Gender-specific UK cancer research funding by cancer site, disease theme, phase of research and development pipeline and by funding organisation
| Male PIs | Female PIs | Fold difference | |||||||||
| Award number | Sum investment, £ | Mean award (SD); £ | Median award (IQR); £ | Award number | Sum investment, £ | Mean award (SD); £ | Median award (IQR); £ | Sum investment | Mean award | Median award | |
| All | 2890 | 1 821 637 149 | 630 324 (1 662 559) | 252 647 (127 343–553 560) | 1296 | 511 570 050 | 394 730 (666 574) | 198 485 (99 317–382 650) | 3.6 | 1.6 | 1.3*** |
| Cancer site | |||||||||||
| Head and neck | 16 | 17 490 769 | 1 093 173 (1 046 928) | 637 418 (260 926–2 242 703) | 4 | 759 863 | 189 965 (148 630) | 183 250 (61 937–317 994) | 23.0 | 5.8 | 3.5 |
| Cervical | 15 | 12 678 187 | 845 212 (1 070 241) | 353 754 (94 896–1 574 367) | 10 | 1 281 813 | 128 181 (96 538) | 123 623 (30 732–206 392) | 9.9 | 6.6 | 2.9** |
| Prostate | 71 | 125 769 548 | 1 771 402 (6 980 741) | 377 700 (190 072–893 840) | 18 | 9 090 234 | 505 013 (740 863) | 188 950 (103 103–360 595) | 13.8 | 3.5 | 2.0 |
| Colorectal | 93 | 57 301 015 | 616 139 (750 261) | 287 749 (112 437–893 840) | 46 | 18 296 468 | 397 749 (522 529) | 176 320 (73 736–404 692) | 3.1 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| Breast | 325 | 82 761 091 | 254 649 (420 671) | 166 321 (53 832–212 298) | 235 | 52 971 924 | 225 412 (414 352) | 122 721 (22 583–220 325) | 1.6 | 1.1 | 1.4 |
| Upper gastrointestinal and oesophageal | 23 | 12 946 692 | 562 900 (650 867) | 274 268 (103 500–9 18 058) | 13 | 8 736 139 | 672 011 (1 659 329) | 190 546 (75 424–240 704) | 1.5 | 0.8 | 1.4 |
| Lung | 42 | 17 589 619 | 418 800 (740 402) | 159 766 (88 544–284 718) | 35 | 5 712 151 | 163 204 (192 192) | 127 698 (57 173–174 667) | 3.1 | 2.6 | 1.3 |
| Ovarian | 21 | 36 259 818 | 1 812 991 (5 165 397) | 266 344 (147 327–1 214 534) | 25 | 7 974 217 | 318 968 (372 325) | 224 595 (119 951–276 184) | 4.5 | 5.7 | 1.2 |
| Brain | 9 | 3 223 573 | 358 174 (170479) | 406 122 (215 197–503 831) | 12 | 6 667 742 | 555 645 (651 240) | 346 106 (162 573–702 297) | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.2 |
| Haematological | 791 | 263 742 072 | 333 428 (446 336) | 191 200 (122 138–279 643) | 360 | 112 494 439 | 312 484 (530 741) | 180 981 (112 896–250 059) | 2.3 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Skin | 44 | 14 797 603 | 336 309 (562 447) | 89 456 (70 635–345 581) | 42 | 7 305 773 | 173 947 (292 287) | 85 375 (68 113–215 519) | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.0 |
| Renal | 11 | 7 727 390 | 702 490 (675 521) | 296 803 (90 509–1 270 928) | 8 | 6 158 106 | 769 763 (727 809) | 542 768 (347 399–822 950) | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.6 |
| Mesothelioma | 17 | 2 267 977 | 133 410 (117 199) | 104 084 (65 607–174 656) | 10 | 2 013 884 | 201 388 (49 059) | 202 921 (165 605–248 573) | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.5** |
