Lung cancer is Australia's deadliest cancer — killing more Australians than breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colorectal cancer combined. Despite this toll, lung cancer receives significantly less research funding per death than other major cancers. Five-year survival rates remain below 20%. Grant funding supports research to change those odds, as well as support services for the 14,000 Australians diagnosed each year and the families who care for them.
Scale
Risk factors
Disparities
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
NHMRC funds competitive lung cancer research:
- Project grants (individual researcher-led research)
- Investigator grants (career development)
- Centre of Research Excellence grants (consortia)
Lung cancer consistently receives less NHMRC funding per death than breast and prostate cancer — an equity argument made by advocates.
Cancer Australia
Cancer Australia coordinates national cancer research priorities:
- Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research grants
- Lung cancer specifically targeted in recent funding rounds
- Low-dose CT (LDCT) screening programme research
Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF)
MRFF funds translational lung cancer research:
- Genomics and precision oncology
- Immunotherapy trials
- Lung cancer screening
Department of Health
Low-dose CT screening for lung cancer (in high-risk populations) is a significant recent policy development — with research funding through DoH.
Lung Foundation Australia
The peak advocacy and support organisation for lung cancer and respiratory disease:
- Research grants (Lung Foundation Australia Research Grants programme)
- Patient support programmes
- Advocacy for equitable lung cancer funding
- Breathe Easy support groups
Cancer Council Australia
Through state Cancer Councils, research grants and patient support:
- Fundraising for cancer research (including lung)
- Practical support for patients (accommodation, transport)
- Information and support services
Australian Lung Cancer Trials Group (ALTG)
Clinical trials network for lung cancer — funding clinical trial coordination and research.
Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute
Significant lung cancer research through the ONJ Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in Melbourne.
Research
Patient support
Never-smoker lung cancer
A growing and underserved population — never-smokers with lung cancer face:
- Diagnostic delays (lower clinical suspicion)
- Stigma (assumptions about smoking history)
- Different biological profile (often EGFR/ALK mutations)
Rural and regional support
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lung cancer
Significantly worse outcomes require targeted programmes:
- Culturally safe lung cancer information and care
- Community health worker support
- Quitline and smoking cessation integration
- Navigator support
Smoking cessation
Prevention is the most powerful tool:
- Quitline support
- Nicotine replacement and pharmacotherapy access
- Culturally adapted cessation programmes
- Smoking cessation for people with lung cancer diagnoses
Stigma is a uniquely significant barrier in lung cancer — many patients report experiencing blame from family, friends, and even healthcare providers because of perceived smoking history. This stigma:
- Delays help-seeking
- Reduces social support
- Affects funding (less public sympathy)
- Harms patient wellbeing
Grant applications addressing lung cancer stigma, destigmatisation campaigns, or support for the 15% of lung cancer patients who never smoked are particularly important.
The underfunding argument
Lung cancer receives less research funding per death than other major cancers — this funding inequity is well-documented and makes a compelling case for prioritisation. Use Cancer Australia and Cancer Council data on funding-per-death comparisons.
Early detection focus
Low-dose CT screening can detect lung cancer at earlier, more treatable stages — similar to how mammography transformed breast cancer outcomes. Applications supporting LDCT screening implementation, research, or access are well-aligned with current policy.
Equity framing
Rural, Indigenous, and low-income Australians bear disproportionate lung cancer burden. Applications addressing these equity gaps are compelling.
Stigma-informed approaches
Show awareness of stigma and how your programme or research addresses it — particularly for patient-facing applications.
Never-smoker focus
This underserved population (15% of lung cancer cases, often younger, often with targetable mutations) represents a compelling gap — particularly for genomics and targeted therapy funding.
Tahua's grants management platform supports cancer funders and lung cancer research organisations — with research grant tracking, patient support programme management, outcome measurement, and the reporting tools that help lung cancer funders demonstrate their investment in Australia's deadliest and most underfunded cancer.