Guidelines for Preparing Research Grant Applications within eGMS: Cancer Research UK/Bupa Foundation Cancer Prevention Fellowship

1 INTRODUCTION Cancer Research UK‟s vision, „Together we will beat Cancer‟, is a statement of what the Charity aspires to, why it exists, and describes the impact the Charity would like to have on society. Cancer Research UK has four main purposes, each of which describes what we will do to achieve our vision: 

We carry out world-class research to improve our understanding of cancer and find out how to prevent, diagnose and treat different kinds of cancer;

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We ensure that our findings are used to improve the lives of all cancer patients;

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We help people to understand cancer, the progress we are making and the choices each person can make;

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We work in partnership with others to achieve the greatest impact in the global fight against cancer.

Cancer Research UK will only consider research proposals that are cancer-related and that contain a definite research aspect. The types of funding schemes and awards available from Cancer Research UK are listed on our website. Applicants are asked to consider this information in detail and to contact the office if they are unsure as to the appropriateness of their application. These guidelines are provided to help applicants prepare a grant application using our electronic grant management system, eGMS. Please ensure you complete your application in conjunction with these Guidelines and also with our “Terms and Conditions and Administrative Guidelines for Research Grants and Awards” (hereafter known as Terms and Conditions), which set out the standard Terms and Conditions and Administrative Guidelines applicable to all research grants funded by Cancer Research UK. The Terms and Conditions, related Cancer Research UK Funding Policies and other relevant documents are available on the Cancer Research UK Funding and Research website1 and should be consulted when preparing an application. 1.1 Definitions Administrative Authority Co-investigator

Host Institution Office (Financial) responsible for confirming financial details and agreeing support for the application. A researcher who will provide significant intellectual input into the research and will be responsible for the day to day running of some aspects of the work. Co-investigators must be added as a supporting role within eGMS. Collaborator A Collaborator is an individual who is named in the application and who has agreed to supply research materials, specific expertise or access to patients, but will not be involved in the day to day running of the research proposal. Collaborators must agree to participate via eGMS. Grant Award All CR-UK funding is confirmed within a Grant Award Letter Letter (GAL) (GAL). Acceptance of the grant award is subject to the Terms and Conditions and any additional terms and conditions set out in the GAL. 1

www.cancerresearchuk.org/science/

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Lead Applicant Master CV Main Supervisor Task

The Principal Investigator of the research proposal CV information which is held for the applicant in the system to be used across all applications as required. This is the person running the research group that will host your Fellowship. Individual or groups of tasks to be undertaken at each stage of the process. Tasks will have a series of dates that make them active and closed in the system automatically.

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THE CANCER RESEARCH UK/BUPA FOUNDATION CANCER PREVENTION FELLOWSHIP The Cancer Prevention Fellowship provides support for outstanding and innovative postdoctoral researchers and health care professionals who are interested in research into behavioural and lifestyle changes that can prevent people getting cancer. Applicants should be making the transition from junior postdoctoral researcher to research group leader. They will have demonstrated excellent ability in their initial postdoctoral positions, but will have not yet had sufficient experience to run a research group. This Fellowship allows the opportunity for the holder to further develop their careers and explore new avenues in translatable research into cancer prevention, whilst gaining some supervisory experience. The Fellowship aims to enhance UK capacity in the translation of behavioural research into policy and practical interventions. Fellows will be expected to:  Engage with the overall Cancer Research UK/Bupa Foundation Cancer Prevention Initiative, working alongside the Policy Research Centre, and/or involvement with the Innovation Fund scheme.  Have a clear training and development plan for the duration of the Fellowship, which demonstrates how skills and knowledge will have increased by the end of the Fellowship.  Have a clear plan as to how they will increase their collaborations and scientific networks – including outside of their immediate research field - over the course of the Fellowship. This may be through time spent working in other research groups, or remote collaboration. We expect award holders to be able to apply to undertake a Career Development Fellowship or Career Establishment Award on completion of the Fellowship. Applications are considered on the basis of the applicant's academic achievements and potential; the scientific merit, novelty and potential for translation of the research proposal; and the research environment provided by the sponsoring department. Cancer Prevention Fellowships are reviewed by the Population Research Committee and members of the CRUK/Bupa International Advisory Board once a year. Deadlines for the scheme can be found on the Cancer Research UK website2. 2.1 Contact Information Applicants are encouraged to contact Dr Lucy Davies to discuss their eligibility and suitability of their research proposal in advance of submitting an application (Tel: 020 3469 5442; Email: [email protected]) 2

