The Cancer and Palliative Care Research and Evaluation Unit, or CaPCREU, was developed to increase cancer and palliative care research capacity in Western Australia.

1. Aims
2. Research
3. Evaluation
4. Collaborations
5. Grants

Aims

The Unit aims to promote collaboration within the state, nationally and internationally and to support high quality research, its dissemination and translation into practice. 

CaPCREU is a means through which cancer and palliative care projects funded through the WA Cancer and Palliative Care Network (WACPCN) may be evaluated.

It is based at Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre and is under the leadership of Winthrop Professor Christobel Saunders.

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Research

CaPCREU encourages and supports health care providers to develop a cancer and palliative care health services research agenda and to translate findings into policy and practice.

It promotes the establishment of collaborative links between health services, health professionals, researchers and policy makers at a local, national and international level.

The group’s past and present research interests include:

• BCG treatment for bladder cancer
• Cancer Shared Care Project
• implementation and evaluation of the Liverpool Care Pathway in rural WA
• literature review for Cancer Care Pathway Development
• proposed patterns of care in colorectal cancer project
• prostate cancer study
• post surgery and treatment emergency department admissions for people with cancer
• research education needs of health professionals working within WACPCN

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Evaluation

CaPCREU has developed a framework to support and encourage the evaluation of health services projects, and provides a mechanism to support the comprehensive evaluation of health services and programs.

Current evaluation projects include:

• Cancer Care Nurse Coordination Project
• WA Psycho-oncology Service (WAPOS)
• WACPCN’s Tumour collaboratives
• WACPCN's Clinical Trials Grants Scheme

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Collaborations

CaPCREU is a joint initiative between the Universities of Western Australia, administered through UWA and funded initially by the Western Australian Cancer and Palliative Care Network (WACPCN) for three years.

The Unit encourages wide collaboration with other academic, research, health and government organisations in WA and nationally to support innovative cancer research and health services programs. CaPCREU has developed collaborative links with various organisations.

• Western Australian Cancer and Palliative Care Network
• WA Centre for Cancer and Palliative Care
• Curtin University
• Edith Cowan University
• Notre Dame University
• Cancer Council WA
• Cancer Institute, NSW
• Centre for Health Research and Psycho-oncology
• WA Clinical Oncology Group
• Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR)

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Grants

Small Grants Scheme

The CaPCREU is pleased to announce the commencement of the Small Grants Scheme for 2012.

The Small Grants Scheme aims to fund research and/or audits that will not duplicate studies funded by other organisations such as the Cancer Council and NHMRC, but complement projects funded by those agencies. Research must directly impact on cancer and palliative care services in WA. The primary objective of the Small Grants Scheme is to provide seeding funds for demonstration projects where significant research findings are translated into cancer and palliative care practice and policy; and pilot studies to improve their success in obtaining research support from national and international funding agencies and industry.

What funding will be provided?

The successful applicants will receive funding up to the value of AUD$20,000 (including GST), 90% of which will be available from July 2012. The final 10% will be received on the satisfactory completion of the project’s final reports. The funds can only be used for the development and implementation of the specified project nominated at the time of approval of the grant and must be spent in full across the 12-month period. Additional in-kind support may be provided to health professionals new to research who have identified a mentor for their project.

Who is eligible?

The Small Grants Scheme is open to clinicians, health professionals and researchers who are engaged in any discipline relevant to cancer or palliative care in WA.

How will grants be evaluated?

No submission will be accepted unless completed in full and submitted by the due date. A clinician or health professional must be included as part of the research team. The review committee will assess applications and successful applicants be notified by June 2012.

How do I apply?

Guidelines and the application form are available for download from the file links in the right column of this page. Please contact either Angela Ives [Phone: (08) 9346 3161] or Catalina Lizama [Phone: (08) 9346 2431] with any queries

To submit a Small Grants Scheme application all components of the application form must be addressed in full.

Close of applications

5:00pm Wednesday 7th March, 2012

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