How is cancer research supported by the EU?
Health is one of the priority areas of the European Commission’s funding programme for research, the ‘Framework Programme’. Within this framework, cancer research has been specifically and significantly supported. In the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6, 2002-2006), the ‘Combating Cancer’ initiative resulted in the allocation of approximately €480 million to 108 transnational cancer research projects all over Europe. And already €265 million have been devoted to cancer research in the current Seventh Framework Programme (FP7, 2007-2013), supporting 65 projects and over 700 research groups. Approximately one third of this budget was spent on large transnational projects addressing complex issues which require a combination of resources and capacities. A further €100 million is expected to be awarded for cancer research through a new call for proposals that will be published in July 2009. It is also planned that additional calls for proposals addressing cancer research will be published in