| Liver | 24 | 11 279 988 | 469 999 (516 869) | 250 892 (138 579–687 402) | 12 | 13 515 306 | 1 126 276 (1 207 998) | 598 732 (240 881–1 679 106) | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.4* |
| Pancreatic | 9 | 4 566 168 | 507 352 (568 171) | 260 473 (150 980–650 203) | 5 | 3 685 298 | 737 059 (461 259) | 1 033 948 (236 145–1 033 948) | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| Disease theme | |||||||||||
| Psychosocial | 43 | 11 524 430 | 268 010 (422 656) | 164 422 (43 523–274 442) | 66 | 9 057 598 | 137 236 (251 616) | 59 994 (20 803–209 699) | 1.3 | 2.0 | 2.7** |
| Men’s health | 84 | 133 173 641 | 1 585 400 (6 430 067) | 364 401 (186 031–855 034) | 22 | 9 429 269 | 428 603 (687 483) | 174 513 (87 844–318 514) | 14.1 | 3.7 | 2.1* |
| Surgery | 54 | 33 398 798 | 618 496 (722 494) | 272 279 (109 099–977 969) | 14 | 3 723 997 | 265 999 (538 442) | 131 481 (20 000–243 687) | 9.0 | 2.3 | 2.1* |
| Diagnostic, screening and monitoring | 454 | 277 375 628 | 610 959 (1 353 526) | 248 793 (109 256–638 341) | 201 | 71 024 311 | 353 354 (509 792) | 155 330 (75 224–294 584) | 3.9 | 1.7 | 1.6*** |
| Radiotherapy | 89 | 82 782 734 | 930 143 (2 689 204) | 283 654 (130 224–445 594) | 19 | 5 123 806 | 269 674 (265 442) | 202 125 (68 219–357 426) | 16.2 | 3.5 | 1.4 |
| Drug therapy | 736 | 488 185 281 | 663 295 (2 265 942) | 221 228 (116 730–553 560) | 336 | 111 111 295 | 330 688 (510 148) | 175 374 (79 949–253 435) | 4.4 | 2.0 | 1.3*** |
| Women’s health | 361 | 129 487 265 | 358 690 (1 320 959) | 168 523 (64 649–222 843) | 265 | 67 078 971 | 253 128 (487 672) | 131 248 (22 790–230 625) | 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.3 |
| Immunology (inc biologics) | 304 | 141 667 662 | 466 012 (885 702) | 244 741 (130 741–483 283) | 143 | 50 385 497 | 352 346 (383 905) | 206 604 (117 699–437 074) | 2.8 | 1.3 | 1.2 |
| Pathogenesis | 1714 | 999 693 849 | 583 252 (1 032 142) | 269 893 (141 355–538 430) | 775 | 355 962 017 | 459 305 (765 925) | 225 586 (123 782–448 560) | 2.8 | 1.3 | 1.2*** |
| Paediatrics | 115 | 37 509 650 | 326 170 (465 935) | 179 839 (81 614–310 647) | 57 | 23 804 132 | 417 616 (693 945) | 182 305 (113 785–318 681) | 1.6 | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| Infection-associated | 87 | 36 098 390 | 414 924 (821 771) | 221 742 (131 430–436 959) | 40 | 18 326 629 | 458 165 (706 563) | 244 555 (140 757–481 060) | 2.0 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Global health | 7 | 5 003 769 | 714 824 (1 421 938) | 105 132 (58 229–540 990) | 5 | 1 431 191 | 286 238 (308 533) | 154 344 (98 699–377 559) | 3.5 | 2.5 | 0.7 |
| Geriatrics | 3 | 921 777 | 307 259 (409 655) | 100 259 (42 410–779 108) | 4 | 694 617 | 173 654 (88 857) | 178 014 (99 022–248 286) | 1.3 | 1.8 | 0.6 |
| Occupational health | 14 | 1 993 492 | 142 392 (128 096) | 123 659 (25 355–198 248) | 3 | 549 492 | 183 164 (34 345) | 199 998 (143 649–205 845) | 3.6 | 0.8 | 0.6 |
