Blood Cancer UK Research

Blood Cancer UK Research, founded in 1960 as the Leukaemia Research Fund and rebranded in 2020, is a leading UK medical research charity dedicated to stopping deaths from blood cancers—including leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma, MDS, and rare disorders—while improving patient lives and preventing the disease. Driven by patient-centred values, scientific excellence, collaboration, transparency, and urgency, it pioneers a holistic approach integrating research, advocacy, patient support, and policy influence to accelerate breakthroughs in prevention, early detection, personalised medicine, and effective treatments with fewer side effects.

It funds high-impact research across biology, causes, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship for all blood cancers and age groups, prioritising translational, clinical, and population studies with patient benefit potential. Key programmes include the Trials Acceleration Programme (TAP) for rapid therapy access, the UK Blood Cancer Research Network for national collaboration, and initiatives tackling unmet needs and health inequalities. Support spans discovery science, pilot ideas, early career fellowships, and large-scale consortia via universities, NHS trusts, and cancer centres.

Eligible applicants are UK-based academic institutions, universities, and NHS bodies; small charities or non-UK entities are ineligible, with preference for established organisations managing complex grants. Applications require a Grant Tracker portal account during fixed rounds—no unsolicited submissions—with peer review, patient involvement mandatory. Typical grants: Project (£300,000/3 years), Pilot (£30,000/1 year), Fellowships (£200,000–£350,000/3 years), Transformational (£4–8 million/7 years). Next deadlines: Pilot 27 Nov 2025; Fellowships 25 Sep 2025; Project 5 Feb 2026; Transformational EOI 26 Jun 2025.

Exclusions cover infrastructure, top-ups, capital, or non-scientific work; its distinctiveness lies in nationwide UK partnerships, rapid clinic translation, and sustained investment building collaborative ecosystems for measurable survival gains.