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2.2 Eligibility Applicants should have at the time of submitting the application between three and five years of research experience since completing a PhD (or equivalent higher research degree) and an excellent track record in previous postdoctoral position(s). Applicants with more than five years postdoctoral research experience may still be eligible to apply and are encouraged to contact Dr Lucy Davies to discuss this. Applications are welcomed from postdoctoral researchers and health care professionals. Candidates of any nationality may apply but must intend to pursue a career in the UK. Please note that the research project must fall within the remit of the Cancer Prevention Initiative: research into behavioural and lifestyle changes that can prevent people getting cancer, for the benefit of both the wider public and for those who have already been affected by cancer. These Fellowships cannot be held in the Cancer Research UK core funded Institutes, the London Research Institute, Cambridge Research Institute, Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, Beatson Institute for Cancer Research or Gray Institute for Radiation Oncology and Biology. Most university departments are eligible locations; however, there are some locations that are not eligible, and applicants should contact the Office to ensure that their selected host institution is eligible. 2.3 Supporting Roles for your Fellowship Application For your Fellowship application you must add the following supporting roles: Main Supervisor - Your main supervisor will be the head of the group in which you plan to undertake your postdoctoral research and hold the Fellowship. They should hold a contract of employment with your host institution beyond the duration of the proposed Fellowship. They must be able to guarantee to host you for the period of the Fellowship. Two academic referees who can provide a letter of support detailing your suitability for this Fellowship. The letters must be uploaded onto eGMS by the referee themselves. In addition you may also add: Co-investigators - These people will provide significant intellectual input into the research and will be responsible for the day to day running of some aspects of the work. Collaborators - A Collaborator is an individual who is named in the application and who has agreed to supply research materials, specific expertise or access to patients, but will not be involved in the day to day running of the research proposal. Research Assistant - A Research Assistant will assist in the day to day running of the research but will not be responsible for the intellectual input into the research. Applicants must clearly outline how a research assistant will expand and add to the scope of the research proposal. 2.4 Costs The Cancer Research UK/Bupa Foundation Cancer Prevention Fellowship will provide funding for up to three years to cover the Fellow‟s salary, running expenses, equipment and a named research assistant.

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2.4.1 Eligible Costs Cancer Research UK will only pay the directly incurred costs of research. Cancer Research UK will not pay either directly allocated (including estate costs) or indirect costs on individual research awards. Awards are provided on the understanding that the host institution will meet directly allocated and indirect costs (previously referred to as overhead costs) including lighting, heating, central support staff salaries, costs of equipment maintenance (unless the equipment has been purchased by Cancer Research UK), telephones, photocopying, postage etc (except in special cases where the volume of paperwork and mailings are considerable, e.g. epidemiological or behavioural studies), use of library facilities and general laboratory and office equipment. Cancer Research UK will consider requests for a contribution to the maintenance costs of the equipment, purchased through a Cancer Research UK award. Where institutions operate a policy of access charges to equipment, Cancer Research UK will consider payment of an access charge in lieu of consideration of maintenance costs. However, having paid for the equipment, in whole or in part, Cancer Research UK will not pay for access under full economic costing. If you are in any doubt as to what might constitute a directly allocated or indirect cost, please contact Dr Lucy Davies before submitting your application. 2.4.2 Staff Costs Cancer Prevention Fellowships will provide funding for the Fellow‟s salary, plus funding for a named research assistant. No other staff costs should be included in the application. In addition to salary costs, funding is provided for the employer‟s national insurance contribution and an employer‟s pension contribution which will be no higher than the rate used by the USS or NHS scheme and may not be used to offset any prior underfunding of the pension scheme. If the grant is awarded, the amount provided to fund the post will be stated in the Grant Award Letter and this amount will include an adjustment (determined by Cancer Research UK) to provide towards cost of living and incremental rises that may occur during the first instalment. Subsequent instalments will be subject to a single fixed indexation rate for the remaining duration of the award. Please note that Cancer Research UK does not meet the cost of NHS merit awards or clinical excellence awards or any other supplement or enhancement earned in the course of providing patient care to NHS patients. This table contains guidance on how to fill in each section of the staff salaries form within eGMS. Named Person First name, Last name. CR-UK Job category Please select „Postdoctoral Researcher‟ Pay grade The grade quoted should be that at which an appointment is required e.g. SSC1. Pay scale The scale quoted should be that at which an appointment is required Scale point Enter the number of the scale point at which an appointment is required e.g. 4. Current Basic Salary The basic salary (100% FTE) at the scale point indicated should be entered. Do not enter composite salary costs, i.e. estimating expected pay awards or incremental increases. Figures should be taken from the agreed scale eGMS Guidelines - PRC Fellowship

