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Supporting people with cancer Grant initiative - 2017 Announcement of recipients

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Young Australians with cancer, people with less common cancers and regional and rural communities benefit from Cancer Australia grants

Cancer Australia today announced that five grants totalling over $600,000 have been awarded to fund initiatives to improve support for people with cancer in Australia who experience poorer outcomes.

The funding was awarded in Round 9 of Cancer Australia’s Supporting people with cancer Grant initiative, which aims to reduce the impact of cancer, improve access to quality information and provide support for people affected by cancer.

The five grant recipients for the 2017 Supporting people with cancer Grant round are:

  • Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group for the implementation of a national consumer-led ovarian cancer learning initiative that targets health professional students, focusing on improved outcomes for women affected by ovarian cancer and their caregivers.
  • Cancer Council Australia for the production of psychosocial and information resources for people in Australia with less common cancers.
  • Cancer Council Victoria Keeping Things on Track for the development of innovative and flexible evidence-based multimedia education resources for support group leaders focusing on regional and rural communities.
  • North Metropolitan Health Service Western Australia for the design, implementation and evaluation of a structured, age-appropriate 12-week exercise rehabilitation program for adolescents and young adult cancer survivors.
  • University of Melbourne, Centre for Cancer Research for the development and evaluation of a supportive care App for people affected by pancreatic cancer to enhance self-management and wellbeing.

Dr Helen Zorbas, CEO of Cancer Australia, said: “The value of this grant initiative is that it encourages effective partnerships to develop innovative approaches to better support people affected by cancer. In this grant round, partners include non-government and consumer organisations, research centres and universities.

“These partnerships improve coordination and accessibility of quality cancer support networks and programs for people affected by cancer across Australia.”

Grant appraisal criteria include a requirement for organisations to work together in local and/or national partnerships, the ability to demonstrate benefit and achieve impact, consumer involvement in project development, evidence-based information and sustainability.

Since 2005, the Australian Government, through Cancer Australia’s Supporting people with cancer Grant Initiative, has contributed $8 million towards 103 community grants of up to $120,000 nationwide.

To date, the Cancer Australia Grant Initiative has attracted approximately $4.9 million in co-contributions from organisations focused on improving outcomes for people with cancer, families and their communities.

The priorities for Round 9 of the Grant Initiative focused on populations with poorer cancer outcomes, including regional and rural communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, culturally and linguistically diverse communities and people who are socio-economically disadvantaged.