INSPIRE Research Challenge

As part of our continued commitment to accelerating progress, World Cancer Research Fund International has launched the INSPIRE Research Challenge, in partnership with American Institute of Cancer Research, World Cancer Research Fund in the UK and Wereld Kanker Onderzoek Fonds in the Netherlands.

The INSPIRE Research Challenge will prioritise innovative, bold, and creative proposals with the potential to catalyse rapid and impactful advances in cancer prevention, treatment and survivorship.

This is a new grant call aimed at early career investigators. It will run in parallel with our existing grant programmes and is open to investigators worldwide.

Application criteria

The programme is open to early career individuals – defined as not less than 2 years, but not more than 6 years post-doctoral degree (PhD or MD research).

Applicants must be employed on a research contract within a department at a research institution affiliated with a university or medical school.

Proposed projects must have direct relevance to cancer prevention, treatment or survivorship and may address any or all stages of the cancer journey.

Proposals should address modifiable factors including both lifestyle, such as diet, nutrition, physical activity and environmental factors such as pollution/contaminants and pathogens.

Particular priority will be given to novel exposures including stress, sleep and host factors such as immune function.

Important dates and deadlines

New INSPIRE call will be launched early 2024.

> Find out which applications received funding in our 2023 INSPIRE grants call

INSPIRE Research Challenge graphic