Please note the call for applications is now CLOSED for Phase I - Think Tank.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation of Australia (NBCF) announced a new funding opportunity for breast cancer research in Australia beginning in 2007. The NBCF believes we need to be responsive to breast cancer research progress and opportunities nationally and internationally and maximise our use of limited resources. Hence, the National Collaborative Breast Cancer Research Grant Program is designed to foster wide collaboration between groups of investigators and pooling of knowledge, expertise and resources to enable larger scale or accelerated research programs into the prevention, causes, treatment or management of breast cancer. 

In order to facilitate high-quality integrated proposals, the program development and application process will be conducted in two phases.

Phase 1 - open for submission: closing date 25 June 2010
The first step in the process will involve funding of think-tanks to bring together groups of investigators, recognised experts in their respective fields, with complementary abilities to formulate convincing plans for specific, collaborative projects, to allocate research roles and tasks, and to identify necessary resources. As an example, an interdisciplinary group with a focus on imaging could include radiologists, physicists with imaging expertise, cell biologists, clinicians, and computer engineering and programming experts.

Applications are invited from collaborative groups of interdisciplinary investigators, to convene a workshop with the scope to further develop a significant larger-scale and/or cutting-edge national research program. The NBCF’s expectation is that a group would consist of 3 – 6 investigators.

Applications are invited from the entire continuum of breast cancer research, from basic science to prevention, treatment and care, insofar as the proposed collaborations have the potential to develop a program to help prevent breast cancer, improve survival and/or enhance quality of life.

The NBCF also has an interest in fostering research to address women’s concerns about lymphoedema and traditional, complementary and alternative medicine.

The basis for submitting a proposal for a Phase 1 think-tank is to facilitate development of strategic research partnerships and the research program and to encourage identification of critical infrastructure and external financial support for competitive applications to be submitted in Phase 2.

Phase 2 - not offered this year.
Following the think-tanks, detailed research proposals are to be submitted to the NBCF for consideration for program funding. It is not necessary to have received funding for Phase 1 to apply for funding at Phase 2.

The NBCF will not support any individual researcher, research group or institution that accepts funds from tobacco companies or persons associated with the tobacco industry.