10 March 2025
The European Association for Cancer Research (EACR) recognises the profound challenges our friends and colleagues in the United States are facing due to disruptions to their research funding and infrastructure. These actions threaten not only the progress of cancer research in the US but also the vital contributions of US-based researchers to the global effort against cancer. We stand in full support of our colleagues in the United States and endorse the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) statement regarding the US administration’s recent actions.
Cancer research is a truly global endeavour, and decisions that impact scientific funding, policy, and infrastructure in the US have significant ramifications worldwide. We are deeply concerned about the broader implications for cancer research and researchers in Europe and beyond, including:
- The threat to the interconnected nature of global cancer research, where advances depend on strong international collaboration, shared resources and infrastructure, and the free and open exchange of knowledge.
- The disruption of vital transatlantic partnerships that drive scientific progress and accelerate discoveries.
- The potential slowing of research that leads to new treatments, ultimately impacting cancer patients worldwide who rely on continued scientific innovation and progress.
We express our solidarity with the scientific community in the US, and our commitment to reinforcing our collective responsibility to ensure the stability and growth of global cancer research.
The need to protect and sustain international scientific cooperation has been widely recognised, as reflected in initiatives such as the Milan Declaration on the Crucial Role of Science in meeting Global Challenges, which underscores the importance of safeguarding global research collaboration against political and financial instability.
We call on global organisations to work together to develop sustainable alternative funding models that safeguard cancer research from political uncertainties. We specifically encourage concrete steps such as joint funding initiatives, shared grant schemes, or industry partnerships to ensure uninterrupted progress. We urge international cancer organisations to strengthen their commitment to cross-border collaborations by formalising long-term research agreements, expanding joint funding mechanisms, and advocating for policies that protect scientific partnerships from political disruption.
Cancer knows no borders, and setbacks in one part of the world can have lasting consequences for patients everywhere. Now more than ever, we must work together to ensure continued progress in cancer research and treatment.
