Project name: A Coordination and Support Action to prepare UNCAN.eu platform
Project acronym: 4.UNCAN.eu
4.UNCAN.eu CSA : Pave the way for UNCAN.eu initiative
An initiative to better UNderstand CANcer (UNCAN.eu) is part of the implementation roadmap of two programs of the European Union (EU), Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the Horizon Europe Mission on Cancer. The role of 4.UNCAN.eu CSA, funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe, is to prepare a blueprint for UNCAN.eu within the next 15 months.
The representatives of the 29 institutions and organisations participating in the project have highlighted the importance of this scientific initiative, renewing their commitment and support toward the project while the main point of the meeting was the presentation of the activities that the partners will carry out during the 15 months of this project.
Project Activities
Different activities have taken place:
- A dedicated workshop took place in Heidelberg from 28 February 28 to 1 March 1, 2023 to go deeper into the data hub organisation.
- A workshop in Barcelona took place on 29-30 March, 2023 and one more will take place then in Rome on 22-23 May, 2023 to delineate the cancer research challenges that will be proposed as used cases to start building the database.
- WP4 obtained more than 1,500 responses from European Citizens to the survey launched in January, which are currently being analysed.
- Finally, inequities between member states are explored by WP6 through regular meetings, with inequities in the ability and wish to collect and share cancer research data becoming a central issue. In a meeting organised by the European Academy of Cancer Sciences at the Vatican on 23-24 February, which was dedicated to tackling inequalities in cancer care and research across the world, Commissioner Marya Gabriel mentioned UNCAN.eu as a central initiative while the attendees discussed various initiatives such as the twinning programs as potential solutions to reduce these inequalities.
- On 10 March, 2023, a visio meeting with members of the Cancer Mission board and European Commission representatives provided an overview of the work done so far by the CSA, leading to the suggestion that a first draft of the blueprint may be needed this summer.
More information about 4.UNCAN.eu can be found at the Project’s website.