• Overall impact: Will the results likely change current practice or have a clinical impact?
• Interest Across the Community: Will the results be of interest across the European Cancer Community?
• In case of a research project – Design: Are the eligibility criteria, study endpoints and planned analysis well defined in this abstract?
• In case of a research project – Scientific Relevance: Does the research address an important or novel question?
• In case of a non-research project: Are the deliverables well defined and attainable?

Decisions of the Grant Selection Committee will be taken on a majority basis after weighing all relevant factors. Detailed records of deliberations will be taken and will remain confidential. Members of the Grant Selection Committee will exercise their discretionary powers in good faith, and for the specific, intended and authorised purpose.  Feedback from the Grant Selection Committee may be requested and afforded at the discretion of the Grant Selection Committee upon written request. Incomplete applications will automatically be disqualified without further correspondence, as will applications from areas outside of the European area (as defined in the WHO region of Europe).

The winners will be notified in writing in late October. More detailed information on the Summit programme is available online. Announcements of winning applications will also be made on the Foundation’s website soon after the Summit.

The World Health Organization reported that more than 40% of physicians in Europe will be retiring within the next five years – and that was before Covid-19. The unprecedented disruptions caused by the pandemic put new, unimaginable strains on an already fragile cancer workforce, strains that continue to grow throughout Europe.

The European Cancer Organisation, its member societies and supporting community embarked on a major new initiative: a pan-European campaign launched during the European Cancer Summit 2023, ‘Time to Accelerate: for Our Workforce.’ This effort is focused on changing policies within national governments and health institutions to improve working conditions for cancer professionals.

But to address this crisis, groundwork is essential!

So, the European Cancer Community Foundation has joined the campaign introducing the European Cancer Workforce Fund. The launch took place during a high-level meeting hosted by The Lord Mayor of The City of London, Michael Mainelli, at The Mansion House in London on 4 April 2024.

The Fund will promote quality research into current conditions and best practices within the cancer workforce. Together, we need to consider initiatives that can document the full extent of the crisis, assemble more and better data, investigate impact and best practices and define improvements to policy recommendations.  By supporting initiatives that improve the daily professional lives of cancer care workers, we aim to ultimately benefit patients, their families, and the entire community.

How has the cancer workforce crisis affected patient care? Do you have ideas for initiatives that could improve the current situation? Do you want to be part of the solution? Can you collect, collate and share relevant data that could help shine light on these issues and provide possible solutions which can have a positive influence on policy recommendations at a European level?

If you’d like to address these questions, apply for the European Cancer Workforce Grants.

• Members of the Selection Committee, their spouses/partners or first-degree relatives are not eligible to apply.
• Currently serving Board members of the European Cancer Community Foundation or the European Cancer Organisation or Focused Topic Network Co-Chairs are not eligible to apply, neither are their spouses/partners or first-degree relatives.
• Should applications be received from the institutions of members of the Selection Committee, the respective Steering Committee member will declare a conflict of interest on the specific application and will not evaluate that application.
• ECO Staff members or consultants are not eligible to apply.

Applicants who are uncertain about their eligibility are encouraged to contact us for clarification and provide their latest CV for evaluation.

• Ensure time for staff training and development, involvement in research and attending scientific congresses.
• Support policies for a proper work-life balance among staff.
• Define ways in which a work environment can be encouraged to incentivise and foster positivity and growth.
• Improve bureaucratic reporting requirements, e.g. split some reporting duties between different professions involved and how this can be achieved.
• Guarantee psychological care and stress management training during all career phases.
• Streamline administrative processes to ensure healthcare professionals have more time for patient care.
• Improve working conditions of workforce for better patient care.
• Promote workforce mentorship programmes for trainees across healthcare facilities.
• Introduce/streamline technology to enable more effective use of a professional’s time.
• Demonstrate how bureaucratic procedures can be reduced without added risk or expense.
• Utilise existing measures to improve a professional’s wellbeing and job satisfaction.
• Identify existing practices that have proven effective (such as the IHI Framework for improving Joy in Work).
• Have a pilot project in mind that will practically improve the daily lives of the cancer workforce.