer therapeutics for children and young people.

Wider translational support

Do you have an idea or a discovery with commercial potential? Are you interested in working with industry? Our team can help develop your most promising projects into tools, tests and treatments for people affected by cancer, including children's and young people's cancers

Our research in children’s and young people’s cancer

data points screen.

Data pilot awards

We funded eight new Data for Children's and Young People's Pilot Awards, with four of those jointly funded through partnerships – two with Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity and two with Children with Cancer UK.

Explore the data awards

A close up of a dropping sample on a slide.

Stratified Medicine Paediatrics 2 Programme

We're co-funding this £5.5m research programme to advance precision medicine for children and young people with cancer.

Find out more about the programme

Cancer Grand Challenges logo.

Cancer Grand Challenges

We co-fund three Cancer Grand Challenges teams, NexTGen, KOODAC and PROTECT, who aim to find new ways to treat solid tumours in children and young people.

Meet the teams

Image of a researcher holding up a pipette in a lab.

SU2C–CRUK paediatric cancer award

We renewed funding for two SU2C–CRUK Paediatric Cancer New Discoveries Challenge award collaborations, who will each receive a further $5m to continue their projects and bring better treatments for children and young people with cancer.

Read about the awards

Latest news and features

Image of Gillian Horne from the University of Glasgow.

Mapping improvements for teenage and young adult cancers

From the University of Glasgow, Gillian Horne shares her clinical interest in teenage and young adult cancer care and the importance of the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre Network's roadmap initiative to improve access to clinical research for this age group.

Image of Sally George from the Institute of Cancer Research.

The keys to paediatric precision

In a quick first Q&A, Sally George from the Institute of Cancer Research shared insights about the latest Stratified Medicine Paediatrics 2 Programme publication on monitoring circulating tumour DNA, co-funded by us and Children with Cancer UK.

Image of Sam Deams.

Failing the most vulnerable

Sam Deams, Portfolio Director at Waterland Private Equity and Patient Advocate, delves into why traditional drug discovery models for children's and young people's cancer have failed and why we need C-Further.

Learn more about our work

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