Research and Treatments

Supporting Research

By investing effectively every single Euro donated to AIRC, we honor the trust placed into our Organizations by millions of people every day, and we ensure competitiveness and innovation in oncological research taking place in Italy.

In over fifty years of history, AIRC has refined the method by which the most deserving cancer research projects are selected. This merit-based, internationally recognized method, called peer review, relies on the expertise of international scientists, devoid of any conflict of interest.

The Office of the Scientific Director guarantees the utmost rigour and professionalism in the selection process for both research projects and fellowships.

816 Research projects Training programmes 127My First AIRCGrant 5Next GenClinicianScientist Grant 19Start-UpGrant 5BridgeGrant 536InvestigatorGrant (IG) 13Short-termfellowship 2Gianni Bonadonnafellowship 82Fellowship in Italy 3SouthernItaly ScholarsGrant 9International fellowship 15Special research programmes 536InvestigatorGrant (IG) 9Internationalfellowship 127My First AIRCGrant 5Next GenClinicianScientist Grant 5BridgeGrant 82Fellowshipin Italy 19Start-UpGrant 3SouthernItaly ScholarsGrant 15Special researchprogrammes 2GianniBonadonnafellowship 13 Short-termfellowship

143 million euro to fight cancer

In 2023, AIRC has funded 695 research projects and 106 fellowships, along with 15 special research programmes.

At the end of 2023, AIRC approved a total expenditure of 143,342,884.79 Euros to support cancer research. Such a sum includes, among other things, 18,450,472.80 Euros for the ‘5 per mille’ programme dedicated to the study of metastases and 823,756.61 euros to support Accelerator Awards.

What we fund

€ 5,895,000.00
FELLOWSHIPS IN ITALY

Awarded mainly to newly graduates, these training grants may help a young researcher to learn the basics of research and gain experience at a leading Italian laboratory.

€ 1,129,223.64
INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS

Awarded to young researchers who have already gained experience in a laboratory, these grants allow for a further period of training in a foreign country whose facilities are considered at the forefront of oncological research.

€ 428,406.36
GIANNI BONADONNA FELLOWSHIP

These fellowships, co-funded by AIRC and Fondazione Gianni Bonadonna, support the education of a new generation of physician-scientists.

€ 36,400.16 
SHORT-TERM FELLOWSHIPS

Our short-term fellowships support young researchers who would like to gain up to a maximum of three months’ research experience at an institution abroad, or in an Italian region other the one they come from.

€ 11,463,040.79
MY FIRST AIRC GRANT

Awarded to researchers who have already gained cancer research experience in Italy or abroad, this type of funding provides researchers with the opportunity to run their own project in a state-of-the-art Italian facility, becoming progressively autonomous and independent.

€ 3,281,616.29
START–UP GRANT

Awarded to excellent researchers who have already matured a significant scientific experience in a foreign laboratory, these grants will allow them to establish a new laboratory in Italy and manage their research activities in full autonomy.

€ 499,153.25
BRIDGE GRANT

Awarded to the most deserving researchers who are about to conclude a MFAG or a Start-Up Grant, Bridge Grants enable them to carry on their studies for one year, so that they can be more prepared to apply for a grant aimed to established researchers. 

€ 1,177,922.54
NEXT GEN CLINICIAN SCIENTIST GRANT

Next Gen Clinician Scientist Grants are awarded to young clinician researchers, enabling them to develop and run an independent clinical research project with a view to optimising clinical practice.

€ 499,731.12
SOUTHERN ITALY SCHOLARS GRANT

Southern Italy Scholars grants are awarded to independent researchers who plan to set up their own laboratory and conduct their own research at an institution in southern Italy or on the Italian islands, fostering a collaborative network with research groups in the rest of Italy or abroad.

€ 70,556,987.40
INVESTIGATOR GRANT (IG)

The Investigator Grants are aimed at established researchers and cover the cost of research and personnel in training that work on the project.

€ 18,450,472.80
‘5 PER MILLE’ SPECIAL PROGRAMMES 

The Multi Unit programmes funded with pre-tax donations last up to seven years and put the very best of Italian oncology research at work, with the aim of identifying more effective therapies and new prevention and early diagnosis methods, and to better understand metastatic disease.

€ 823,756.31
ACCELERATOR AWARD

Co-funded in partnership with Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and the Fundación Científica – Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (FC – AECC), these grants are aimed at boosting translational research projects carried out at research centres in any of the three countries.

€ 101,174.66
BEPPE DELLA PORTA AWARD AND OTHER INSTITUTIONAL GRANTS

It is awarded every two years to young researchers based in Italy who have particularly distinguished themselves for developing new therapeutic approaches to cancer.

€ 29,000,000 IFOM

IFOM is a state-of-the-art research centre devoted to studying the formation and development of tumours at the molecular level, in the perspective of a rapid transfer of scientific results from the laboratory to patient care.

Fund Assignment Speed in 2023

The following table shows the average time intervening between the allocation of funds and their actual disbursement. 

Culture of prevention
and communication