{"entity":{"id":"idea-bio2-metastasis-funding-floor","kind":"idea","name":"Ring-fence a fifth of national cancer research money for metastasis","aka":[],"tldr":"Spread causes around nine in ten cancer deaths but receives a small slice of research funding. A funding floor would change what gets studied.","summary":"Portfolio analyses have repeatedly put metastasis research at roughly 5-10% of cancer research spend. A committed floor, with a transparent classification method, an annual public report and a dedicated review panel that understands metastasis models, is a pure policy lever with no scientific risk, only allocation risk.","asOf":"2026-09-08","links":[{"label":"MetaVivor research funding","url":"https://www.metavivor.org"}],"tags":[],"related":["globocan"],"cancers":[],"sections":[],"technologies":[],"targets":[],"drugs":[],"companies":[],"institutions":["nci","cruk"],"pathways":[],"terms":[],"trials":[],"people":[],"bottlenecks":["b-metastasis-biology","b-funding-allocation"],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":[],"hypothesis":"A ring-fenced metastasis programme with its own review panel doubles the number of funded metastasis-specific projects within three years and measurably increases metastasis-focused clinical trials within eight.","rationale":"Dedicated funding streams reliably grow fields: the same mechanism built radiopharmaceuticals, immunotherapy and paediatric oncology networks. Metastasis loses in general competition because its models are slower and its endpoints harder, which is a review-dynamics problem rather than a merit problem.","test":"One funder pilots a ring-fenced call with pre-registered classification of awards, then compares downstream publications, trials and career retention against matched general-competition awards over five years.","maturity":"speculative","actor":"policy","cost":"small","horizonYears":8},"route":"/ideas/idea-bio2-metastasis-funding-floor/","neighbours":{"collection":[{"id":"globocan","kind":"collection","name":"GLOBOCAN / Global Cancer Observatory","route":"/collections/globocan/"}],"institution":[{"id":"cruk","kind":"institution","name":"Cancer Research UK","route":"/institutions/cruk/"},{"id":"nci","kind":"institution","name":"National Cancer Institute (NIH)","route":"/institutions/nci/"}],"bottleneck":[{"id":"b-funding-allocation","kind":"bottleneck","name":"Funding follows fashion, not burden","route":"/bottlenecks/b-funding-allocation/"},{"id":"b-metastasis-biology","kind":"bottleneck","name":"Metastasis is understood least and studied last","route":"/bottlenecks/b-metastasis-biology/"}]}}