Research Gaps and Leaky Pipelines
We want to invest money as wisely as possible, to get maximum return. The return we seek isn’t financial, but is measured in how much impact it will have for patients.
The funding landscape shifts and we need to keep abreast of that. On the long journey from an early idea to a clinical treatment, there are certain stages at which it can be easier or more difficult to get funding. Similarly, there is a “leaky pipeline” problem in science, where people leave at certain career stages. Finally, we want to complement the work being done by other charities and the government, not duplicate it.
By coming in with the right amount of money, at the right time, given to someone at the right career stage, to be spent on the right idea, we could have a huge impact even with a small amount of funding. This could take the form of targeted grant calls, or new bespoke funding schemes.
However, we can only fill the gaps if we have a full, up-to-date understanding of what the gaps are. We are inviting UK cancer researchers at all career stages, as well as research support staff at UK institutions, to complete this questionnaire. It will remain open until Monday 13 January 2019.