We dare to think differently.

Cancer Grand Challenges is a global research initiative that identifies the toughest challenges in cancer research. With awards of up to $34m, it empowers global, interdisciplinary teams to take them on.

Founded by Cancer Research and National Cancer Institute

Apply for a challenge

Awards of up to $34m to tackle the critical unmet need in gastroesophageal cancer. Applications close 24 November 2026.

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New teams

Five new global interdisciplinary teams each awarded up to $25m to take on five of cancer’s toughest challenges.

Explore the new teams

Apply for a challenge

Challenges currently open for applications.

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Active challenges

The challenges currently being addressed by our funded teams.

Explore our active challenges

Previous challenges

The challenges we’ve set where teams’ funding has come to an end.

Explore our concluded challenges

Unfunded challenges

The challenges we’ve set that haven't been addressed by a funded team.

Explore our unfunded challenges

Our partners

Our work wouldn’t be possible without our coalition of visionary donors and partners.

Meet our partners and donors

Investment to date $624m+

Teams funded 21

Investigators and collaborators 1800+

Countries involved 19

Location, location, location— trapping extrachromosomal DNA in micronuclei limits its power over cancer cells

Lotte Brückner takes us behind team eDyNAmiC's latest Nature Genetics publication, explaining a potential new vulnerability in extrachromosomal DNA while sharing her career journey…

13 October 2026

Mining body weight data opens a real-world window into cancer cachexia

From caring for a loved one with cancer to developing tools that predict cachexia risk, CANCAN researcher Ed Reznik is showing how something as routine as body weight data could…

12 October 2026

Cancer Grand Challenges launches targeted challenges on gastroesophageal cancer in partnership with the Torrey Coast Foundation

Cancer Grand Challenges launches targeted challenges on gastroesophageal cancer in partnership with the Torrey Coast Foundation. Applications are now open.

16 September 2026

Read all news

We dare to think differently.

Apply for a challenge

New teams

Apply for a challenge

Active challenges

Previous challenges

Unfunded challenges

Our partners

Our impact in numbers

Latest news

Location, location, location— trapping extrachromosomal DNA in micronuclei limits its power over cancer cells

Mining body weight data opens a real-world window into cancer cachexia

Cancer Grand Challenges launches targeted challenges on gastroesophageal cancer in partnership with the Torrey Coast Foundation

Our partners