The Albanese Government has launched the Cancer Australia Research Initiative (CARI), a bold new program aimed at addressing emerging needs in cancer research.
The program commits $7 million over three years to fund research into early-onset cancers. Early-onset cancer refers to cancers that are diagnosed in younger adults, typically between the ages of 20 and 49.
Early-onset cancers, such as colorectal, pancreatic, thyroid, and breast cancer are rising globally. Early-onset cancers present unique challenges due to their diverse sub-types and complex causes, which are likely multifactorial and involve both environmental and genetic factors.
Recent data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reveals a significant increase in cancer diagnoses among Australians in their 30s and 40s over the past two decades.
Between 2000 and 2024, cancer rates for people in their 30s have risen from 121 to an estimated 141 per 100,000, and for people in their 40s, from 280 to an estimated 323 per 100,000. Notably, Australia now has the highest rate of early-onset colorectal cancer among 50 countries, according to a recent global analysis published in The Lancet Oncology.
Cancer Australia's new CARI program reflects the evolving cancer research landscape and aligns with the Australian Cancer Plan, focusing on areas of unmet and emerging need.
The first CARI Targeted Call for Research (TCR): Early-Onset Cancer 2025, opens on 16 July 2025 and closes at 5pm (AEST) on 10 September 2025.
The program aims to enhance understanding of early-onset cancer and to develop novel clinical approaches for earlier diagnosis as well as innovative models of care. It will support multidisciplinary, collaborative research that leverages existing activities and connects with broad-based research infrastructure, thereby informing future policy and large-scale studies.
Additionally, the program is committed to promoting capacity building within the cancer research workforce, ensuring that at least 30 per cent of research teams are comprised of early to mid-career researchers.
In this first round of the CARI, Cancer Australia is calling for applications from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Administering Institutions with a focus on translational research and proposals addressing cancers with a greater burden of disease.
Projects may focus on single or multiple tumour types, and proposals relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and other priority populations identified in the Australian Cancer Plan are strongly encouraged.
The CARI is directed by Cancer Australia and delivered and funded in partnership with the NHMRC.