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Date of next increment

New Basic Salary Location allowance Additional allowances

Oncosts Percentage

operating at the proposed start date if known; otherwise the most recent agreed figures should be entered. If the Fellow has an existing salary increment date e.g. from the university or previous grant support, the incremental date should be entered. Basic Salary after the increment. Enter London weighting, or other location allowances. Any additional allowances entered in the application form must be explained and fully justified in the “justification for support” section of the research proposal. Employer‟s oncosts, i.e. superannuation and National Insurance contributions. This cannot be higher than 28% and it should reflect the actual percentage applicable to the role. Please note that the employer‟s pension contribution must be no higher than the rate used by the USS or NHS schemes.

2.4.3 Running Expenses Detailed running expenses should be included in the costs section of the application form and fully justified in the research proposal. Running expenses may include contributions to the use of central facilities or charges for use of specialised equipment where these are required for the research project. Any equipment costing less than £5,000 should be listed as a running expense rather than an equipment cost. Requests for travel expenses to attend conferences should not form part of the grant application, although the cost of travel forming an integral part of the proposed study (such as travel between collaborating centres or steering group meeting expenses) can be included under „Travel related to research proposal‟. If there is an underspend on the award, this may be used to pay for costs of attendance and travel (standard class only) to conferences related to the research. Applicants will be expected to undertake policy-based secondments in the Cancer Research UK/Bupa Foundation Cancer Prevention Centre or other appropriate UK policy centre. We also encourage applicants to spend some time at other institutions or research groups, including overseas institutions, in order to learn new skills, and will provide funding to facilitate this. 2.4.4 Equipment Cancer Research UK assumes a basic level of equipment provision by the host institution and applications should be limited to items required specifically for the research proposed. A full justification for the equipment request must be included in the “Justification for support requested” section of your research proposal.  Please ensure that the „claim year‟ provided is the year that the expense item will be purchased and first used;  Any equipment that costs less than £5,000 should be included as a running expense under the running expenses section;  Please provide a description for each item in the equipment category stated. 2.4.5 NHS Support Costs for Randomised Controlled Trials If the proposed study involves patients and/or will be conducted within the confines of the NHS, it is expected that the DH/NHS will support the research by meeting associated patient care costs. Applicants have a duty to inform the relevant NHS Trust R&D office(s) of the possible NHS support implications of proposed research eGMS Guidelines - PRC Fellowship

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projects at the earliest opportunity and must indicate within the research proposal that the relevant provider(s) have been notified and provide an update on the status of such discussions within the application. 3.1 Uploads 3.1.1 The Research Proposal Word Limit Cancer Research UK/Bupa Foundation Cancer Prevention Fellowship applications should not exceed 2,500 words (excluding the reference list, figures, figure legends, timelines, research translation, justification for requested running expenses and equipment, and justification for choice of host institution). In fairness to our referees and Committee reviewers, applications that exceed this word limit will be returned to the applicant for revision. Format of the Research Proposal No forms are provided for the research proposal, which should be prepared in the format described below. Text should be single line spaced and you should use Arial point 11 in black. All pages should be numbered and the surname and initials of the applicant should be included in a header or footer. It is suggested that the proposal is organised under the headings detailed below: Purpose State briefly the objectives of the proposed research and the significance of the results that may be obtained (e.g. eventual clinical application, impact on policy and practice) and their relevance to cancer where necessary. Background Provide a succinct summary of your current and other published work relating to the purpose of the proposed new research. Detailed Research Plan The plan of the proposed study should be described with details of the experimental methods and techniques and analyses which will be used to test the proposed hypotheses. Where possible, preliminary data in support of the proposed research should be included. Reference should be made to the applicant‟s own published work where the relevant techniques or methods have been applied, or an indication of the availability of the appropriate expertise should be included. Any research findings or methodologies that have not been accepted for publication must be incorporated into the body of the text. Copies of unpublished manuscripts may not be appended. All applications must include details on the methodology and analysis to be employed in the study. If appropriate, this should also contain a description of the sample size and power calculations for the proposed study, including the outcome measures on which the power calculations have been based; the justification for the size of difference that the study is powered to detect; and whether the sample size calculation has taken into account the anticipated rates of non-compliance and loss to follow-up. For research proposals using non-standard or non-well-known measures, a full copy of each measure must be included within an appendix to the application. Copies of patient information sheets etc. must also be provided. Timescale and potential problems Please give an indication of the milestones and time-scales for the various components of the plan. Any potential logistic or scientific problems should be identified and solutions or alternative plans proposed. Please note that these details will not contribute to the stipulated word count. eGMS Guidelines - PRC Fellowship

