2026 Research Grant Call opens to drive new advances in childhood cancer research

Children with Cancer UK has launched its 2026 Research Grant Call, inviting applications from UK based researchers committed to improving outcomes for children and young people affected by cancer.

Grants of up to £350,000 are available to support world-leading scientific and clinical research projects spanning discovery science, early detection, diagnosis, development of new treatments and improvements in quality of life for children and young people affected by cancer.

Applications opened on Friday, 6 March 2026, with a submission deadline of 12pm (midday) on Thursday, 28 May 2026. All applications must be submitted via the charity’s online grants portal.

Children with Cancer UK has invested more than £80 million in childhood cancer research over the past two decades and is seeking proposals that demonstrate a clear pathway to meaningful impact for children with cancer.

Priority areas for this funding round include:

• Understanding and discovery science – improving knowledge of disease biology and mechanisms.
• Early detection, diagnosis and prevention – enabling earlier and more accurate diagnosis.
• Developing new treatments – progressing innovations towards clinical trials, including biomarker development and optimising existing therapies.
• Improving quality of life – addressing survivorship, late effects and the lived experience of childhood cancer.

Commenting on the launch, Kate Quillin, Head of Research at Children with Cancer UK, said:

Every day, too many families across the UK face the devastating reality of a childhood cancer diagnosis. Our Research Grant Call seeks to support high-quality scientific and clinical research projects that can deepen scientific understanding and advance better diagnosis and more effective, less toxic treatments, ultimately with the potential to improve outcomes for children with cancer.

We encourage researchers to bring forward proposals with a clear pathway to impact, helping us move closer to a future where every child and young person with cancer is given not only the chance to survive, but the opportunity to live a full and fulfilling life.

Applications must be submitted via the Children with Cancer UK grants portal.  For more information, visit the 2026 Research Grant Call.