Brain Cancer: Research

(asked on 30th November 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the pool of experts used by the National Institute for Health Research contains those who may be classified as brain tumour experts or brain tumour patient advocates.


Answered by
Lord Bethell Portrait
Lord Bethell
This question was answered on 17th December 2020

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is helping researchers develop high-quality research proposals in this scientifically challenging area. To encourage such proposals, in April 2018 we called on the research community specifically for brain tumour research funding applications. There was an immediate increase in proposals which continue to be assessed by review panels of scientific experts and involving patients and public. We are relying on researchers to submit research proposals in this difficult area of research, with a number of research applications currently under consideration. The NIHR system uses a gold standard of peer review, essential in identifying and funding only those research proposals that are of high quality. An assessment of the success rate of applications to the NIHR on brain tumour research compared to all other areas grouped together reveals little difference.

The NIHR is also working with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission towards funding a workshop for researchers to support them in submitting higher quality research. Additionally, through the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce, the NIHR is working closely with NHS England, NHS Improvement and the National Cancer Research Institute to consider ways of increasing the number of high-quality research applications.

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