Irish Cancer Society launches research call on the role of prehabilitation and/or rehabilitation in cancer care
The Irish Cancer Society, as part of the MRCG/HRB Joint Funding scheme 2018, has today launched a new research award focused on the role of prehabilitation and/or rehabilitation in cancer care.
There is a growing body of scientific evidence that supports prehabilitation (therapeutic intervention which occurs between the time of cancer diagnosis and the beginning of acute treatment) and rehabilitation (therapeutic intervention both during and after treatment) in the optimization of physical fitness, treatment tolerance, recovery, and survival in cancer patients.
More research is urgently needed to evaluate the most effective prehabilitation and rehabilitation interventions, and combinations thereof, for people living with and beyond cancer. However, these areas of cancer care are currently under funded in the Irish context.
In an effort to build capacity in this area, the Irish Cancer Society, as part of the MRCG/HRB Joint Funding scheme 2018, is inviting applications to support inter-disciplinary and/or inter-institutional research into the role of prehabilitation and/or rehabilitation in cancer care.
Speaking about the new research call, Dr. Robert O’Connor, Head of Research with the Irish Cancer Society said:
“The purpose of this grant call is to support excellent collaborative research into the role of prehabilitation and/or rehabilitation in cancer care.
“We anticipate a focus in the areas of lifestyle, diet and exercise interventions to improve outcome and overall survival for those living with and beyond cancer.
“Applications are sought from clinicians, allied health care professionals and scientists already established in the field of prehabilitation and/or rehabilitation research. Research fields include, but are not limited to, biological research, 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, physiotherapists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, nurses, pharmacists and psychologists.
“The research programme outlined in response to this grant call should be of a high calibre and provide robust data as to the efficacy of the approaches being evaluated. Applications are invited for research proposals that are inter-disciplinary and/or inter-institutional. They should consider, adapt, evaluate and implement effective strategies that will provide long-term benefit for cancer care in the Irish healthcare system.”
The MRCG/HRB Joint Funding scheme 2018 provides funding for clearly defined research projects in disease areas of strategic relevance to each individual charity. MRCG/HRB awards are up to a maximum total award value of €285,000 for projects from 12 up to 36 months.
All applications must be submitted by email to research@irishcancer.ie by Tuesday, 9 January 2018, 15:00 GMT.
About the MRCG/HRB scheme
The Irish Cancer Society is a member of the Medical Research Charities Group (MRCG), which was founded in 1998 with the aim of supporting charities in Ireland to increase both the quality and quantity of healthcare research carried out in Ireland. The MRCG represents the joint interests of charities specialising in restoring health through medical research, diagnosis and treatment and, where possible, the prevention of disease. Since 2006, the work of the MRCG has been supported by the Department of Health through annual funding to the Health Research Board (HRB) for the co-funding of research projects with medical research charities. The HRB is the leading agency in Ireland supporting research linked to health and social care. Together the two organisations operate an innovative joint funding scheme that allows MRCG members to support research of particular interest to specific patient populations, where they might otherwise not be in a position to finance the full cost of that research.
For full eligibility criteria and details on how to apply click here.
