Gerard is an established independent researcher in basic and translational research who is funded by our Discovery Research Committee.
Discovery Research Committee
Our Discovery Research Committee is responsible for the strategic development, funding and review, oversight and evaluation of Cancer Research UK’s portfolio of basic, early-translational research Programme, Project and Pilot awards.
The Discovery Research Committee meets twice a year in May and November.
Research areas
The Discovery Research Committee aims to transform our fundamental understanding of cancer and serve as a strong foundation for the translation of discoveries into new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat and cancer. Discovery Research Committee has a broad remit spanning basic and translational cancer research, including fundamental biology, genetics and immunology, biomarker discovery and validation and preclinical studies, and research into imaging and radiotherapy. The Committee also supports researchers in fields such as Immunology, engineering and physical sciences to apply their work to cancer.
Funding schemes
Discovery Programme Awards
Programme Awards provide long-term support for broad, multidisciplinary research where the aim is to answer an interrelated set of questions. Applications for Programme Awards will be accepted in any of the following research areas:
- Basic biological research relating to cancer
- Preclinical studies that will generate biological data to underpin therapeutic development
- Biomarker research
- Imaging research
- Radiotherapy research
- The application of engineering and physical sciences to cancer
Discovery Programme Foundation Awards
Programme Foundation Awards allow excellent mid-career researchers to develop their independent research group. On completion of a Programme Foundation Award we expect researchers to be in a competitive position to apply for a Discovery Committee Programme Award. Applications will be accepted within the same scientific remit as Programme Awards.
Cancer Immunology Project Awards
Cancer Immunology Project Awards seek to catalyse research and build the UK's research base in cancer immunology, by funding immunologists in non-cancer fields.
Multidisciplinary Project Awards
The Multidisciplinary Project Award supports collaborations between clinical and non-clinical cancer researchers, and scientists from engineering/physical science disciplines, where the aim is to generate creative research ideas and explore their applicability in cancer research.
Therapeutic Discovery Programme Awards
Therapeutic Discovery Programme Awards support multifaceted programmes composed of several projects running in parallel, with an overarching therapeutic aim.
The Discovery Research Committee will also review strategic initiatives with a basic science and therapeutic discovery focus which includes the Drug discovery units (including the Cancer Research UK Therapeutic Discovery Laboratories), Brain tumour awards, Children’s and Young People’s Cancer Innovation Awards and other strategic initiatives as directed by Cancer Research UK’s senior executive board.
How proposals are judged
The Committee meets twice a year in May and November and assesses all applications on the basis of their scientific and strategic importance, supported with guidance from standing expert peer review panels relevant to each grant. Applications are judged on the basis of scientific excellence, innovation and relevance to cancer research.
Committee and panel members
Chair of the Discovery Research Committee
Professor Gerard Evan – University of Cambridge
Vice Chair of the Discovery Research Committee
Professor Rosalind Eeles – The Institute of Cancer Research
Members of the Discovery Research Committee
Professor Mariann Bienz – MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
Professor Justin Bryans - LifeArc
Professor Jane Endicott – Newcastle University
Professor Tariq Enver – University College London
Professor Awen Gallimore – Cardiff University
Professor Daniel Hochhauser – University College London
Professor Kairbaan Hodivala-Dilke – Queen Mary, University of London
Professor Tim Illidge – The University of Manchester
Professor Clare Isacke – The Institute of Cancer Research, London
Professor Claus Jorgensen – Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute
Professor Xin Lu – University of Oxford
Professor KJ Patel – University of Oxford
Professor Daniel Peeper – Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI)
Professor Dr Rob Pieters – Prinses Máxima Centrum
Professor Steven Pollard – The University of Edinburgh
Professor Sergio Quezada – University College London
Professor Francisco Real – Spanish National Cancer Research Centre
Dr Erik Sahai – The Francis Crick Institute
Professor Charles Swanton (CRUK Chief Clinician) – The Francis Crick Institute & University College London
Professor Ian Tomlinson – University of Edinburgh
Professor Sir Richard Treisman – The Francis Crick Institute
Professor Karen Vousden (CRUK Chief Scientist) – The Francis Crick Institute
Chair of the Cancer Immunology Review Panel
Professor Tim Elliott – University of Southampton
Vice Chair of the Cancer Immunology Review Panel
Professor Awen Gallimore – Cardiff University
Members of the Cancer Immunology Review Panel
Professor George Kassiotis – The Francis Crick Institute
Professor Paul Martin – University of Bristol
Professor Hans Stauss – University College London
Professor Paresh Vyas – Weatherall Institute for Molecular Medicine
Chair of the Multidisciplinary Review Panel
Professor Kevin Brindle — University of Cambridge
Vice Chair of the Multidisciplinary Review Panel
Professor Duncan Graham — University of Strathclyde
Members of the Multidisciplinary Review Panel
Dr Sarah Bohndiek — University of Cambridge
Professor Trevor Graham — Queen Mary University of London
Dr Claus Jorgensen — CRUK Manchester Institute
Professor Uwe Oelfke — The Institute of Cancer Research, London
Professor Erik Sahai — The Francis Crick Institute
Professor Julia Schnabel — King's College London
Dr Marco Gerlinger — The Institute of Cancer Research, London
Professor Angela Russell — University of Oxford
Contact for this committee
More opportunities for discovery researchers
We support a broad portfolio of discovery research, including basic biology, genetics and immunology, biomarker discovery and preclinical studies, and engineering and physical sciences applied to cancer. We have a variety of grant funding and other opportunities to accelerate your research.