Innovation & Entrepreneurship Awards 2024

All our shortlisted nominees will be invited to attend the awards ceremony, sponsored by Cancer Research Horizons, where the winner will be announced. It will provide a unique opportunity to network with a range of rising stars, seasoned entrepreneurs, industry experts, and inspiring keynotes. Taking place at The Law Society on 20 March 2024, this black-tie event will feature a drinks reception and gala dinner.

Early-career Entrepreneur of the Year

This award celebrates a PhD or Postdoctoral early career cancer researcher who has demonstrated excellence in entrepreneurial initiative. It recognises the attitude and entrepreneurial competencies developed by participating in bespoke training, such as, but not limited to, the initiatives within our entrepreneurial programmes.

The winning entry will receive £5,000 to be spent on learning and development, including mentorship, coaching or professional courses.

Eligibility criteria:

• Early career researchers: PhD or postdoctoral researchers 
• They may be in the planning or early stage of spin-out formation, but have not yet received more than one round of funding (excluding accelerator prizes)
• Have shown their entrepreneurial mindset and have engaged with programmes encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation
• Be based in the UK
• Ideally available for the awards gala dinner in London on 20th March 2024 

Submit your nomination

 

Entrepreneurial Group Leader of the Year

This award celebrates the demonstration of exceptional leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit of an early-stage independent group leader. It recognises the emergence of entrepreneurial initiative, attitude, and the development of their own entrepreneurial competencies and those of their research group through participation in bespoke training, such as, but not limited to, the initiatives within our entrepreneurial programmes.

The winning entry will receive £5,000 to be spent on learning and development, including mentorship, coaching, or professional courses.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Group leaders within the first 5 years of independence
• They may be in the planning or early stage of spin-out formation, but have not yet received more than one round of funding (excluding accelerator prizes)
• Have shown their entrepreneurial mindset and have engaged with programmes encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation
• Be based in the UK
• Ideally available for the awards gala dinner in London on 20th March 2024 

Submit your nomination

 

 

Woman Entrepreneur of the Year

This award celebrates the outstanding achievements of women entrepreneurs at any stage of their career who have established, or are working towards establishing, a business or have set up a transformative partnership to accelerate scientific discoveries into novel treatments, diagnostics and/or medical devices for the benefit of people affected by cancer. The award celebrates the woman behind the business or partnership, her personal successes, achievements, and how she individually inspires others.

The winning entry will receive £5,000 to be spent on learning and development, including mentorship, coaching, or professional courses.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Open to any women entrepreneur operating in the field of oncology
• Be based or have their chief operations in the UK
• Ideally available for the awards gala dinner in London on 20th March 2024 

Submit your nomination

 

 

New Startup of the Year

This award celebrates new companies (UK-based) that have laid the foundations of their new business, having over the last two years raised their first funding round, and are fast-tracking scientific breakthroughs to develop new treatments, diagnostics and/or medical devices for the benefit of cancer patients. This award recognises the potential of a great business to develop ground-breaking technology with the promise of delivering growth and impact in the cancer sector.

The winning entry will receive £15,000 to support the development of their startup.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Must have raised its first funding round (if funding was raised already) in the last two years
• Be based in the UK

Submit your nomination

 

 

Further, Faster, Together (Industry-Academia Collaboration)

This award celebrates the promotion of innovation in oncology through the working together of industry and academia, including but not limited to partnerships, licenses and knowledge exchange. It recognises outstanding examples of teamwork with clear evidence of knowledge transfer between the different sectors and organisations, and demonstrates how value and impact is maximised through working in partnership and collaboration.

The winning entry will receive £5,000 to be spent on team activities, learning and development, mentorship, coaching, or professional courses.

Eligibility Criteria:

• The prize is open to teams based in the UK 
• The prize is open to teams of any size working on a collaborative project between industry and academia.
• The project may be a discrete part of a larger, ongoing industrial programme, or stand alone. 
• Ideally be available for the awards ceremony in London on 20^th March 2024. (For teams, up to three representatives can be invited). 

Submit your nomination 

 

We will recognise outstanding contributions to the academic cancer entrepreneurial field via three special awards. The judging panel will select winners from nominees identified by Cancer Research Horizons.

All award entries will be reviewed by a Judging Panel comprised of independent experts.

Further details on the judging panel will be announced soon.