Cabinet approves MoU between India and UK on Cancer Research Initiative

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and U.K. on Cancer Research Initiative. The MoU was signed on 14th November 2018. Details: The India-UK Cancer Research Initiative will identify a core set of research challenges that address issues of affordability, prevention and care of cancer by bringing together leading Indian and UK experts across clinical research, demographic research, new technologies and physical sciences. The initiative will provide funding to develop new research alliances and undertake impactful research to enable significant progress against cancer outcomes. Funding pattern: Over 5 years, the total research funding for the Initiative shall be £10 million (approx. Rs. 90 crores). CRUK’s share for such funding shall be £5 million (approx. Rs. 45 crores). DBT shall match such funding by £5 million (approx. Rs.45 crores). The matching funds will be as per prevailing rates at the beginning of financial year. Impact: Despite the surge in technological, biomedical, clinical, and pharmaceutical innovations aimed at improving cancer outcomes, the overburdened healthcare systems across the globe remain ill equipped to meet the massive burden of escalating cancer care costs. The India-UK Cancer Research Initiative sets forth a roadmap for catalysing collaborations that align the best researchers, scientists, healthcare organizations and institutions to a multi-disciplinary research platform leading to high value, low cost outcomes for cancer care. Through this initiative the number of positions for doctoral-level, post-doctoral level researchers and early career scientists are expected to grow. They will not only be trained in cutting technology but will also be trained in essential leadership and project management skills which would help them in securing tenure-track research positions in academia or in related bio-pharma industry. Background: The India-UK Cancer Research Initiative is a collaborative 5-year bilateral research initiative by the Department of Biotechnology(DBT), Ministry of Science & Technology, India and Cancer Research UK (CRUK) that will focus on affordable approaches to cancer. Both CRUK and DBT will invest £5 million (approx. 45 crores) each in this 5-year pilot, and seek further investment from other potential funding partners. This is a follow up of the joint statement issued by the two Prime Ministers during the visit of Prime Minister of India; Shri Narendra Modi to UK on April 18, 2018, which states the following: “As thriving democracies, we share a desire to work closely together and with all who share our objective to support a rules-based international order that upholds agreed international norms, global peace and stability. Together the UK and India are a forcefor good in an uncertain world. We are sharing our experience and knowledge to tackle global challenges. India’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Cancer Research UK propose to launch a £10 million (approx. Rs. 90 crores) bilateral research initiative which will focus on low cost approaches to cancer treatment.”