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Research Translation Applicants must describe the translational potential of their research. Please note that this will not contribute to the stipulated word count. The research translation section should include:  A brief overview in no more than 500 words of how the proposed research will be translated.  Plans for where the applicant will undertake a translation-focused secondment (if at Cancer Research UK, applicants will need to contact the office first). Justification for support requested Applicants should fully justify each individual cost requested form as appropriate. Please note that the justification section will not contribute to the stipulated word count. Justification for choice of host institution and research group Applicants must justify their choice of host institution and research group, outlining the support that the research environment will provide and how the host institution and research group will support their career development. Please note that this section will not contribute to the stipulated word count. References Please give the citation in full, including title of paper and all authors, shortened references containing „et al‟ will not be accepted. 3.1.2 Appendices and Supporting Documents Applicants may submit appendix material in support of an application. The Population Research Committee recognises that it may be difficult for applicants to include full details of research proposals in these areas within the confines of the space limit for applications. Given this, applicants are encouraged to provide any additional supplementary information they feel is necessary (such as questionnaires, copies of informed consent sheets, and progress reports of main trials/studies), within appendices. Please be aware however, that while the office will inform reviewers and the Committee of such additions, it reserves the right not to send them out with the application. Whilst appendices may contain preliminary (unpublished) results which support the application, please note that Cancer Research UK will not forward unpublished manuscripts to referees and committee members. 3.1.3 Career Ambitions Form All applicants must complete the Career Ambitions Form, which should include details of why you are applying for the Fellowship and what your long term goals are. You should include details of why you believe you are suitable for the Fellowship, the factors influencing your choice of host institution and research topic, and what you hope to achieve as a result of this Fellowship. 3.1.4 Suggested Peer Reviewers Peer Review suggestions can be uploaded using the template on eGMS. Please nominate up to 5 reviewers and supply contact details for each reviewer. You may also nominate up to two referees to veto, which should be accompanied by a justification. 3.2 Additional information For all studies involving patients, patient tissue or patient information, the necessary approval must be obtained before the funding for the research, if awarded, can be released. It is the responsibility of the applicant and their host institution to ensure eGMS Guidelines - PRC Fellowship

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compliance with all legal requirements and ethics approval. With regards to ethical approval, Cancer Research UK accepts that research funding arrangements must generally be put in place before ethical committee approval can be sought. However, no funding will be released until written confirmation of ethical approval has been provided. Applicants are advised to take this point into consideration when determining the start date for their award. Other regulatory approval may also be required, and again written confirmation of the necessary approval(s) must be provided before funding will be released. 3.3 Feedback While Cancer Research UK always aims to provide feedback on applications, applicants are reminded that the decisions of its Committees are final. Applicants are asked to note that feedback on an application or the application process will only be provided by Cancer Research UK‟s Strategy and Research Funding Directorate. Members of Cancer Research UK Funding Committees adhere to the Code of Practice for Funding Committees, which exists to ensure the protection of applicants, committee members and external reviewers and to ensure the impartiality of the review process. Committee members cannot discuss committee decisions with applicants and applicants must not approach committee members directly. The peer review process is of the highest importance and Cancer Research UK reserves the right not to consider applications from individuals who compromise its integrity.

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4 COMPLETING YOUR APPLICATION IN eGMS To access eGMS please use the following link: https://egms.cancerresearchuk.org/. A link is also available from Cancer Research UK‟s Research and Funding website. If you currently hold a grant from Cancer Research UK you will already have an account on eGMS and may access your account as instructed below:

If you have applied to CR-UK before your Login ID will be your email address If you are new to CR-UK click here to register for an account

Enter your password or click “Forgot your password?”

4.1 Navigation through eGMS The following symbols are used throughout eGMS. The Add Icon. Click this icon as instructed in the instructional text on the top of the page. It is used to add information to your application such as multiple positions held, supporting roles, costs etc. The Edit Pen Icon. Click to edit information already entered. For example to edit costs. Ready for submission to Cancer Research UK Not yet been completed Incomplete and application cannot be submitted Further information Attention requested prior to submission Complete

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On the Review and Submit page you can check the completeness of your application. These are the icons used to denote completeness of each application section on the Review and Submit page.

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4.2 Filling in the Application Form The flow diagram below which continues on the following pages represents the flow of the application within eGMS. Work through each step of the flow diagram. Additional instruction is supplied to the right of each step. Please ensure that you inform the administrative authority of your host institution of your intention to submit a funding request. Applications are only fully submitted to Cancer Research UK once it has been approved by the administrative authority.

