30 June 2025

$4.5m grant to boost Australian prostate cancer research

Australia’s fight against prostate cancer has received a significant boost, with a new $4.5 million grant to drive groundbreaking research over the next three years.

The funding aims to ignite prostate cancer discoveries in Australia while empowering the country’s next generation of research leaders, supporting high-impact scientific advancement with the potential for near-term clinical translation.

The initiative will bring together leading scientists, clinicians, and institutions in a coordinated effort to accelerate progress against the disease.

PCFA Chief of Mission and Head of Research, Professor Jeff Dunn AO, hailed the grant a major step forward for collaborative prostate cancer research in Australia.

“This $4.5 million grant will be awarded to a high-calibre team of scientists and clinicians with the expertise and capability to achieve a near-term, transformative impact on the clinical management of prostate cancer in Australia,” Professor Dunn said.

“Importantly, it will be awarded to a multi-institutional team comprised of at least three institutions from three Australian states or territories, and must include senior, early and mid-career scientists, clinicians, and consumers.

“Australia has one of the highest incidence rates of prostate cancer worldwide, with more than 26,000 men diagnosed every year.

“Alarmingly, the number of Australian men being diagnosed each year is increasing at an accelerating rate, which means we need to step up to make new medicines and treatments available more rapidly.

“Australia has among the world’s best prostate cancer researchers and this grant aims to boost their collaborative capacity towards our goal of zero deaths.”

Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that five-year relative survival from prostate cancer has increased from 58 per cent in the 1980s to nearly 96 per cent, but around 4,000 Australian men still die from the disease each year.

“We must pick up the pace of progress,” PCFA’s CEO, Anne Savage, said.

“Prostate cancer only receives around half the funding that goes to other major forms of cancer, and with one man newly diagnosed every 20 minutes, we need to do more.

“Our hope is that this $4.5 million investment into collaborative cross-state research will provide a strong stage on which to build, transforming care and saving lives.”

The call for applications has opened today and has been funded by PCFA’s Prostate Cancer Future Fund.

For more information go to www.pcfa.org.au/research/apply-for-funding.