Creating a Research-Active Yorkshire

At Yorkshire Cancer Research, we often talk about how we bring more clinical trials to the region so people can benefit from the latest advancements and progress.

But improving cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment doesn’t start with a single breakthrough or research study. 

It needs sustained investment in people, skills and systems.

This is the often-unseen infrastructure that allows research to happen in the first place. 

In Yorkshire, continuing to build and strengthen that foundation is one of our strategic priorities.

And the newly announced EPIC-GB brain cancer clinical trial programme is a fantastic example of how we’re working towards achieving this aim. 

A stark North/South imbalance

Yorkshire Cancer Research has a bold ambition to further develop Yorkshire as a “research-active” region, where hospitals and universities work together to grow cancer research talent and capacity for the benefit of everyone who lives here.

Evidence consistently shows people with cancer treated at research-active hospitals do better than those treated in settings where little or no clinical research takes place. 

They are more likely to have access to the latest treatments, innovative therapies and cutting-edge technologies, all of which can significantly improve survival and care.

Despite this evidence, Yorkshire has been historically disadvantaged when it comes to the funding needed to build and sustain this kind of research environment. 

Yorkshire receives only 5% of national health research funding, despite being home to nearly 8% of the UK population, meaning without dedicated investment, people here miss opportunities for cutting edge trials and treatments. 

By contrast, London is home to approximately 13% of the UK population yet receives 32% of health research funding, accounting for almost one third of all health research spend.

The imbalance is particularly stark when looking at infrastructure funding, which supports research staff, coordination, facilities and systems that allow major studies to run.

In 2022, the Greater London Authority received more than £302 million in research infrastructure funding. In the same year, the three combined authorities in Yorkshire received just £15.6 million between them. 

Per person, London received £34.42, compared with £2.68 in West Yorkshire, £4.51 in South Yorkshire, and £3.80 in York and North Yorkshire. 

These figures help explain why large-scale research has historically been concentrated elsewhere, despite the strength of Yorkshire’s clinicians, researchers and NHS services.

By investing charity funding strategically, Yorkshire Cancer Research is building the infrastructure Yorkshire needs to become more research-active, addressing gaps that national funding has often left behind.

Building research leaders of the future

From funding early-career researchers to awarding Fellowships and PhDs, we are helping to retain talented individuals in the region and build the research leaders of the future. 

Since 2015, Research Fellows supported at the University of Leeds and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust have gone on to secure nearly £88 million in additional research funding, publishing hundreds of research papers and influencing clinical practice in the UK and internationally.

Yorkshire Cancer Research is also investing in places, creating hubs of cancer research excellence such as a growing research centre in Sheffield. Building on an £8.9 million investment in 2023/24, the charity has committed a further £8.3 million to new projects and research infrastructure in the city that aim to accelerate understanding of cancer and save lives in Yorkshire and beyond.

Importantly, this approach is about building ecosystems, not isolated projects. 

Funding established researchers helps attract further investment from national funders and industry, creating momentum that benefits people across the region. 

The charity’s long-standing support for bowel cancer research in Leeds is a clear example. Decades of sustained funding from the charity helped establish the University of Leeds as a centre of excellence, leading to national and international clinical trials, industry partnerships and improvements in care for thousands of people with cancer, not only in Yorkshire but globally.

Supporting strong platforms for future growth

Building strong infrastructure also means more “platform trials” can be supported in Yorkshire. 

This is a modern approach to clinical research that allows multiple treatments to be tested within a single, long-term study. 

Platform trials are more efficient than traditional trials and offer faster, more flexible learning, but they are also more complex to run.

They require highly coordinated research teams, shared data systems, consistent patient recruitment across multiple NHS sites, and the ability to adapt as new treatments are added or removed over time.

The infrastructure required to support the forthcoming EPIC-GB brain tumour research platform, including specialist staff, coordinated NHS sites, patient engagement and governance, is being developed thanks to the charity’s funding. 

The programme aims to transform how cancer drug treatments are tested for people with glioblastoma that has returned after treatment, so they can access new and potentially life-extending treatment options. 

Infrastructure groundwork is essential, particularly for brain tumour research, which is complex, under-represented and historically under-funded. Without investment in infrastructure, programmes like EPIC‑GB simply cannot happen.

The development of the FOxTROT bowel cancer trials provides another powerful example of how sustained infrastructure investment can transform research in Yorkshire. 

Early funding from Yorkshire Cancer Research helped establish the expertise, leadership and coordination required to launch the FOxTROT 2 & 3 trials, and that initial investment acted as a catalyst, allowing the programme to grow far beyond a single study.

Led by expert researchers based in Yorkshire, recruitment is coordinated from the region and trial sites span England, Scotland and Wales. 

FOxTROT 2 has expanded internationally, with sites now open in countries including France and India. 

What began as charity-funded research in Yorkshire has developed into a global research platform, attracting significant investment from pharmaceutical companies and influencing bowel cancer care worldwide.

Importantly, this success has had lasting benefits for the region. The FOxTROT programme supports a wider ecosystem of research activity in Yorkshire, helping to attract further funding, retain skilled researchers, and ensure more people can access innovative treatments through local NHS services.

A vision with fairness at its heart

At its heart, the charity’s vision of a research-active region is about fairness, opportunity and impact. It is about ensuring Yorkshire is no longer held back by historic under-investment, and that innovation is not confined to a small number of places.

It helps ensure people in Yorkshire can access research opportunities closer to home, so studies are more representative of the people they aim to serve.

By investing in people, infrastructure and collaboration across the whole of the country, Yorkshire Cancer Research is laying the foundations for better cancer cures and breakthroughs.

Creating a research-active Yorkshire is a long-term commitment to a future where everyone in the region can benefit from world-class cancer research.