The research grants

The research grants awarded by the Cancer Foundation will be announced on November 20, 2025.

Research Grants 2025 (FI)
Guidelines for grantees

Cancer Foundation research grants for scientists

Grants for research and scientific activities are awarded annually in spring (travel grants) and autumn (research grants and doctoral dissertation grants).

Guidelines to major grant
Guidelines to reserach grant
Electronic grant application system

Cancer Foundation Finland awards 8 million euros in grants for Finnish cancer research

Cancer Foundation Finland has again awarded a record sum, 8 million euros in total, in grants for cancer research. In addition to a major grant, the Cancer Foundation awarded several significant three-year research grants. The majority of the other grants awarded in this round are also for two years. The news will be published on November 20.

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How and with what criteria does the Cancer Foundation award research grants?

Grants for research and scientific activity are awarded annually in spring (travel grants) and autumn (research grants and dissertation grants). The grant decisions are made by the Board of the Cancer Foundation.

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Othet support for research

In addition to research grants, the Cancer Foundation also supports research in other ways.

For instance, the Cancer Foundation supports research at the Finnish Cancer Registry with some 1.2 million euros annually.

Together with the K. Albin Johansson Foundation, the Cancer Foundation provides funding for research posts of the Foundation for the Finnish Cancer Institute, such as research professorships, senior scientist posts and postdoctoral researcher posts. Every two years, the Foundation for the Finnish Cancer Institute organises, together with a university, an international symposium for cancer research. The Cancer Foundation also supports the organisation of the symposium.

Furthermore, the Cancer Foundation co-funds joint Nordic research projects financed by the Nordic Cancer Union’s (NCU) Cancer Research Fund. Finland will chair the NCU in 2021–2023, and the Secretary General of the Cancer Society of Finland will chair the NCU Board. The Cancer Society is also responsible for the activities of the NCU Scientific Committee and for other secretariat services.

The Cancer Foundation can also, at its discretion, support scientific meetings or other scientific activities related to cancer prevention organised in Finland based on individual initiatives or proposals.

Professorship in cancer epidemiology

Together with Tampere University, the Cancer Foundation funds a part-time (20%) professorship in cancer epidemiology at the Unit of Health Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences of Tampere University. The professor teaches courses and supervises doctoral dissertations in the International Doctoral Programme in Epidemiology and Public Health (IPPE). Currently, the professorship is held by Adjunct Professor (Title of Docent) Janne Pitkäniemi, Director of Statistics at the Finnish Cancer Registry. The Cancer Foundation has also supported Tampere University by covering the accommodation and living expenses of cancer epidemiologists from developing countries participating in the doctoral programme.

Online service for costs of cancer treatment

The Cancer Foundation maintains (in Finnish) an online service that provides updated information on the total costs of cancer by cancer type and region. The costs can also be examined by cost category. The service allows you to monitor cost development and compare cost levels and cost structures between regions. You can also follow the development of costs in relation to the number of new cancer cases.

The Cancer Foundation is the largest private funder of cancer research in Finland. Donations are also used to support cancer patients and their loved ones.