In news

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Cancer Research UK (CRUK) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a Cancer Research Initiative, “Affordable Approaches to Cancer” on 14^thNovember 2018 during the Inaugural Researcher’s Summit held from 14^th- 16^th November 2018 in New Delhi. 

Aim

To support high quality research to deliver innovative and translatable outputs that accelerate progress against cancer outcomes in both the countries, and which also have the potential to have major global impact.

Seven seed grants

Under the initiative, the core challenges have been identified and seven seed grants have been awarded.
The seven seed grants awarded are to work on affordable approaches to improve early diagnosis of symptomatic cancers

• Affordable screening tools to improve early detection of cancer;
• Risk factors to better understand regional variations in incidence, enabling new approaches to cancer prevention;
• Computational approaches that can reduce the cost of cancer care delivery;
• Affordability of effective cancer treatments;
• Affordable screening tools to improve early detection of cancer;
• Affordability of effective cancer treatments.

The investment thus far by both the countries as matching grant for supporting 7 seed grants is ₹ 1.86 Cr.

Source: PIB