SECOND GLOBAL GRANT ANNOUNCED TO TACKLE OVARIAN CANCER SURVIVAL RATES USING AI
For the second consecutive year, the Global Ovarian Cancer Research Consortium, of which Ovarian Cancer Action is a founding partner, is marking World Ovarian Cancer Day by launching a $1 million USD research grant. The Consortium consists of four global charities and is committed to advancing research that improves survival and outcomes for ovarian cancer patients worldwide.
The ‘AI Accelerator Grant’ is a major international research initiative, designed to harness artificial intelligence (AI) and large-scale data to address some of the most pressing challenges in ovarian cancer, including prevention, early detection, treatment resistance, and survival disparities.
Progress in ovarian cancer research is lagging behind other cancers and, as a result, survival rates for the disease haven’t improved in decades. It’s predicted that by 2050 the number of women around the world diagnosed with ovarian cancer will rise over 55% to 503,448.
AI is already playing a pivotal role in improving survival rates for other cancers such as breast, lung and prostate. But the potential for ovarian cancer has yet to be unlocked.
“Once again, this unique partnership gives ovarian cancer researchers something potentially game-changing; the ability to tackle the hardest problems together, at global scale. By combining world‑leading expertise, shared datasets and powerful AI tools, the Consortium can accelerate discovery, test ideas earlier and move discoveries into practical progress for women with ovarian cancer wherever they live."
As part of the grant, the selected researchers will receive support from this year’s technology partner, Amazon Web Services.
The consortium includes Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (United States), Ovarian Cancer Action (United Kingdom), Ovarian Cancer Canada (Canada), and Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (Australia). By pooling expertise, resources, and data, the Consortium aims to accelerate breakthroughs and improve outcomes for people affected by ovarian cancer globally.
Applications for the AI Accelerator Grant will open 8th May 2026 and the winner will be announced early 2027. Find out how to apply here: https://ocrahope.org/research/information-for-researchers/apply-for-a-grant/
The 2025 AI Grant Winner
The Consortium’s inaugural AI Accelerator Grant, announced on 8th May 2025, was awarded in February 2026 to an international team of researchers from the UK, Canada, Australia and the United States.
The team’s goal is to understand if AI can analyse one of the largest and most comprehensive international collections of ovarian cancer data ever assembled, in order to identify patterns in survival and treatment response that current tools cannot detect.
By improving how patients are matched to treatments and clinical trials, the project aims to reduce unnecessary side effects, support more personalised care, and ultimately help improve survival outcomes for women with ovarian cancer.
You can read more about the project here: $1 million research grant awarded to research group using AI to improve personalised ovarian cancer treatments
