Making Progress
Making Progress will be back in 2025
We can't wait to welcome Early Career Researchers to the Royal College of Nursing, 20 Cavendish Square, London on Wednesday, 2 April 2025!
Stay tuned for more updates! Keep checking this page, sign up for our bi-monthly newsletter, and follow us on X.
What is Making Progress?
At Prostate Cancer UK, we're all about supporting and inspiring Early Career Researchers. We want to help you become the next leaders in prostate cancer research. Our free event, Making Progress, is here to give you the essential skills for a thriving career in prostate cancer research. Plus, it's a fantastic chance to share your research and connect with peers.
If it sounds like this meeting is for you, scroll down the page for the link to register.
I highly recommend Making Progress as it is amongst peers, unlike other more scientific focussed conferences, it induces and allows you to network in a less pressurised environment. The event not only showcases the science but also has a focus on professional development.
Join us at Making Progress – secure your free spot today!
If you're part of a Prostate Cancer UK funded project, please share your grant code and group leader's name. This will help us confirm your place even faster!
After submitting your registration, you'll receive an email to acknowledge we've received your form and a hold for your diary. Please note, this is just a hold, not a final confirmation.
Once we've completed our internal checks, our Research Team will send you a confirmation email within 2 working days*. Thank you for your patience!
*It's our aim to confirm your registration within 2 working days, but if you've not heard from us by the 5th working day please reach out to us at [email protected].
Making Progress agenda
We have a jam-packed agenda for you. Click on the boxes below to find out a little bit more about each session.
As more information becomes available we'll update the agenda, so keep checking in for updates!
Make sure you arrive in plenty of time to drop your coats and bags, grab a drink and a biscuit or two, before finding a seat for the start of the day at 11:00am.
This is the first of two sessions featuring brief flash talks, where you'll hear about some of the most innovative and groundbreaking research currently underway in prostate cancer.
We'll have the opportunity to hear directly from a man with lived experience, sharing what it's like to be diagnosed with prostate cancer, go through treatment, and navigate the side effects. It's a valuable chance to gain personal insight and understanding into what it's like to live with prostate cancer.
Join us for a relaxing lunch while exploring the latest prostate cancer research through our engaging posters. It'll be a perfect opportunity to connect with colleagues, and discover exciting advancements in the field!
Take part in our interactive skills training sessions, designed to boost your storytelling, enhance your social media presence, engage men in research, or sharpen your grant writing skills. It'll be a great way to learn, grow, and make a real impact in your work!
Use this opportunity to take a pause, reflect on learnings so far, rehydrate with tea, coffee or soft drinks, perhaps make a connection or two, share some ideas and have another look at the posters.
This is the second of two sessions featuring brief flash talks, where you'll hear about some of the most innovative and groundbreaking research currently underway in prostate cancer.
Join us for an inspiring talk from Dr. Kelly Coffey, who will share her journey of developing her career, progressing from Post Doctoral Researcher to leading her own independent research group. Dr. Coffey is also a panel member for our Career Acceleration Fellowships, helping us decide who to support on their own career paths. It’s a great chance to learn from her experience and insights!
Join us for an enjoyable drinks reception, where you can network with colleagues and browse the latest prostate cancer research through our engaging posters. It’ll be a wonderful opportunity to unwind, socialize, and explore exciting new developments in the field!
Frequently asked questions
Who can attend Making Progress?
Any researcher in the early stages of their career. If you are a Technician, PhD Student, Post-Doctoral Research Associate, or Research Fellow, you are more than welcome to join us at Making Progress.
I'm not funded by Prostate Cancer UK, can I still attend?
Yes! If you don't work on a Prostate Cancer UK-funded project but do work on prostate cancer research, please use the option in the registration form to tell us how you will benefit from attending Making Progress. We'll confirm your registration via email.
Can I present my work?
Spaces for oral presentations are now full, but there are a small number of spaces for poster presentations still available. If we receive more abstracts that there are spaces available, we will prioritise Prostate Cancer UK funded researchers, but all abstracts are welcome.
If you would like to present please provide your grant reference number and group leaders name, then submit an abstract for consideration (maximum 250 words). Our Scientific Organising Committee will shortlist abstracts, and we will invite speakers/presenters in early 2025.
Is there a registration fee?
No - Making Progress is a free event.
Will you cover travel costs for presenters?
We're able to cover reasonable travel costs for researchers whose abstracts are accepted for an oral or poster presentation. We'll give you more information on booking travel with the invite to present in early 2025.
Will you cover travel costs for attendees?
We aren't able to cover travel costs for all attendees. Please register early and book any travel and accommodation as soon as possible to take advantage of lower prices.
If the cost of travel is preventing you from attending Making Progress, you can apply for our travel bursary.
Travel bursary
At Prostate Cancer UK, we want to support Early Career Researchers from all over the UK and from a wide range of institutions. Information about our travel bursary, including how to apply, is available by pressing the + button below.
- The bursary is open to all Early Career Researchers, but if we receive more applications than we can fund, priority will be given to researchers working on a Prostate Cancer UK funded grant.
- Researchers must seek funding for travel costs from their own institution and should only apply for the bursary if they have exhausted all other funding options. We’ll require proof that funds are not available elsewhere as part of the application e.g. an email from your supervisor / principal investigator.
- If you’re employed on a grant that is funded by Prostate Cancer UK, you may be able to cover travel costs from the grant budget. Check with the grant holder if conference costs were included in the award and confirm with them if there is money available in the conference budget for your 'Making Progress' travel costs. Please then email [email protected], copying in the grant holder and quoting the grant reference, and we’ll confirm whether the costs can be charged. We’re sorry, but you won't be able to claim the travel costs of team members who are not directly employed on the grant.
- If a travel bursary is awarded, Prostate Cancer UK will book suitable travel in liaison with the researcher. There will be no transfer of money to the researcher.
- So that we can support as many researchers as possible, we’ll book the most economic form and times of travel e.g. making bookings as soon as train tickets become available and avoiding rush hour prices. We won’t be able to reimburse driving costs.
- It’s unlikely that we’ll be able to fund applicants who are travelling from the London area, and priority will be given to applicants who will be travelling for more than an hour.
- We’re not expecting to be able to cover accommodation costs, but applications may be considered if funds are available.
- Applications received before 15 January 2025 will be considered equally, with the aim of supporting as many applications as funds allow.
- After 15 January 2025, applications will be considered on a first come first served basis. We have limited funds available and once these funds are allocated, the bursary will close for applications.
- If a bursary applicant is subsequently selected for a presentation, their travel costs will be covered automatically. Travel costs will not be paid twice.
To be considered for a travel bursary, please submit the application form and we’ll let you know the outcome shortly after 15 January 2025, or within a week of your application if it’s submitted after this date.
If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]