Click Apply for Funding on eGMS homepage

Select your chosen Committee and grant. Click Continue > OK

For more guidance on Funding Committee remit, see CR-UK Funding and Research website

Take the eligibility quiz to confirm your eligibility. Click Save > Submit >Continue

Click Complete Full Application task

Complete Proposal Outline

The Administrative Authority is the Institution that will receive the financial payments of the award if successful. The proposed start date should be within 2-6 months of the decision date.

Complete Contact Information

Complete Applicant Information

Complete CV Posts and Qualifications

If you have not yet created a Master CV, the information you enter here can be used to create your Master CV.

Complete CV Publications

Publications can be extracted from your Master CV. If you have not created a Master CV, the information you enter here can be added to your Master CV. Publications should be peer reviewed, relevant to the proposal from the last five years. They should be formatted without et al.

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Once you have submitted your application it will be sent to your Administrative Authority for review and approval. You will receive confirmation when this is complete. Cancer Research UK will then check the content of your application and progress the application to the next meeting for consideration. 4.3 Additional Assistance Using eGMS FAQs: www.cancerresearchuk.org/science/funding/apply/ Grants Helpline: 020 3469 5452 or [email protected] Terms of Use: www.cancerresearchuk.org/science/groups/cr_common/@fre/@gen/documents/gene ralcontent/egms-terms-and-conditions.pdf, this includes a link to our Privacy Policy which details how we will use your data under the Data Protection Act 1998.

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APPENDIX 1: AMRC FULL ECONOMIC COST FORM GUIDANCE Full economic costing information (applicants based in UK Higher Education lnstitutions only) As an Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) member charity we monitor the full economic costs (fECs) of the research we support. Unlike some other funding bodies, such as the research councils, AMRC member charities will not fund the fECs, or a proportion of these. The figures provided should include the standard indexation rate used by the institution to calculate fECs. Only universities which are using TRAC costing methodology should enter actual values in the form. Acceptance of a grant, if awarded, will imply that the institution is prepared to meet the full economic costs from its own sources of funding.

Monitoring the full economic costs of charity-funded research in UK HEIs Background AMRC issued updated guidance to its members and to universities regarding its position on changes to costing research applications and the move to a system of estimating fECs in 2004. AMRC member charities do not fund the indirect costs on grants awarded to UK universities as a matter of principle. The move to funding on a percentage basis by other types of funders, such as the research councils, is unlikely to be adopted by the charity sector in the foreseeable future; the reasons for this decision are set out in AMRC‟s position statement and guidance document. Following the 2004 Spending Review, the Government recognised the importance of charity funding in universities and announced that a separate stream of funding, administered by HEFCE to English universities, would be introduced from 2006/07 to provide additional support for charitable research. The allocation of the Charity Research Support Fund (CRSF) in England will be based on the amount of income from eligible charities; most AMRC member charities will be eligible for the CRSF. AMRC member charities have agreed that it would be helpful to collect information about the full costs of the research they support, in order to develop a better understanding of the charity contribution, inform future discussions about the CRSF and to assess future sustainability. Applicants and host institutions should note that the data sought is for monitoring purposes only and will not form part of the peer review or decision-making process that AMRC members use.

Elements of the new cost headings are: Directly Incurred Costs: these include the familiar direct costs of research and it is assumed these are included in the funds you are applying to Cancer Research UK for. They may include:  Staff (e.g. research assistant salaries)  Consumables and other costs directly attributable to the project  Equipment  Travel and subsistence

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Directly Allocated Costs: these are shared costs, based on estimates and do not represent actual costs on a project-by-project basis. Previously, these costs came under the „indirect costs‟ heading but the following items will now be calculated separately:  Investigators: the time spent by the Principle Investigator and CoInvestigators will be calculated and costed (Cancer Research UK is unlikely to fund these costs);  Estates: the way these are calculated may vary between institutions. Different categories of space will be costed differently, for example laboratory space will be different to office-based costs (Cancer Research UK is unlikely to fund these costs);  Other Directly Allocated: these include the costs of shared resources, such as staff and equipment (Cancer Research UK is unlikely to fund these costs). Indirect Costs: these costs are necessary for underpinning research but cannot be allocated to individual projects, and cover computing and information support, central services, general maintenance and other infrastructure costs. Indirect costs will be calculated separately by each HEI, according to TRAC methodology (Cancer Research UK is unlikely to fund these costs). For further information regarding AMRC‟s positions on funding in universities, please refer to the web page: www.amrc.org.uk/blog/what-is-the-clinical-practice-researchdatalink

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