Male cancer researchers ‘get most funding’

Male cancer researchers receive significantly more funding than females, a new study has found.

Female researchers “clearly and consistently” receive less funding than their male counterparts, experts said.

The study comes amid continued concern over workplace gender inequality.

A team of international researchers, including experts at Oxford University, University College London and Imperial College, set out to assess cancer research funding based on the primary investigator of the research.

They examined several sources to examine public and philanthropic cancer research funding awarded to UK institutions between 2000 and 2013.

Of the studies included in their analysis, published in the journal BMJ Open, the researchers found 2,890 grants with a total value of £1.82 billion were awarded to male researchers.

And 1,296 grants were awarded to female lead investigators worth £512m.

“We demonstrate substantial differences in cancer research investment awarded by gender,” the authors wrote.

“Female primary investigators clearly and consistently receive less funding than their male counterparts in terms of total investment, the number of funded awards, mean funding awarded and median funding awarded.”