TRT Biology call - Radiobiology and mechanistic insights in therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals

Background

Targeted Radionuclide Therapy (TRT) is a promising and rapidly growing therapeutic class within oncology care. Nuclear medicine has seen many new developments in the past few years that have changed the field. Traditionally, nuclear medicine was primarily involved in diagnostics, with only a few therapeutic applications. Developments in new radiopharmaceuticals have led to a shift towards therapy with [177Lu]-PSMA, which is an example of a therapy that is currently used as a standard treatment option for patients with late-stage metastatic prostate cancer.

The urgency and opportunities within the TRT field are described in the Technopolis’ white paper, published in 2024, and FAST’s Strategic Research Agenda for TRT, launched on the 8th April 2026. The launch of the Strategic Research Agenda for TRT marks an important moment for the field: researchers, clinical centers, companies and patient representatives jointly identified priorities for the field to mature and expressed their willingness to accelerate progression. The biological effects of radionuclides and the cellular, molecular, and immunological processes triggered by the use of TRT were identified as knowledge gaps in the Strategic Research Agenda for TRT (knowledge gaps 3 & 4).

Aim

With the TRT Biology call, The Dutch Cancer Society (KWF) aims to uncover radiobiological, cellular, molecular, and immunological mechanisms induced by therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals, i.e. targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT), radioligand therapy (RLT), radionuclide therapy (RNT), molecular radionuclide therapy (MRT). Research questions should be derived from clinically relevant issues experienced by patients. The mechanistic knowledge gained should help solve these in order to facilitate treatment optimisation.

Ambition and patient perspective

We encourage multidisciplinary consortia to submit proposals. Multidisciplinary teams bring together, for example, but not restricted to, expertise in radiobiology, nuclear medicine, medical oncology, radiochemistry, molecular biology, immunology, and dosimetry. The development and implementation of a strategy to strengthen effective collaboration and communication within multidisciplinary teams is recommended. Moreover, projects must explicitly establish the link between mechanistic knowledge and clinically relevant issues experienced by patients. Researchers are expected to explain how the knowledge generated in the projects will contribute to clinically relevant issues experienced by patients. Where appropriate, patient representatives should be involved in formulating the research question.

In scope

The following activities/items are eligible for funding:

• Projects that explicitly link mechanistic knowledge and clinically relevant issues experienced by patients. It should be made explicit in the application form how knowledge generated in the projects will contribute to minimise clinically relevant issues experienced by patients. Where appropriate, patient representatives should be involved in formulating the research question.
• Research into radiobiological, cellular, molecular, and immunological mechanisms induced by therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals.
• Therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals include: targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT), radioligand therapy (RLT), radionuclide therapy (RNT), molecular radionuclide therapy (MRT).
• Research type: Research projects and Consortium projects
• Research phase: Credentialing and Creation of Modality
• The following organisations are eligible to function as lead institute: universities, medical centers, research institutes (such as NWO institutes, KNAW institutes, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Princess Máxima Center), or peripheral hospitals (including hospitals affiliated with the Association of Top Clinical Teaching Hospitals (STZ)), located in the Netherlands
• Projects with relevant preclinical models for TRT research. Investment in the development of new, more predictive preclinical models is allowed.
• Where relevant, quantitative imaging and dosimetry may be integrated into the mechanistic research projects, enabling the uptake, distribution and biological effects of radionuclides to be analysed in conjunction, with the aim of establishing dose–response relationships within TRT. 
• Research into predictive biomarkers may be included in the proposal, provided that it arises directly from mechanistic analyses and supports drug development and future clinical applications. 
• Alignment with national initiatives and networks within the TRT ecosystem is expected in order to strengthen knowledge sharing, harmonisation and sustainable collaboration.

Out of scope

• Activities not related to drug research
• Projects without a focus on therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals, i.e. targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT), radioligand therapy (RLT), radionuclide therapy (RNT), molecular radionuclide therapy (MRT).
• Radiobiology of tracers, SIRT or brachytherapy
• Development of tracers, SIRT or brachytherapy
• Projects focused solely on quantitative imaging and dosimetry.
• Purely methodological imaging projects without a link to therapeutic application.
• Proposals primarily focused on biomarker research or biomarker development without a clear link to radionuclide effects.
• Radionuclide production, the scaling-up of isotope production, and the development of enabling technologies focused on infrastructure, safety, shielding, waste management, or GMP scale-up for the clinical introduction of radiopharmaceuticals.
• Target-discovery or target development of radiopharmaceuticals
• Research phase: Basic research, Preclinical and Clinical studies
• Projects with no link to clinically relevant issues experienced by patients
• Private parties as Lead Institute
• Industry sponsored trials

