BASO/ROSETREES Research Grants in Cancer Surgery

In celebration of BASO~ACS's Golden Anniversary, we are delighted to establish cancer research grant in partnership with the Rosetrees Trust

SUBMISSIONS FOR 2025 ROUND OF APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED

A total of up to £50,000 per annum will be awarded. This amount would be split between one or more applicants depending on the quality of applications received. Research grants are aimed at supporting innovative research projects in surgical oncology that will develop further towards clinical translation. We particularly welcome multidisciplinary applications and ones that demonstrate an important improvement in delivery of cancer care or improvement in surgical treatment.

Successful applications will be eligible for inclusion in the NIHR portfolio and are encouraged to gain support from a Royal College of Surgeons of England Surgical Interventional Trials Unit (SITU).

[BASO~ACS is an NIHR RDN Non-Commercial Partner. This means the studies that we fund may be eligible to access the NIHR Study Support Service which is provided by the NIHR Research Delivery Network within the NHS, and the wider public health and social care enviornment, across England. Read full policy].

KEY FEATURES

Research grants are for up to £50,000 over 1 year. Priority will be given to the best-scoring project applications that are:

• feasibility studies and have not been previously funded.
• as well as those applications with matched funding in place towards directly incurred costs.
• and those applications with clearly justified costs which have been reduced to the minimum amount necessary to deliver the project, where applicable.

Current BASO/Rosetrees Research Grant award holders who have already submitted their initial report are eligible to apply for a second grant to continue the work of original grant.

The grant application should include a brief summary of the proposed research, number of patients that could benefit, how your research will address the unmet clinical needs in surgical oncology and what co-funding opportunities exists to support your project.

If you are considering applying for a research grant, please send an expression of interest to the BASO Office, with application form and other documents as listed below on this page.

FUNDING

• Staff salaries. Funding can be used to fund salaries for post-doctoral research associates, research technicians and research assistants. In special cases, we may consider funding PhD stipends. In these cases, the prospective PhD student must be embedded within a larger programme of research (e.g. a clinical trial or a programme grant) and there must be a clear case that BASO / Rosetrees support will provide additional impact.
• Data management, statistical support.
• Research consumables and other running costs directly attributable to the project.

ELIGIBILITY

The lead applicant will usually be a substantive UK consultant surgeon or a UK trainee on a rotation with guaranteed employment for the duration of the grant. We will favour principle applicants who are cancer surgeons (members of BASO), holding a PhD (or equivalent) and or a team with a track record of managing grants, delivering research studies and a strong publication record. Applications should recognise the multidisciplinary nature of cancer care and encourage Associate PIs to participate, when applicable.

EVALUATION PROCESS

Research grants will be selected for funding based on their scientific quality as determined by external review, track record of the research team and potential to deliver patient benefit.

We will prioritise applications that are feasibilty studies & have not been previously funded as well as applications that can provide some element of co-funding to the directly incurred costs. Applications should potentially benefit a cancer patient population and show that their research could have broader applicability in the future to a wider patient population. All applications will be initially checked for eligibility. An initial triage by an internal scientific panel will select the best applications that will be taken forward for external review.Triage will be based on the scientific quality, clinical need, track record of research team and potential for further developmentand clinical translation. Selected applications will then be sent for external review. The best scored applications will be shortlisted and considered by a scientific panel who will make funding recommendations. Panel feedback will also be offered to the applicants upon request.

SUBMISSIONS FOR 2025 ROUND OF APPLICATIONS IS NOW CLOSED.

1. Application Form, completed in typescript.
2. A supporting letter from your Head of Department. This letter should make clear the degree of departmental support which will be made available to you.
3. A Curriculum Vitae of two pages or less (for all Principle Applicant and Co-applicants)
4. A list of your publications.

Any queries should be directed to the Association Manager at rattandeepjhita@baso.org.uk

Winners of 2024 Round of BASO/ROSETREES Research Grants in Cancer Surgery

• Mr George Adigbli - Lymph Liquid Biopsy for Early Melanoma Risk Stratification: A Proof-of-Concept Study

• Dr Jack Helliwell - Determining the role of the microbiome in the development of anaStomotiC leak after rectal cancer surgery: a prOspectiVE obseRvational study (DISCOVERY)

• Miss Mhairi Mactier - Exploring the association between post-operative complications and oncological outcomes in breast cancer surgery

Winners of 2023 Round of BASO/ROSETREES Research Grants in Cancer Surgery

• Mr Chase Ng - Low-Cost Virtual Reality Surgical Simulator Versus Traditional Surgical Training in Training Novice Surgeons to Perform Radical Abdominal Hysterectomy for Early-Staged Cervical Cancer: A Feasibility Randomised Clinical Trial
• Miss Sarah Epton - Improving Oeosophago-Gastric Cancer Care by Identifying the Crucial Quality Indicators Necessary to Achieve Optimal Outcomes

Winners of 2022 Round of BASO/ROSETREES Research Grants in Cancer Surgery

• Miss Bhamini Wadhwana - Assessment of the fungal mycobiome and its volatile organic signature for earlier detection of oesophagogastric cancer
• Mr Jayan George - Assessing frailty and its impacts on older patients facing bowel cancer surgery