Our Clinical Trials Units
Our core infrastructure of eight UK Clinical Trials Units (CTUs) deliver innovative and practice-changing clinical research that impacts the care and outcomes for cancer patients in the UK and across the world.
CTUs are specialist units with a specific remit to design, conduct, analyse and publish clinical trials. Our network of CTU provide expert statistical, epidemiological and other methodological advice and they centrally coordinate the delivery of multi-centre trials. Our CTUs are also responsible for ensuring that trials are conducted in compliance with the UK regulations governing the conduct of clinical trials and report to all the appropriate agencies, including the Health Research Authority (HRA) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
We fund eight CTUs that specialise in cancer clinical trials. Seven of these are within the Clinical Research Committee Portfolio, focusing on a range of early and late phase clinical trials with clinical or biological endpoints. One CTU is in the Population Research Committee remit, with a focus on large screening and population research based studies.
Applications open for 2023–28 funding period
We’re delighted to announce the call for applications from CTUs to join our core network for the upcoming funding period (2023–28). You can find more information in the 'Review and funding periods' section below.
CTU network objectives
Our network is guided by the strategic priorities set out in our Clinical Research Statement of Intent. The CTUs have shared scientific and operational objectives to deliver on the Statement of Intent, and we will work with CTUs to facilitate the delivery of these objectives.
Opportunities to work with our CTUs
Our CTUs are members of the NCRI CTU group and hold UKCRC CTU registration, which allows them to collaborate, network, and share expertise with other cancer and non-cancer trials units, and to work together to develop best practice and overcome common challenges.
The CTUs also work closely with the chief investigators leading on trials and with NCRI Clinical Studies Groups (CSGs) to develop trials and shape the cancer clinical research landscape in the UK and internationally.
Our CTUs are always in interested in hearing from academics and clinicians who have an idea for a cancer clinical trial and would like to work with a CTU to develop it. If you are interested in developing a clinical trial with us you should approach individual CTUs or research groups (see below).
Directory of CRUK Clinical Trials Units
Location |
Director |
Specialist themes |
|---|---|---|
|
Richard Adams |
Phase 1-3 clinical trials, Radiotherapy trials, Solid tumour and Blood cancer trials, Screening, Prevention and Early Diagnosis Trials, Novel and complex trial interventions |
|
|
Peter Sasieni |
Screening and Prevention Trials |
|
|
London, The Institute of Cancer Research: Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit (ICR-CTSU) |
Judith Bliss |
Breast, Head & Neck, Melanoma, Ovarian, Sarcoma and Urological Cancers; Exploratory phase 2–3 clinical trials; Radiotherapy trials; Treatment response trials; Underlying Cancer Biology |
|
Jonathan Ledermann |
Gastrointestinal, Gynaecological, Head & Neck and Lung Cancers; Leukaemia, Myeloma and Lymphoma Blood Cancers, Radiotherapy Trials; Surgery Trials |
|
|
Pamela Kearns |
Paediatric and adult phase 1–3 Clinical Trials; First-in-human Trials; Breast, Gastrointestinal, Gynaecological, Lung, Urological and Hepatobiliary Cancers; Gene Therapy; Immunotherapy, Radiotherapy, Surgery and Allogenic Stem Cell Transplantation Trials; Investigational Medicinal Products; Biomarker Studies; Personalised Medicine |
|
|
University of Glasgow: CRUK Clinical Trials Unit at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre |
Robert Jones |
Phase 1–3 clinical trials; First-in-human trials; Pancreatic and Ovarian Cancers; Novel Anti-Cancer Therapeutics; Biomarker Studies; Molecular Pathology |
|
Julia Brown |
Phase 1–3 clinical trials; Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia and Multiple Myeloma Blood Cancers; Radiotherapy trials; Novel Anti-Cancer Therapeutics; Personalised Medicine |
|
|
Gareth Griffiths |
Phase 1–3 clinical trials; Oesophageal, lymphoma, urological, mesothelioma and other GI cancers; Immunotherapy trials; early diagnosis trials; biomarker-guided clinical trials |
Clinical Trial Fellowship
Our Clinical Trial Fellowship award supports clinicians with an interest in clinical trials and who would benefit from further training within a Clinical Trial Unit. Fellows receive up to three years of training, with funding to cover salary, running expenses and equipment.
Contact us
Ellie Jones
Clinical Research Liaison Manager
Tel +44 (0)203 469 5411
clinicalresearch@cancer.org.uk
Review & funding periods
An independent, international panel is assembled at the end of each funding cycle to assess the performance of each CTU, applications from potential new CTUS, and the network as a whole. The current 5-year funding period began in October 2018. Each CTU is also evaluated against its objectives annually, to determine continued funding.
2023–28 funding period: Applications open for our core CTU network
We’re delighted to announce the call for applications from CTUs for the upcoming funding period (2023–28).
Our existing core-funded CTUs are invited to apply for continued funding for their contribution to delivering innovative, high-impact clinical research that improves the care and outcomes for cancer patients in the UK and across the world.
We also invite new, eligible clinical trial units to apply to join our core CTU network so it remains one of the highest quality and helps us to successfully deliver on our research strategy and CTU network objectives.
The application process will be in two stages. All applying units will go through a triage stage in Spring 2022 and units considered to meet the eligibility criteria and quality threshold will receive valuable feedback to strengthen their applications, and be invited to submit a full application in Summer/Autumn 2022.
The application deadline for the triage stage is 31 March 2022.
If you are interested in applying, would like more information or have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the team:
More clinical research opportunities
We support a broad portfolio of clinical and translational research through response mode funding, partnership initiatives and investments in clinical infrastructure.
More research infrastructure
We fund a network of state-of-the-art facilities at 90 institutions across the UK. From basic science and drug discovery to experimental medicine and clinical trials, our infrastructure enables research throughout the pipeline.