Terms and conditions

• The KWF Kankerbestrijding Funding Conditions 2025 and the KWF Kankerbestrijding Auditor's Protocol 2025 apply. See Funding & Application Documents.
• The format in GMS is leading for budget requests.
• The exchange of expertise, materials or techniques must be documented in an appropriate agreement, such as a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA), or a service agreement or by an invoice, as applicable. Where KWF approval is required, the relevant agreements must be submitted in accordance with the project-specific conditions specified in the Funding Decision.
• Where multiple project parties are involved, their collaboration must be formalised in a Collaboration Agreement (CA). Agreements concerning the ownership, use or (commercial) exploitation of project results, whether included in the CA or in a separate agreement, must be submitted to KWF for approval before the start of the project. Such agreements must comply with the applicable KWF Funding Conditions.
• If patients or patient representatives contribute to the project, costs for patient participation during the project can be requested under budget category 6. For detailed eligibility rules, see §7.2.6 of the Funding Conditions 2025 and Appendix 1, Main Category 6 - Patient Participation of the FAQ KWF Funding. See Funding & Application Documents.
• At least 0.5 FTE scientific staff is required
• The budget for external expertise can be requested in GMS as a 'service provider'.  KWF applies maximum hourly rates for hiring freelancers (external hire). The maximum hourly rates can be found in the KWF Tarievenbeleid 2026. See Funding & Application Documents. These are the maximum hourly rates including all other costs (travel expenses, parking fees, travel hours, etc.). Quotes for external service providers must be submitted, specifying the effort in hours. 
• A letter of intent/support is mandatory if a commercial partner is involved in the project as co-funder or participating party. 

Recommendations and considerations 

• Applicants are encouraged to collaborate within one consortium project.
• Selected projects may be embedded in a national TRT network.
• The consortia are encouraged to include a strategy for effective collaboration and communication within multidisciplinary teams. Where relevant, this may involve collaboration with communication sciences expertise, innovation sciences or other relevant disciplines to support multidisciplinary working methods, shared understanding and knowledge exchange across the consortium.
• The reuse of existing data and human biological materials with associated clinical data is strongly encouraged. Examples include data from registries, such as quality registries, the Netherlands Cancer Registry and procedure registries, as well as clinical biobanks, cohorts or the secondary use of diagnostic samples, such as PALGA samples. The reuse of research data, including omics data, is also encouraged. If the collection of new clinical data and/or human biological material is necessary, it is preferred to organise this through existing clinical biobanks or cohorts wherever possible.
• The scope of the TRT Biology call may overlap with the scope of the KWF Exploration Call 2027-1. However, the funding decision of the 2027-1 EXPL Call will be made after the closure of the TRT Biology call. Therefore, projects submitted to the Exploration Call 2027-1 and selected for the full proposal phase will be offered the opportunity to withdraw their proposal in the EXPL Call 2027-1 and submit a proposal in the TRT Biology call.

Indicative budget and duration

Total budget: € 3,000,000
Indicative budget per proposal: € 700,000 to € 3,000,000 including VAT
Duration: 4 years

Apply for funding 

The application procedure consists of a pre-proposal and full-proposal phase. Both should be submitted through our Grant Management System (KWF GMS) before their corresponding deadlines (see Timeline below). 

After reviewing the pre-proposals, applicants will be informed of the results. Only applicants with a positively evaluated pre-proposal will be invited to submit a full proposal.

PLEASE NOTE: Participating institutes not yet registered must submit a request through KWF-GMS at least 6 weeks prior to the call's closing date. 

Timeline

Review process

The review process comprises various stages, including internal review by KWF, a board review by our (inter)national TRT Biology review committee and external review by (inter)national referees. The following criteria apply when assessing project proposals: scientific quality, feasibility, relevance to KWF’s mission goals, and the patient perspective. 

Additionally, the full proposal will also be reviewed by the patient advocacy committee (PACO).

Patient Advisory Committee 

The Patient Advisory Committee (PACO) plays a vital role in evaluating applications from the patient’s perspective. This committee ensures that the needs and experiences of patients are appropriately considered in project proposals. To ensure that patient involvement is properly assessed and given due importance, at least one PACO member will take part in the (inter)national TRT Biology review committee.