Research Call Autumn 2017
Thank you to everyone who took time to apply for research grants in 2017. We were delighted to receive so many strong applications and have funded a number of new studies.
The 2018 call for applications will be in August 2018 with a final decision in the first quarter of 2019.
With an exceptional reputation for clinical research over the last 25 years the charity invites applications from researchers with an interest in ‘below the belt cancers’. The charity’s main areas of interest are colorectal cancer and liver metastases but other topics may be considered if they are complementary to our aim.
Pelican research aim is to help cancer patients live better for longer through improvements to the patient pathway from diagnosis to living with cancer with an emphasis on surgery. The charity welcomes applications for innovative and early stage projects that advance precision treatment or quality of life after treatment. This year the trustees have asked for applications considering the use of artificial intelligence.
Areas of particular interest are:
- Precision surgery – can we do it better?
- Quality of life – what helps patients after treatment
- MDT decision making and care
- Improving the Management of Patients with Advanced Colorectal Tumours (IMPACT). This year we are delivering the Pelican IMPACT development programme and welcome applications relevant to this topic
Research Principles
The following principles guide the charity’s research grants programme:
• Excellence, timeliness and originality of science
• Evidence that funding cannot be more suitably obtained elsewhere
• Avoid duplication
• Where possible publish and disseminate results of research
Research Priorities
• Clinical rather than laboratory based research
• Research that advances precision surgery and treatment
• Studies that include the multi-disciplinary perspective
• Relevance to the staging and treatment of colorectal cancer
• Translational research for the treatment of colorectal cancer
• Research that can lead on to education and development programmes for multi-disciplinary cancer teams or surgeons
Of value to the NHS
Research funding application process
Pelican is a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities and a non-commercial partner organisation with NIHR. Therefore we follow a rigorous selection process for all research funding.
- The trustees will agree the funds available for medical research.
- The Research Review Panel will define advertisements for proposals and suggest where advertisements should be publicised.
- There will be a clear timetable set for the review and response to submitted applications.
- When research proposals are received they will be triaged by a member of the review panel and CEO of Pelican. This is to make sure that they are sympathetic to the research principles and priorities of the charity.
- Accepted proposals will be sent for two external peer reviews. Peer reviewers will be provided with criteria against which to judge the appropriateness of proposals and a method of scoring. All peer reviewers’ correspondence, identity and responses will be treated confidentially. Reviewer’s comments may be passed back to researchers anonymously. Reviewers will be kept informed of the final decision on proposals.
- All peer-reviewed proposals will be presented at the Research Review Panel. The panel will be provided with criteria and scoring against which to assess proposals. The panel will be asked to prioritise proposals into the order of worthiness for funding.