| Phase of research and development | |||||||||||
| Phase I–III | 182 | 175 953 897 | 966 779 (4 287 134) | 217 248 (101 493–700 972) | 109 | 38 598 339 | 354 113 (608 791) | 117 699 (66 500–236 145) | 4.6 | 2.7 | 1.9*** |
| Product development | 106 | 86 729 963 | 818 207 (2 787 935) | 230 722 (109 099–515 754) | 54 | 14 765 649 | 273 437 (407 013) | 150 469 (39 528–251 035) | 5.9 | 3.0 | 1.5** |
| Public health | 304 | 162 533 528 | 534 649 (882 173) | 236 768 (91 284–484 162) | 181 | 68 169 795 | 376 628 (886 999) | 160 196 (59 973–273 731) | 2.4 | 1.4 | 1.5*** |
| Cross-disciplinary | 285 | 237 828 497 | 834 486 (1 879 331) | 274 442 (136 009–806 082) | 146 | 74 822 967 | 512 486 (791 038) | 223 617 (105 842–448 477) | 3.2 | 1.6 | 1.2** |
| Preclinical | 1996 | 1 154 505 166 | 578 409 (1 131 681) | 256 606 (140 073–528 959) | 802 | 315 115 408 | 392 912 (602 354) | 214 876 (121 572–435 243) | 3.7 | 1.5 | 1.2*** |
| Funding organisation | |||||||||||
| Department of Health | 337 | 326 868 815 | 969 937 (3 477 639) | 273 251 (109 256–858 065) | 209 | 71 189 261 | 340 618 (513 879) | 175 000 (75 424–281 131) | 4.6 | 2.8 | 1.6*** |
| MRC | 505 | 640 884 752 | 1 269 079 (2 052 363) | 592 592 (351 917–1 348 289) | 253 | 188 994 003 | 747 011 (943 859) | 434 495 (254 487–748 000) | 3.4 | 1.7 | 1.4*** |
| Wellcome | 121 | 116 858 787 | 965 775 (2 035 860) | 250 809 (165 274–689 373) | 70 | 23 266 670 | 332 381 (609 652) | 194 697 (154 344–266 487) | 5.0 | 2.9 | 1.3* |
| Charity (excluding Wellcome and CRUK) | 1101 | 281 584 160 | 255 753 (372 649) | 163 214 (90 000–230 289) | 585 | 130 457 245 | 223 003 (427 557) | 137 865 (67 135–206 068) | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.2*** |
| EPSRC | 292 | 163 856 870 | 561 153 (939 912) | 319 486 (147 583–605 290) | 63 | 37 693 709 | 598 312 (1 126 384) | 258 057 (114 605–600 998) | 4.3 | 0.9 | 1.2 |
| BBSRC | 416 | 186 189 724 | 447 571 (410 166) | 373 556 (268 819–509 467) | 88 | 35 754 106 | 406 296 (277 730) | 385 328 (290 714–480 990) | 5.2 | 1.1 | 1.0 |
| European Commission (inc ERC) | 36 | 56 188 966 | 1 560 805 (426 113) | 1 414 393 (1 261 751–1 768 211) | 9 | 14 693 323 | 1 632 591 (395 550) | 1 383 393 (1 361 130–2 063 706) | 3.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Other | 82 | 49 205 075 | 600 061 (2 096 627) | 144 907 (92 673–268 658) | 19 | 9 521 733 | 501 143 (773 838) | 50 403 (25 092–1 013 231) | 5.2 | 1.2 | 2.9 |
Cancer sites with fewer than 15 total awards are not presented in this table.
We were unable to identify the phase of research and development for 26 studies.
*P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001.
BBSRC, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council; CRUK, Cancer Research UK; EPSRC, Engineering and Physical Science Research Council; ERC, European Research Council; MRC, Medical Research Council; PI, primary investigator.