Periodic Reporting for period 1 - TRANSCAN-3 (ERA-NET: Sustained collaboration of national and regional programmes in cancer research)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2021-03-01 al 2022-08-31
Despite continuous and significant advances in the understanding, prevention, diagnostics and treatment, cancer remains a worldwide health burden and a major public health challenge.
Translational cancer research plays a key role in understanding the complex aspects of the disease(s) and addressing answers to reduce incidence and mortality of malignancies and to improve the quality of life of cancer patients.
The great potential of translational cancer research in Europe and beyond will only be achieved with a coordinated effort between public and private organisations that provide funds for research, researchers, healthcare providers and all those engaged in the cancer research spectrum.
In this context, the TRANSCAN-3 network, with a strong background in funding cancer research, embodies an
excellent model of cross-national cooperation by bringing together 31 funding organisations, from 20 countries,
with the common goal of supporting high-impact translational cancer research through cross-national joint calls for proposals, and by an efficient investment of dedicated national/regional public funding, leveraged with foundation/charity-based resources and EU financial support.
Most of the partners were participants in the previous TRANSCAN and TRANSCAN-2 projects, therefore the network had already established a model of transnational cooperation encouraging high quality research through competitive funding, as exemplified by the successful implementation of 7 joint transnational calls in the past years.
Building up on the well-established cooperation and accomplishments, through an efficient use of dedicated national resources and the harmonisation of national/regional funding mechanisms and programmes TRANSCAN-3 aims at becoming a catalysts for a sustainable model of funding of high-impact cancer research in Europe and beyond, with an approach to effectively engage relevant stakeholders (patients, society as a whole, policy makers, etc.) in different stages of the action.
The main objectives of TRANSCAN-3 are:
• To launch and implement, in the first year of the project, an EU co-funded call for proposals on translational cancer research with a wide-ranging participation of public and private funders from countries and regions across Europe and beyond
• To launch at least three additional joint calls, without EU co-funding, on the second, third and fourth year of the project
• to improve collaboration between research funders in order to identify critical funding gaps to support research projects with potential to deliver better outcomes that can make significant difference to cancer incidence, mortality and quality of life of cancer patients
• To implement connected activities which are related to the follow-up of funded research projects, their regular monitoring and dissemination of their results
• To set-up and guarantee a communication strategy, addressed to all societal stakeholders
• To implement strategies on identifying research and innovation priorities, on interacting with relevant European and global stakeholders, on sustainability of the network and on strengthening the involvement of patients and the support for early-career scientists.
Translational cancer research plays a key role in understanding the complex aspects of the disease(s) and addressing answers to reduce incidence and mortality of malignancies and to improve the quality of life of cancer patients.
The great potential of translational cancer research in Europe and beyond will only be achieved with a coordinated effort between public and private organisations that provide funds for research, researchers, healthcare providers and all those engaged in the cancer research spectrum.
In this context, the TRANSCAN-3 network, with a strong background in funding cancer research, embodies an
excellent model of cross-national cooperation by bringing together 31 funding organisations, from 20 countries,
with the common goal of supporting high-impact translational cancer research through cross-national joint calls for proposals, and by an efficient investment of dedicated national/regional public funding, leveraged with foundation/charity-based resources and EU financial support.
Most of the partners were participants in the previous TRANSCAN and TRANSCAN-2 projects, therefore the network had already established a model of transnational cooperation encouraging high quality research through competitive funding, as exemplified by the successful implementation of 7 joint transnational calls in the past years.
Building up on the well-established cooperation and accomplishments, through an efficient use of dedicated national resources and the harmonisation of national/regional funding mechanisms and programmes TRANSCAN-3 aims at becoming a catalysts for a sustainable model of funding of high-impact cancer research in Europe and beyond, with an approach to effectively engage relevant stakeholders (patients, society as a whole, policy makers, etc.) in different stages of the action.
The main objectives of TRANSCAN-3 are:
• To launch and implement, in the first year of the project, an EU co-funded call for proposals on translational cancer research with a wide-ranging participation of public and private funders from countries and regions across Europe and beyond
• To launch at least three additional joint calls, without EU co-funding, on the second, third and fourth year of the project
• to improve collaboration between research funders in order to identify critical funding gaps to support research projects with potential to deliver better outcomes that can make significant difference to cancer incidence, mortality and quality of life of cancer patients
• To implement connected activities which are related to the follow-up of funded research projects, their regular monitoring and dissemination of their results
• To set-up and guarantee a communication strategy, addressed to all societal stakeholders
• To implement strategies on identifying research and innovation priorities, on interacting with relevant European and global stakeholders, on sustainability of the network and on strengthening the involvement of patients and the support for early-career scientists.
