Urology Cancer Research and Education, Finding new ways to fight cancer

Research strategy

Key elements of UCARE's (Urology Cancer Research and Education) Research Strategy:

1. Our purpose

  • We facilitate research into urological cancer in order to prevent, diagnose and treat urological and other types of cancer.
  • We encourage the development of new technologies and ways of treating cancer, in order to improve the lives of cancer patients.
  • We support cancer research facilities that are taking a leading role in the global fight against cancer.
  • We help people to understand urological cancer and the research being done to find new ways to fight it.

2. Our aim

UCARE's aim is to develop, review and update a comprehensive research strategy by bringing together the knowledge and opinions of researchers, clinicians, and allied health professionals to support research and education in urological cancer. UCARE will encourage the involvement of people with Urological cancer and carers in formulating the Research Strategy and in providing a lay perspective in priorities for funding.

3. Our vision

Finding new ways to fight cancer

4. Key areas of research and science

Urological cancers

5. How the research will be funded

We judge the applications on the scientific merit of the application: the approach, qualifications of the investigator/health professional and the relevance to the field of urological cancer.

UCARE may be able to offer immediate funding or recommend applications for future targeted fundraising.

6. Who we fund

We aim to encourage researchers and allied health professionals, from different disciplines to work together to help answer questions about Urological Cancers and to undertake research and promote education in Urological Cancers.

UCARE currently is only offering grants of up to £20,000. These small or pump-priming grants provide an opportunity for researchers, academics and clinicians to develop their research experience in addressing specific questions relevant to urological cancers. UCARE aims to fund projects that are in the early stages of development, facilitating collection of pilot data which would ideally form the basis for high quality competitive applications for further support from other funding bodies.

7. What we do not fund

UCARE is keen to support education and will fund educational bursaries to permit attendance at conferences and courses specific to urological cancers, and to allow the presentation of abstracts. However, it is recognised that certain health professionals are able to source funding from elsewhere or from departmental funds, so UCARE will focus on individuals where no other source of funding is available.

8. Where we fund research

UCARE aspires to take a leading role in the funding of research and dissemination of results that will be of benefit internationally. However during the initial growth period of the charity our aim is to fund primarily in the Oxfordshire region, with applications demonstrating a link to a host institution or research based in Oxfordshire.

In the longer term, we also hope to take on a leading role in forging further alliances and collaborations where these will help us to exploit opportunities to broaden and enhance this strategy in funding the best possible research.

9. When we began the Research Strategy and how we will review it

The strategy is owned by UCARE and helps the Scientific Advisory Committee to help the charity make decisions in line with its objectives and help to assist the Trustees to asses the impact the charity is having. The development and updating of the Research Strategy will therefore, remain a priority to UCARE.