Guiding principles for our research events and conferences

Our research events are designed to showcase cutting-edge science, bring together an international scientific community and facilitate collaborations. 

We've prioritised embedding equality, diversity and inclusion, health and safety, patient and public involvement and environmental sustainability across all our research activities.

We want to provide welcoming and inclusive research events where we inspire, inform and engage a range of researchers and promote a positive research culture for everyone. In the planning and execution of our events, we will:

• bring together an international scientific community to facilitate collaborations and promote a positive research culture for our researchers, clinicians and partners
• showcase diverse speakers from across the globe who represent the breadth of talent and innovative research needed to beat cancer
• create an inclusive, accessible space for all attendees where patients, researchers and clinicians at all career stages, will thrive and learn

To support an inclusive and safe environment for attendees, we've also developed our own code of conduct to set out expectations for everyone involved in our research events.

We work closely with venues to ensure the health and safety of all our attendees. Sanitising stations are available throughout conference rooms and we provide sanitiser at our registration desks.

In certain instances, we may hire HEPA filters to improve the quality of air filtration at a venue. Face masks and COVID-19 tests are also available onsite should attendees wish to use these.

We believe it is crucial to involve people affected by cancer when planning and delivering our research events. These interactions between researchers and patient representatives can generate valuable insights and foster future collaborations. 

• inviting patient advocates to sit on our programme committees to help influence and shape event agendas
• organising and delivering specific patient and public involvement sessions where relevant
• inviting patient advocates to speak, chair and/or facilitate sessions to share their personal perspectives as people with lived experience of cancer 
• applying and sharing what we learn from our patient representatives to influence and shape our future research and events

When involving patient and public representatives in our research events, we will support travel and accommodation costs where possible, and offer an honorarium for those speaking.

As a charity, we’re committed to reducing our direct and indirect emissions (scopes 1, 2 and 3) by 50% by 2030, and reaching net zero by 2050.  We recognise our role as a funder of research in driving a greener and more efficient research system to reduce the impact on the environment of the research we fund.  

At our research events, we aim, where feasible, to: 

• offer a calendar of annual events that include virtual webinars or events with a hybrid option or recordings to reduce travel
• encourage attendees to use public transport to attend conferences
• look for venues that provide environmentally friendly menus, recycling options, and avoid single use plastics
• reduce printed materials by providing digital alternatives
• use eco-friendly, FSC Certified, responsibly sourced badges that use recyclable card and do not require a plastic holder
• ensure all our event materials are eco-friendly and where possible, reusable at future events