Irish Cancer Society and All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC) Launch Research Call on Palliative Care for People with Cancer
The Irish Cancer Society and the All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC) have launched a new research award focused on palliative care for people with cancer.
The call is in direct response to the rising numbers of cancer incidence in Ireland, the resulting physical, social and psychological effects on people living with cancer, and the need for more research in the area of palliative care.
By combining their expertise, both organisations hope to identify research that will have real and meaningful impact on palliative care for people living with cancer.
Speaking about the new research call, Dr. Robert O’Connor, Head of Research with the Irish Cancer Society said, “We know that cancer numbers are on the rise. In fact, it is estimated that the number of new cases will rise above 40,000 this year. This means there will be an increased need for support for people living with cancer, including in the area of palliative care. While we have a fantastic wealth of information and services, there is a need for more research in the area and that is why the Society and the AIIHPC put together this new research call.
“The aim of this research is to dig a little deeper and really understand the complex needs that people who require palliative care have, physically, socially and psychologically. By focusing on this area, we would hope that it would mean a better understanding of the issues and ultimately a more positive experience for people who need palliative care.”
Karen Charnley, Head of Institute with the AIIHPC, said, “Given that the number of people living with cancer is expected to rise, we welcome this opportunity to work closely with the Irish Cancer Society to support palliative care research. This will be an important contribution to delivering AIIHPC’s Palliative Care Research Network’s Five Year Strategic Plan (2017-2022), which brings a focus to enhancing palliative care knowledge and improving the quality of life of people with life limiting conditions, whatever their illness.”
Applications for the research grant are sought from clinicians, other health care professionals and scientists coming from a field relevant to palliative care of people living with cancer. Research fields can include, but are not limited to: biological research, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, diet and nutrition, exercise, medical oncology and psycho-oncology.
It is open to research professions including, but not limited to, research scientists, medical doctors, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, nurses, pharmacists, pastoral care workers, social workers, physiotherapists and psychologists.
The research proposals should aim to:
- Improve the quality of care for people with life limiting cancer
- Provide research evidence to inform policy and improve practice
- Enhance clinical and research competence in palliative care for people living with cancer
- Build research capability and capacity in palliative care for people living with cancer
Eligible applicants must:
- Hold a PhD or higher level clinical qualification e.g. MB, MD, MCh, PhD, MD-PhD or equivalent*
- Have a record of research experience
- Show evidence of peer reviewed outputs
- Have a Mentor/External advisor who is currently active in the research field.
- The Mentor/External advisor must have a minimum of 5 years post-doctoral experience.
- The applicant must provide strong letters of support from their Mentor/External advisor and their host Institution.
A total of two awards will be made to successful applicants and each award is up to €31,400 in total for a maximum of 2 years. Applications must be submitted through the Irish Cancer Society Gateway Grant Tracker online system at https://grants.cancer.ie. The deadline for receipt of submissions is 3pm on Tuesday 14 November 2017.
