Funding of the EORTC

The EORTC is funded through several sources including the EORTC Charitable Trust providing a core grant which is supported by numerous national cancer leagues.


As of 1972, the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) provides core support to the EORTC Headquarters and with which a close scientific collaboration is maintained.


Core grants from the “Fonds Cancer” (FOCA), Belgium and The Parthenon Trust also provide support for the EORTC staff.


The EORTC Headquarters also receives grants allocated by BELSPO − the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (Belgium), and by the Belgian National Lottery.


Funding for the Fellowship Programme, in the form of one-year grants renewable for up to two years, is provided for by the “Fonds Cancer” (FOCA), the Koningin Wilhelmina Fund (KWF), la Ligue Française contre le Cancer and the Vlaamse Liga tegen Kanker (VKL) and the EORTC Charitable Trust.


In addition, grants for EORTC research projects are received from the European Commission under the 6th and the 7th Framework Programmes.


Clinical studies that evaluate new drugs for potential registration or that test innovative therapeutic agents, including some educational projects, are carried out in cooperation with the pharmaceutical industry. Pharmaceutical industry sponsorship is also provided in the form of “unrestricted grants” for EORTC conferences.


The finances of the EORTC include all accounts from the EORTC Headquarters as well as all Groups and Task Forces. These accounts are consolidated as required under Belgian Law. The 2007 EORTC accounts have been audited by Ernst & Young.


The Continuity Fund

In 2004 the EORTC Board made the decision to build a financial buffer, the “Continuity Fund”, to temporarily compensate for transient shortfalls in core support and/or delays in the receipt of cancer league donations that could significantly impact on the EORTC annual budget. The EORTC Continuity Fund aims to guarantee stability to the EORTC Headquarter staff.


The Academic Research Fund

Parallel to creating the Continuity Fund, the EORTC Board initiated the creation of an Academic Research Fund which is operational as of 2005. This support is intended for clinical trials of excellence submitted to the Board after undergoing review by the Protocol Review Committee (PRC). Selected trials are academic in nature, with inadequate or no funding from other sources. A final decision at the Board level is required as to the strategic/added value the proposed clinical trial brings to the overall EORTC strategy.

The Board prioritises trials based on the following criteria:
- trials of “excellence”
- trials with a translational research component
- trials with the possibility and feasibility for networking
- “not to be missed” opportunities to potentially change clinical practice and establish new standards of care.


In 2008, the Board has allocated additional support for academic and clinico-genomic research
proposals as well as projects conducted within the Network of Core Institutions (NOCI) and for
bio-banking purposes.