What we do

Empowering researchers to transform lives

How we decide what to fund

Guided by our research strategy and knowledge of the ecosystem

We continually assess the entire prostate cancer research community, including funding and scientific gaps, to ensure our knowledge and understanding is up to date and that we are spending our money where it is most likely to have impact for people affected by prostate cancer. You can read our 2020 review of the strengths and weaknesses of prostate cancer research in the UK here, which helps to direct our funding calls.

Our Research Strategy is based on core principles of innovation, supporting younger scientists, a focus on advanced disease, and collaboration.

We select our future projects by an open and competitive grant call process involving scientific peer review, strong patient representation and involvement, and a scientist’s right to respond to comments made by peer and patient reviewers on their application. Our grant calls are always publicly advertised on our website as they are launched.

Once we make an award to a scientist, the relationship doesn't stop.

Patients

We connect our scientists with patients so that they can gain a deep understanding of patient challenges.

Collaboration

We actively encourage all of our scientists, whatever their location, to share resources, expertise, and ideas.

M&E

We continually monitor and evaluate the project to make sure that it is going to plan, and to identify and solve any problems that arise quickly in conjunction with the scientists.

Some of our scientists share their impressions of how we select our projects

A deep understanding of the patient perspective

Scientists and Patients working together

We are driven by the hope that we can create a better future for patients, and everyone who has been affected by prostate cancer. Only when we combine scientific expertise with the lived experiences of people who have or have had prostate cancer in their lives can we be sure that we are enabling the research that really matters, so we have brought patients into the heart of our decision-making through our Patient Voice programme.

We connect scientists to patients for two-way listening and learning events like Meet the Scientists and virtual Q&As. We also carry out in-house research and run internal staff events to make sure that every person working for PCR maintains a deep understanding of patient needs and why we are here.

Connecting Scientists

Bringing the best minds together to solve problems faster

One of our core values is collaboration and one of the key criteria we use when selecting scientists is their attitude towards working with others. We actively encourage all of our scientists to collaborate, and to freely exchange ideas, resources, and expertise.

Accelerating innovation by plugging the gaps

Ecosystem Report Research Strategy