Early detection

Instructions updated on March 12th 2025

Guidelines – generative AI

When you apply for research grants at the Swedish Cancer Society you can use generative AI-tools or other tools when you write your application. You don’t have to state that you have done so.

Regardless of if you write the application yourself or with the help of an AI-tool the same rules apply:

• It is your responsibility that everything in the application is correct.
• It is your responsibility that everything has been filled in in accordance to our application process.
• You have to follow good research practices. It is forbidden to plagiarize, forge or fabricate the content of your application.

When you sign and send in your application you certify that you have followed the above.

Application

Purpose

The Swedish Cancer Society supports research whose aims align with the our vision: that fewer people should be affected by cancer, a third of all cancer should be detected at an earlier stage, more people should be cured, and those who cannot be cured should be able to live long and high-quality lives.

Detecting cancer using new diagnostic tools at a significantly earlier phase increases chances of survival. The aim of the Swedish Cancer Society is for a third of all cancers to be found at an earlier stage by 2030.

Today, routine early detection diagnostics and screening are carried out across large groups of the population to look for precursors of breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer and bowel cancer. This saves hundreds of lives every year.

Rapid progress is being made, and there are great hopes that we will also develop tools to detect more forms of cancer at an earlier stage, such as lung cancer, pancreatic cancer and ovarian cancer. This will require new analyses of biological samples, imaging methods and other diagnostic tools, plus more advanced processing of patient data with potential for more personalised diagnosis focusing on the health of the individual.

The Swedish Cancer Society is opening a call for proposals for research funding for Diagnosis and early detection to stimulate research in this focus area.

The call covers two different categories.

It may cover both exploratory studies to develop new early detection methods and refining existing methods ahead of clinical implementation. 

A) Applications focusing on developing new methods for early cancer detection, which can include new analyses of biological samples, imaging methods and other diagnostic tools, and more advanced processing of patient data in cases of suspected cancer, e.g. via AI/machine learning.

The purpose of these research projects should be to identify cancer using new diagnostic tools at a significantly earlier phase, with the potential for more individualised diagnosis, and likely clinical relevance.

This can also include methods being produced in preclinical models but which have potential and a clear plan for transition to clinical application. The call does not cover prognostic or predictive biomarkers.

B) Applications seeking to validate a new early detection method where proof-of-concept data/studies already exist but where confirmatory studies are needed to achieve high evidence prior to clinical application or product creation.

In such applications, the key factor need not be that the researcher has produced what is to be tested themselves (although this may be the case), but perhaps that the applicant has a cohort where evidence of high scientific quality can be created (RCT, prospective testing in a clinic or similar), which can form a basis for introduction in a clinic and/or creation of a product that can then be used in a clinic.

The method should be at least at technology readiness level 4, where observation is supported by experimental proof of concept and is ready to be tested in the relevant clinical environment.

Eligibility

The application must be made by an individual researcher (principal investigator, PI). The applicant must be an experienced research leader, have been awarded their doctorate no later than 31 December 2021, and be able to demonstrate documented independence and competence in leading scientific projects.

For applicants in group B, the Research Committee will especially take into account whether the applicant has the relevant clinical network for future implementation of the research results.

In order to apply for and receive grants, the applicant must be employed at a Swedish educational establishment or healthcare institution with a salary corresponding to at least 20 % of full-time employment. This employment must already have started at the time of application.

If you are only employed by a healthcare institution, you will need to be affiliated to a Swedish University, and this must be approved by the signature of the head of department on the application.

If the research is to be conducted in a clinical setting, the approval of the healthcare institution is also needed, for example, from the head of the centre.

Applicants who have retired from a Swedish university are not subject to the 20 % employment requirement, but affiliation with a Swedish higher education institution must be confirmed by the Head of Department signing the application.

This call is open both to researchers who have not previously been supported by the Swedish Cancer Society, and to those who hold a regular Swedish Cancer Society project grant and plan to submit an application for a continuation grant during the period 2025–2027.

Researchers with ongoing grants must clearly describe how the application in this special call relates to and potentially overlaps with the ongoing or requested regular project, in terms of both science and budget. The research program must then include a section that describes how this special grant application differs from the research program in the regular application round (for example completely new question/patient group/treatment modality, or distinct expansion of the project applied for in the regular application round).

Period and size of grant

The grant period is 1 January – 31 December. The project can be granted for three to five years. The period of performance is the grant period plus a further 12 months.

Applications can be made for grants of amounts of SEK 2–10 million for three to five years, to a maximum of SEK 30 million per grant.

Project grants are awarded as framework grants for personnel and operating costs.

The grant may be used as a grant for scholarships, doctoral positions, etc., according to local regulations at each institution. Please note that the grant may not be used for the applicant's own salary or for the salary of a permanently employed senior lecturer or professor.

