The National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) was set up in 2001 with a mission to bring together all the key players in research in the UK to identify where research is most needed and where it is most likely to contribute to progress.

15 organisations formed the original NCRI Partnership, each contributing funding to support a small team. The early work was to provide a forum to build connections between Partners, and to establish a database of cancer research funding to understand areas of strength and weakness in the UK.

In the years that followed, the role has grown and diversified to address some of the challenges that were identified, and to deliver activities that support the development of the research community. These activities include a thriving annual conference, clinical studies groups for researchers to collaborate on trial development, and a range of initiatives to boost activity within particular strands of research.

More than ten years on, NCRI's Partner organisations collectively spend more than £490m on cancer research each year. 

Today, The National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) is a UK-wide partnership between cancer research funders, which promotes collaboration in the field. The research institute's role is to promote co-operation in cancer research for the benefit of patients, the public and the scientific community. They focus on challenging areas of research where partners can achieve greater progress by working together.