Cancer Research UK is cutting its research funding by £44 million ($54 million), the Guardian reports.
The charity, which funds about half of cancer research efforts in the UK, forecasts that its income will fall by 25 percent due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Guardian notes that efforts to contain the pandemic has affected ways CRUK raises money, such as through its shops and fundraising events. Because of this, CRUK says it will likely raise £120 million less this year than anticipated.
The charity has announced it would cut funding to existing grants and institutes by 10 percent and its national infrastructure by 20 percent, for a total of about £44 million in cuts. Its executive board is also taking a 20 percent pay cut. The charity adds that it hopes that by making these cuts now, it will be better poised later to continue its work, the Guardian notes.
"We know these funding cuts will be devastating to the work of our scientists and clinicians, and that the scope and focus of these changes will raise many questions," CRUK says in an open letter to researchers. It adds that it will be reaching out to everyone affected by the cuts.