All amounts in the application must be stated in SEK, i.e. not abbreviated to thousands.

The Swedish Cancer Society approves deductions for indirect costs up to a maximum of 15.25% of the grant.

Merits

In this tab you need to fill in your CV and attach a list of publications and other merits. You can add CV details under "My Profile" in your account and easily transfer them to your application. The advantage of saving the details in your profile is that they are retained and can be reused for future applications to the Swedish Cancer Society.

You also have the option to enter CV details directly in the application. However, please note that these details will not be saved under "My Profile" and therefore cannot be reused for future applications.

All attachments must be attached as PDF.

Basis for assessment

Applications will be assessed on the basis of scientific quality, innovation and originality, the applicant's merits, the feasibility of the study and the significance for cancer patients.

The research program must be written in English and may comprise a maximum of ten pages including references (12 pt, single-line spacing, 2.5 cm margin).

The following is the recommended outline for the research program:

• Specific objectives
  A brief account of the aim and specific goals of the proposed research work. Clarifies the main question and how the results can promote the early detection of cancer.
• Background
  The summary must reflect the current state of clinical knowledge and diagnostic practice for the field of research, identified knowledge gaps, and needs for improvement in current diagnostic practice. Summarize your own and others' results in the research area. It must show how the planned study builds on existing knowledge and research to promote early detection of cancer. If the applied for project is closely linked to a project already supported by the Swedish Cancer Society, the project description must state in what way the project scientifically overlaps with, or is an extension of, the already funded project.
• Work plan and preliminary results
  Detailed description of hypotheses and planned work. Describe the design for each substudy/question and justify why the proposed research design is the most appropriate to answer the question. The plan of work should also include a description of methodology, stating the composition of the patient groups, inclusion and exclusion criteria, etc.
  Primary and secondary outcome measures should be specified where applicable. Translational elements of the project should be described and justified such that it is clear in what way they strengthen the project and the specific focus of the call.
  Describe the basic equipment that you and your group have at your disposal for the project. Any preliminary results are of great importance. State clearly how the researchers/research groups participating in the project will work together to achieve the desired result and how the management of the project will be organized. The research program must contain a timetable with milestones.
• Significance
  A brief account of the expected significance of earlier detection in terms of the treatment of cancer patients. Indicate how the project can contribute to the development of collaboration between disciplines, groups and/or researchers that can lead to cross-fertilization between different therapeutic areas.
• Literature references
  Author, title of work, publication name, volume, page and year of publication. Include only the absolutely essential references.

If there is a study protocol, this should also be appended to the application but does not replace the research programme.

Patient perspective

Many of the projects supported by the Swedish Cancer Society either take advantage of patients' experiences, or lead to knowledge that can affect patients.

If your project belongs to this category, you need to indicate whether the patient perspective has been taken into account and, if so, in which way.

There is a specifically designated box for such description in the application process, under the heading “patient perspective”.

Examples can be that patients have been involved in the planning of a clinical study, that there has been a discussion with patients in the development of the research program, that the research project is based on patient contacts, or that the project has otherwise considered the family/patient perspective in its design.

If you consider that the patient perspective is not relevant to your project or the development of your research program, you should justify this in the designated box as well.

Collaborator and research group structure

When applying for a grant under specific early detection funding, a description of key competent people in the project and relevant partners is compulsory.

The purpose of this description, which must include name, affiliation, expertise and role within the project, is to provide an overview of all participants in the project and their skills and special areas of responsibility.

In the case of large multicenter studies, the names of all participants do not need to be entered, but which centers and which key persons are participating should be described.

Note that the call is aimed at treatment studies that are carried out in Sweden.

However, Swedish participation in international studies can also be considered. Where the study is conducted within the remit of or supported by a national planning group in the field of cancer, or a national care programme group, this should be stated in the application.

If applicants have close relationships with companies that are crucial to this application, information about this should be clearly provided in the application. It is acceptable for companies to sponsor research, in the form of medicines and similar. However, the study must not be initiated by a company and must be academic in origin.

Ethical approval, ethical considerations, biobank approval, approval by the Swedish Medical Products Agency, and the like

Here the applicant must state whether the project has received ethical approval, or whether such an application has been submitted. If not, the plan for applying for ethical approval must be described.

Where applicable, the same information must also be stated for biobanks authorization, as well as authorization from the Swedish Medical Products Agency, the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority, etc. Briefly explain which ethical considerations may come into question.

Risk management

Describe any risks to the feasibility of the project or other potential obstacles, e.g. permits, recruitment of patients or other matters that may affect the project. Describe a plan to manage these risks.

Data management plan

Briefly describe how you will manage data and how this has been agreed or will be agreed with the entity responsible for research.

Implementation plan

Briefly set out your implementation plan.

Do you have questions?

You are very welcome to contact us if you have any questions. You can reach us via email at forskning@cancerfonden.se