As host to a Cancer Mission National Contact Point and the National Focal Point for EU4Health, the HRB was pivotal in helping health and social care researchers in Ireland access cancer funding by providing expert advice, guidance and support to applicants.

Over €3.2 million was awarded under the Cancer Mission alone — almost double the funding received in 2023 and the highest amount for Ireland to date. Separately, more than €1.2 million was granted through EU4Health. Key themes across the 2024 projects included strengthening cancer data and initiatives around adolescents and young people affected by cancer.

Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, in tandem with the EU Cancer Mission, is the European Commission’s response to the growing burden of cancer. Launched in 2021 with a budget of €4 billion — including €1.25 billion coming from the EU4Health Programme — it sets out an ambitious agenda to strengthen Europe’s response to cancer.

The Cancer Mission

Europe’s Cancer Mission programme aims to help more than three million people affected by cancer by 2030 through advances in understanding, prevention and early detection, treatment, and quality of life.

Ireland’s performance in the 2024 Cancer Mission call was unprecedented, securing more than €3.2 million for seven projects involving ten Irish partners. The HRB played a key supporting role in four of these.

2024 also marked the first year Ireland coordinated a Cancer Mission project, with University College Cork becoming the European leader of the Transcend-xr project to improve the lives of adolescent and young adult testicular cancer survivors through immersive, digital support.

Other 2024 project highlights included the Department of Health’s European Cancer Information Portal (EU-CIP), which strives to reduce inequalities around access to cancer care information across Europe, and Fostering Oncology Research by Charities in Europe, a pioneering project which sees cancer charities join forces to deliver a Pragmatic Clinical Trial Programme in Europe.

EU4Health

With a €4.4 billion budget, EU4Health is designed to build stronger, more resilient, and more accessible health systems across Europe. It also prioritises critical health concerns such as cancer. Ireland secured €1.2 million in funding for three cancer projects involving five Irish partners from the 2024 EU4Health calls. Projects included IMPACT-EU to improve psychosocial care for children and adolescents with cancer and YARN, supporting young people affected by cancer through peer support, social networking, and digital tools.

For a full list of funding recipients from the Cancer Mission 2024 and in the cancer area of the EU4Health 2024 call see here.