This is funding is in addition to the grant round approved in March, which gave an overall commitment to fund $922,992 worth of projects for 2019.

“Every year the Trust encourages the brightest minds in the New Zealand cancer research community to submit projects and hypothesis's that are innovative and have great potential to make a significant impact on cancer prevention, detection and treatment here in New Zealand,” Trust Director Dr Douglas Ormrod said.

"In addition, funding is allocated to aid the personal development of our cancer researchers in order to help them facilitate the kind of research that is going to help get cancer on the run."

The Trustees met in early December to approve grants recommended after an extensive review by a twelve-person Grants Assessment Committee, comprising some of New Zealand’s most respected clinical and radiation oncologists, biomedical researchers, a psychologist and a senior palliative care nursing specialist.

In addition, funding proposals are externally peer reviewed by hundreds of researchers around the world who generously donate their time to the Trust to ensure that the Committee has the best information possible in order to make a decision.

The grants awarded to Kiwi researchers across the country, in order to support exciting New Zealand-based initiatives across the full spectrum of cancers and will help speed up discoveries in prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment and end of life care

Cancer Research Trust NZ Executive Director Dr Douglas Ormrod emphasised the importance of the community’s support to these projects.

“Thanks to the generosity of our many supporters from around New Zealand we can award high-impact grants that allow New Zealand’s best minds in cancer to embark on innovative research projects that will help us get cancer on the run. These cancer research initiatives fall across the full spectrum of cancer and act as a catalyst to speed up game-changing discoveries.”

The grants bestowed to Kiwi researchers across the country, with seven awarded in Dunedin, five in Auckland, as well as grants in Christchurch, Palmerston North, and Wellington.

Cancer Research Trust, one of the largest cancer research charitable trusts in New Zealand, has funded over $17 million in research and professional development projects since 2002 with every cent of every dollar donated applied to the work of the Trust.

The grant rounds are generally heavily over-subscribed and have attracted some of the brightest minds in cancer research anywhere in the world who have used the funding to get out of the starting blocks and on to bigger things. This year saw 57 applications for funding submitted.