Improved Supports for Underserved Communities Award 2023 - Timely Access to Early Diagnosis

Introduction 

The Irish Cancer Society’s vision is that by 2025 three out of every four cancer patients in Ireland will survive their diagnosis and, in future, no one in Ireland will die from the disease. Timely access to cancer diagnostics is a key component of making this vision a reality.

As part of our strategic pillar to support and address unmet needs of cancer patients, the Irish Cancer Society plans to undertake research which will help identify the enablers and barriers to the timely diagnosis of cancer on both the supply (healthcare providers) side and the demand (public) side. The Improved Supports for Underserved Communities Award will provide funding of up to €100,000 for a project of up to a maximum of 12 months.

Purpose

The overarching objective of this funding call is to learn about the barriers and enablers towards timely access to diagnostics to detect cancer, relating to both patients/public and in the healthcare system. The research project will examine detection amongst the following groups of people:

- People aged 65+.

- People living with a physical disability.

- People living with an intellectual disability.

Primarily, this research will be used to help us identify new solutions and inform their development. Importantly, the evidence produced from this project will illustrate the general and unique challenges and impacts associated with access to diagnostics for the specified-groups, which need to be addressed by a range of stakeholders. Additionally, the evidence-base will help us to track progress over time, in relation to our advocacy and research work.

We will require the results of this research to be summarised in a narrative report, which can be used for influencing, campaigning and media work. The report should also provide disaggregation, where possible, outlining how people may be differently impacted based on a variety of factors, for example (but not limited to) socio-economic status, ethnicity, residence, employment status, proximity to services, location/county/region, etc.

Specifically, this research will be used to:

• build on our existing advocacy work to enhance early detection of cancer

• prioritise and develop potential lobbying and/or service solutions

• provide evidence for campaigning and media work on access to diagnostics

• provide evidence on the needs of healthcare and other professionals in relation to service provision

• inform the work of the Irish Cancer Society, right across the organisation

Please see the Guidelines for Applicants for more information

Funding

It is the intention of the Irish Cancer Society to provide funding for one grant in 2023. This will be subject to the submitted grant proposals meeting the required standard, as assessed by international peer review. Any application that does not meet this required standard will be eliminated from the application process.

The Improved Supports for Underserved Communities Award 2023 will provide funding of up to €100,000 for a project of up to a maximum 12-month duration.

Multiple interim reports may be provided over this timescale but the project must generate its conclusions no more than 12 months after signing of the award contract inclusive of any external oversight/ethical oversight etc. that might need to be applied for to complete the research.

How to apply

Applications must be completed and submitted through the Irish Cancer Society Gateway Grant Tracker online system. In order to submit an online application, you are required to register at the following address: https://grants.cancer.ie

Deadline for applications: 3.00pm, Monday 9th October 2023.

Key dates*

*Dates are subject to change, at the discretion of the Irish Cancer Society

For any queries relating to this call, please contact grants@irishcancer.ie