A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the partnership between Department of Biotechnology and Cancer Research UK for the India-UK India-UK Cancer Research Initiative was signed today in New Delhi.The India-UK Cancer Research Initiative is a collaborative 5-year bilateral research initiative by the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, India and Cancer Research UK (CRUK) that will focus on affordable approaches to cancer. Both CRUK and DBT will invest £5m each in this 5-year pilot, and seek further investment from other potential funding partners.
The India-UK Cancer Research Initiative will identify a core set of research challenges that address issues of affordability, prevention and care of cancer by bringing together leading Indian and UK experts across clinical research, demographic research, new technologies and physical sciences. The initiative will provide funding to develop new research alliances and undertake impactful research to enable significant progress against cancer outcomes.
The research phases of the India-UK Cancer Research Initiative will be overseen by a board of advisors comprising five cancer experts each from India and UK. Prof. David Hunter of the University of Oxford and Dr. CS Pramesh of the Tata Memorial Hospital will serve respectively as Chair and Co-chair of the India-UK Cancer Research Initiative’s Advisory Panel.
The India-UK Cancer Research Initiative provides an opportunity to tackle the global epidemic of cancer by opening new pathways for international knowledge exchange and research base. The research outcomes of this initiative will aid cancer prevention, control and management in the long term. The joint investment by both countries in this initiative is a testament to the emerging consensus that solutions to affordable cancer care lie in building strategic and evidence-based research partnerships that benefit the global cancer community.
