Early detection

Instructions updated 26 february 2026. 

There is now a new opportunity to apply for grants for research into early detection, both for developing new methods and refining existing ones. Please note that the call only concerns early detection of primary cancer, i.e. not early detection of metastatic or recurrent disease.

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.

To stimulate research in this field, the Swedish Cancer Society is announcing research funding for Diagnostics and Early Detection. This may include exploratory studies to develop new methods for early detection, as well as refining existing methods ahead of clinical implementation. 

The call covers two different categories of projects.

Category 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.

Category 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.

 

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.

All parts of the application must be written in English, unless it is clearly stated that a part should be written in Swedish.

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 category 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 2026–2027.

Researchers with an ongoing grant, or who are applying for a regular project grant from the Swedish Cancer Society this year, must clearly describe how the application in this special call relates to and differs from the ongoing or proposed regular project, both scientifically and in terms of budget. For example, this could involve an entirely new research question, patient group or treatment modality, or a distinct expansion of the project applied for in the regular call.

If the same, or largely overlapping, project plan is submitted to both this call and the regular project call, the application to Early Detection will be administratively rejected.   

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 up 10 million SEK per year for three to five years, to a maximum of SEK 30 million per grant.

The grant is awarded for the specific early detection project to which it relates and is not to be regarded as a framework grant. Annual reporting on the project’s progress towards the objectives set out in the application will be required and will be assessed by the Swedish Cancer Society’s Research Board. 

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.

CV

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.

Publication list

Please attach a publication list including your ten most relevant published peer-reviewed articles, as well as a complete publication list for period 2018-2026 for this application, providing full references. The list should be formatted as follows:

Author(s) (all authors, not et al.), title of the article, name of the publication, volume, page numbers, year.

Example: Smith J, Doe A, Jane A: Analysis of cancer. J Can Res., 15:100–110, 2024

The publication list should be divided into three categories:

• Peer-reviewed original publications
• Peer-reviewed review articles
• Other publications

In the publication list, the applicant’s name should be highlighted in bold.

Manuscripts

Up to three unpublished manuscripts containing original data may be attached as PDFs. Please do not attach articles that have already been published.

Other scientific merits

Other merits relevant to the application, such as invitations to give lectures, leadership roles, positions of trust, membership of scientific organisations and similar.

Project information

Here you provide all information related to your project, describe the patient perspective, and attach your research programme.

Abstract

Please provide a project abstract of no more than 1,500 characters.

Cancer relevance

Your project must demonstrate relevance to cancer in order to be considered for funding from the Swedish Cancer Society. Read more about how to describe cancer relevance in your application here: Det här kan du söka anslag inom | Cancerfonden

Patient-based project?

Here you should state whether your project is a patient-based project that uses healthcare resources. If so, it is important that the project is well anchored in the clinical setting. This must be confirmed by the signature of the responsible healthcare manager.

For multicentre studies, it is sufficient for the manager at the lead site to sign.

Please provide the current manager’s contact details. Make sure to include their personal email address, not a generic or shared inbox.

Project grant ongoing/applied

Researchers with an ongoing grant, or who are applying for a regular project grant from the Swedish Cancer Society this year, must clearly describe the differences and any overlap between your ongoing project grant (or the project grant you are currently applying for) and the project you are applying for under the Early Detection call. For example, this could involve an entirely new research question, patient group or treatment modality, or a distinct expansion of the project applied for in the regular call.

Please note that funding cannot be awarded for the same project in both calls. If the projects are considered too similar, the application to the Early Detection call will be rejected.

Category A or B

The call covers two different categories of projects.

Category 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.

Category 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.

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.

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.

Research programme

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. 
• 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.
• Risk evaluation
  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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Collaborators 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.

Implementation plan

Briefly set out your implementation plan.

Popular science description

This text may be published on www.cancerfonden.se if your grant is awarded and may be read by people who donate to the Swedish Cancer Society, people affected by cancer, relatives and others with an interest.

Please therefore write as clearly and concisely as possible. Do not include any information that could be linked to an individual.

The text must be in Swedish and no more than 650 characters per question/section.

Your text will not be edited and will be published as submitted. Please provide a title that is easy to understand.

What is the background to the project?

What is the project about? For example, describe which cancer types are being studied, what treatment is involved, whether it concerns diagnostics, epidemiology, prevention or the care of people with cancer, or whether it addresses how cancer develops.

What do you hope to achieve with your research?

Provide a brief summary of the project for readers who want a quick overview.

Statistics

To enable the Swedish Cancer Society to compile statistics on ongoing research, you must indicate the proportion of the project that relates to each research area, as well as which of the Swedish Cancer Society’s four goals for Sweden 2030 your project falls under.

Please also state whether the research involves the use of animals and/or studies in humans.

Applied amount 

The Swedish Cancer Society does not award a higher amount than that applied for, so please ensure that your budget is carefully prepared.

State the estimated costs for ongoing project-related expenses, equipment, travel and conference costs, production costs and indirect costs.

If relevant, please provide comments on the proposed budget.

Funding

Please list ongoing grants and grants applied for but not yet decided, from both the Swedish Cancer Society and other funders. State the amount per year.

Holders of grants or assignments from the tobacco industry may not simultaneously hold grants from the Swedish Cancer Society.

The Swedish Cancer Society places great importance on applications containing accurate budget information. A complete overview of all grants held by the applicant that relate to the proposed project, as well as any additional funding, is important both for assessing the feasibility of the project and for determining the need for funding.

Please note that applications with incomplete financial information risk being rejected due to insufficient supporting documentation for a decision.

Preview (and signature)

Here you can view a preview of your application and check whether any information is missing.

Signature of the application

If the application has been completed correctly, you can begin the signing process by first sending it to your Head of Department and, where applicable (for clinical projects), the responsible clinical head, and then signing it yourself. To do this, click “Request signature” at the bottom of the page. The application will then be sent to your Head of Department/clinical head, who will review and sign it digitally using BankID.

Once the Head of Department/clinical head (for clinical projects) has signed the application digitally using BankID, you as the applicant will receive an email. You must then log in to “My Pages” to sign and submit the application digitally using BankID.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: The latest date and time for submitting your application can be found at the top of this page. Please ensure you allow sufficient time for your Head of Department/clinical head to sign and for you, as the applicant, to sign and submit the application before the deadline.

Please note that if you make any changes to the application after sending it to your Head of Department/clinical head (for clinical projects) for signature, you must send a new signature request, as the application has been amended. This applies regardless of the nature of the change.

The application can be saved and amended until you click the “Request signature” button. The application cannot be signed and submitted unless all tabs in the application form are marked in green.

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