Introduction

The Canadian Cancer Research Alliance (CCRA) is an alliance of organizations that collectively fund most of the cancer research conducted in Canada – research that will lead to:

  • better ways to prevent cancer
  • diagnose cancer
  • treat cancer and
  • improve patient and survivor outcomes.

Members include federal research funding programs/agencies, provincial research agencies, provincial cancer care agencies, cancer charities, and other voluntary associations. 

We are motivated by the belief that, through effective collaboration, Canadian cancer research funding organizations can maximize their collective impact on cancer control and accelerate discovery for the ultimate benefit of Canadians affected by cancer.

Our Executive Office is supported by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, an independent, not-for-profit organization funded by the federal government to accelerate action on cancer control for all Canadians. For more information on the Partnership’s role, click here.

The CCRA is not a registered charity and cannot accept donations. If you wish to donate to a charity that funds cancer research, please check our Members page.

CCRA... 

  • has been publishing reports on the annual investment in cancer research in Canada since 2007 (to access, click here)
  • also publishes research investment reports on childhood and adolescent cancers, cancer risk and prevention, early translation, survivorship, and palliative and end-of-life care (to access, click here)
  • has developed two pan-Canadian cancer research strategies, which identify key priorities for cancer research funding collaboration (to access, click here)
  • has produced specific research frameworks for prevention, survivorship, and palliative and end-of-life care, as well as a report on the state of cancer clinical trials in Canada (to access, click here)
  • CCRA’s publications have been cited in more than 50 scientific papers (for a listing of these papers, click here)
  • has convened three scientific conferences, with the fourth scheduled for November 2017 in Vancouver (for more information, click here)
  • recognizes, on a biennial basis, the accomplishments of key leaders in cancer research (for more information, click here).

New Scientific Partner of CPTP

The University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health will be the new scientific partner of Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project (CPTP), Canada’s largest-ever health research platform. The University of Toronto, working in partnership with the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, will accelerate CPTP’s research potential and provide more opportunities for made-in-Canada discoveries. The Dalla Lana School of Public Health was selected for its strong track record of world class public health and extensive experience leading large-scale studies.

Coordinated nationally through the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer and now the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, CPTP is the result of a decade of collaboration among scientific leaders across the country: BC Generations Project, Alberta’s Tomorrow Project, Ontario Health Study, Quebec’s CARTaGENE project, Atlantic PATH, and CPTP’s newest emerging cohort, the Manitoba Tomorrow Project. The new leadership team, Dr. Philip Awadalla as National Scientific Director and John McLaughlin as Executive Director, is committed to continuing the unprecedented pan-Canadian collaboration among the regional cohorts.

With health and biological information from over 300,000 Canadians aged 30 to 74, CPTP will remain a valuable international and national research tool, allowing scientists to further explore how genetics, environment, lifestyle and behaviour interact and contribute to the development of cancer and other chronic diseases. For more information, see http://www.partnershipfortomorrow.ca/. 

Cancer Research Investment in 2015

According to CCRA's latest report, $480M was invested in cancer research in 2015. The investment in operating grants accounted for a larger proportion of the investment than in previous years due to a decline in investment in equipment/infrastructure. There were significant increases from 2011 to 2015 in the investments made in research on prostate cancer, brain cancer, Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and leukemia.

To access this report, detailed tables, and a companion slide deck, click here.

*Please note that a regrettable error was made on the initial PDF and the hard copy version of the English report. The Breast Cancer Society of Canada (BCSC) was omitted from the list of member organizations on the final page of the report. The PDF has been corrected and uploaded (Jan. 29/18). BCSC is a valued member and we apologize for this omission.

Dr. Elizabeth Eisenhauer Appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada

On December 29, 2017, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, announced new appointments to the Order of Canada. Among them, is Dr. Elizabeth Eisenhauer, who is appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada. Dr. Eisenhauer is being recognized for her extensive research contributions and leadership within the field of clinical cancer care in Canada. We applaud this well-deserved recognition!

CCRC 2019: Save the Date

The fifth biennial Canadian Cancer Research Conference will be held November 2-5, 2019, at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. The Canadian Cancer Research Alliance will once again bring together the cancer research community for an agenda spanning the research spectrum. Remember to save the date in your calendars!

Subscribe to our email newsletter for more information about the conference, and to stay up-to-date on the latest developments at the Canadian Cancer Research Alliance. To subscribe, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also follow the conversation on social media using the #CCRAconf hashtag.

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Other News and Events...

Global Challenge to Prevent Breast Cancer

The Global Challenge to Prevent Breast Cancer, sponsored by the California Breast Cancer Research Program (CBCRP), is a competition designed to surface game-changing breast cancer primary prevention research ideas. By providing cash prizes, feedback from respected researchers, and the opportunity to present ideas to prominent leaders in the field, the challenge aims to cultivate breakthrough research that will help catalyze the field of breast cancer primary prevention. The most promising ideas will frame CBCRP’s future funding strategy and will be further developed in California with $15 million in grant funding from the program. 

The application window will be open from September 21, 2018 to January 7, 2019. For more information, see https://topreventbreastcancer.ideascale.com/.

BC Cancer Summit - November 23-24, 2018

The BC Cancer Summit will reflect on BC Cancer Agency's history and achievements over the past eight decades while providing an overview of the future of cancer care in BC and beyond. Featured keynote speakers will be Paul Krismer, Happiness Expert, and Dr. Lillian L. Siu, eminent clinician-researcher from the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. The summit will take place at the Sheraton Wall Centre in Vancouver. Early bird registration is available until September 28th. To register, go to www.bccancersummit.ca.