In the first 18 months of activity the main objective of the project was the launch and management of the EC co-funded call on: “Next generation cancer immunotherapy: targeting the tumour microenvironment”, the Joint Transnational Call (JTC 2021) which was supported by 28 funding organisations and was launched on April 6th, 2021. Ultimately, 20 excellent transnational projects involving 107 research groups from 15 countries, were selected for funding with a total budget of 25.9 M€, including EU co-funding. In parallel, a second call, JTC 2022 on: “Novel translational approaches to tackle the challenges of hard-to-treat cancers from early diagnosis to therapy” was launched on May 23rd, 2022. The funding organisations participating in the call are 24, with an earmarked budget of about 18.6 M€.
A Scientific Advisory Board composed of 11 scientist with various expertise in the fields of translational cancer research was established. They follow the progress of the project with particular regards to the scientific aspects and contribute to the definition of the content of the JTCs to be implemented.
The scientific projects funded are monitored to check their progress and to assess their results and impacts. For the moment the monitoring is ongoing for the projects funded in the previous calls of TRANSCAN and TRANSCAN-2, because the TRANSCAN-3 projects co-funded under JTC 2021 have not yet started.
A strategy on interaction with European actors involved in the fight against cancer and with relevant scientific stakeholders to identify new emerging needs in cancer research is shaped, it aims also to provide the network with updated information for the identification of scientific priority topics which is essential for the calls to be launched under TRANSCAN-3.
Several communication and dissemination activities have been already implemented based on the elaborated strategy and on the editorial plan: the project has a visual identity, a website (transcan.eu) and accounts on social media (Twitter and LinkedIn). Newsletters have been regularly published with 3 issues in the reporting period.
Activities dedicated to early career researchers to be implemented in the next months have been agreed upon, they will be: training and networking events, invitee to symposia, competitions.
A Scientific Advisory Board composed of 11 scientist with various expertise in the fields of translational cancer research was established. They follow the progress of the project with particular regards to the scientific aspects and contribute to the definition of the content of the JTCs to be implemented.
The scientific projects funded are monitored to check their progress and to assess their results and impacts. For the moment the monitoring is ongoing for the projects funded in the previous calls of TRANSCAN and TRANSCAN-2, because the TRANSCAN-3 projects co-funded under JTC 2021 have not yet started.
A strategy on interaction with European actors involved in the fight against cancer and with relevant scientific stakeholders to identify new emerging needs in cancer research is shaped, it aims also to provide the network with updated information for the identification of scientific priority topics which is essential for the calls to be launched under TRANSCAN-3.
Several communication and dissemination activities have been already implemented based on the elaborated strategy and on the editorial plan: the project has a visual identity, a website (transcan.eu) and accounts on social media (Twitter and LinkedIn). Newsletters have been regularly published with 3 issues in the reporting period.
Activities dedicated to early career researchers to be implemented in the next months have been agreed upon, they will be: training and networking events, invitee to symposia, competitions.
This network is highly motivated to strengthen the current project activities, with particular regard to the implementation of the two planned additional JTCs through the harmonisation of regional, national and joint European cancer research funding programmes by pooling resources and boosting transnational cooperation of research groups.
As for this first reporting period, the coordinated effort of participant funding organisations to align their funding programmes, agree on procedures and ensure financial commitment, together with the co-funding from the EC, has allowed the funding of 20 outstanding research projects by the access to a larger pool of resources.
The project will thus continue to support excellent translational cancer research in a coordinated action, through competition for funds and high quality peer review evaluation.
Dissemination of the results of funded projects, exchange of information and networking will be ensured by the four scientific symposia planned over the next years, different target groups will be reached through the website, newsletters, social media and publications.
In translational cancer research the integration of basic, epidemiological and clinical approaches could provide a critical scientific mass for the implementation of interventions in prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care of cancer. This is a fast-moving research area and a more efficient linking of scientists, obtained by breaking the barriers to multi-disciplinary collaboration and team building, will increase its impact. As a general result, increasing the attractiveness of Europe for the biomedical and biotechnology industry focused on the development of anti-cancer interventions is also envisaged.
The partner network is committed to building on the experience gained and lessons learned since 2011 during TRANSCAN programmes by working toward a strategic framework program for translational cancer research.
As for this first reporting period, the coordinated effort of participant funding organisations to align their funding programmes, agree on procedures and ensure financial commitment, together with the co-funding from the EC, has allowed the funding of 20 outstanding research projects by the access to a larger pool of resources.
The project will thus continue to support excellent translational cancer research in a coordinated action, through competition for funds and high quality peer review evaluation.
Dissemination of the results of funded projects, exchange of information and networking will be ensured by the four scientific symposia planned over the next years, different target groups will be reached through the website, newsletters, social media and publications.
In translational cancer research the integration of basic, epidemiological and clinical approaches could provide a critical scientific mass for the implementation of interventions in prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care of cancer. This is a fast-moving research area and a more efficient linking of scientists, obtained by breaking the barriers to multi-disciplinary collaboration and team building, will increase its impact. As a general result, increasing the attractiveness of Europe for the biomedical and biotechnology industry focused on the development of anti-cancer interventions is also envisaged.
The partner network is committed to building on the experience gained and lessons learned since 2011 during TRANSCAN programmes by working toward a strategic framework program for translational cancer research.