Researchers from The Institute of Cancer Research, London, attended a prestigious ceremony at St James’s Palace today to mark the formal presentation of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Higher and Further Education (previously known as the Queen’s Anniversary Prize).
The national honour recognises excellence, innovation and demonstrable benefit in UK higher and further education. It is the country’s highest civilian award for achievement in this field, celebrating the profound impact that UK institutions can have on society.
This year, The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) was honoured for its sustained, world-leading contributions to radiotherapy research and education, which have shaped clinical practice, driven innovation across disciplines and improved outcomes for patients around the world.
The award acknowledges the ICR’s long‑standing commitment to integrating scientific discovery with training and skills development – ensuring that radiotherapy research remains at the cutting edge, shaping global practice while nurturing the next generation of scientific leaders.
It also marks the third such prize for the ICR. The institute was previously recognised in 2017 for its outstanding contribution to the discovery of new cancer drugs and in 2023 for its innovative work in breast cancer research.
A tribute to radiotherapy research and teaching at the ICR
The ICR’s award reflects more than a century of pioneering discoveries in radiotherapy, often in collaboration with the ICR’s clinical partner, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. The institute has had a central role in transforming radiotherapy from a relatively rudimentary, imprecise treatment into a highly targeted, sophisticated and personalised modality that is now used to treat millions of patients worldwide.
Recent breakthroughs from ICR scientists have included new approaches both to adapting radiotherapy plans during treatment as tumours move or shrink and to understanding biological responses to radiotherapy. Alongside this, their work has led to improvements in proton beam therapy targeting and next generation imaging tools that detect subtle changes in tumour biology. The ICR has also led many practice-changing clinical trials that have made treatment regimens more efficient, reducing hospital visits for patients and lowering costs for the NHS.
These achievements build on the ICR’s long legacy in radiotherapy, which includes discoveries that laid the foundations for intensity-modulated radiotherapy, stereotactic radiotherapy and radiosensitising drugs.
These innovations have helped ensure that radiotherapy remains one of the most potent and commonly used cancer treatments. Today, four in every 10 cancer patients who are cured of their disease will have received radiotherapy as part of their treatment.
Today’s recognition also celebrates the ICR’s unique educational environment – one in which biologists, physicists, chemists, computer scientists and clinicians work side by side, combining their expertise to propel radiotherapy research forwards. This multidisciplinary approach is embedded in everything from postgraduate training and clinical fellowships to specialty academic training for NHS partners.
Celebration at St James’s Palace
The ceremony at St James’s Palace brought together leaders from across education, science, medicine, engineering and public life. Representatives from prize-winning institutions met with members of the Royal Family, who congratulated the recipients and spoke about the importance of world-leading education and training to the UK’s future prosperity.
Held in the Palace’s historic State Rooms , the event highlighted the breadth of disciplines recognised through the prize cycle. This year’s recipients, including the ICR, showcased how higher and further education can deliver direct benefits to society through technological innovation, cultural enrichment, improved public health and global knowledge exchange.
Guests also had the opportunity to meet fellows, students, apprentices and early career researchers who have benefited from the programmes, courses and training initiatives recognised by the prizes.
Recognising outstanding innovation in higher education
The Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Higher and Further Education form part of the UK national honours system and are presented biennially by a senior member of the Royal Family. First awarded in 1994, the prizes are granted every two years by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister following a rigorous and independent process of review carried out by the Royal Anniversary Trust, an independent charity.
The Prizes are awarded to universities and colleges across the UK whose work demonstrates excellence, originality and wide-reaching societal benefit. Crucially, the prizes recognise the institution as a whole, rather than individual researchers – highlighting collective achievement across departments, professional services and education teams.
Much of the research recognised by the award was funded by the ICR, which is both a research institute and a charity. Additional financial support was provided by Cancer Research UK and various government funding bodies – including the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at The Royal Marsden and the ICR and the Medical Research Council, which funded the installation of the MR Linac with a £10 million grant to the ICR.
Looking ahead: a continuing legacy of discovery and learning
Receiving the Queen Elizabeth Prize marks not an endpoint, but a milestone in the ICR’s mission to defeat cancer. It serves both as a tribute to the breakthroughs that have already transformed radiotherapy and as a springboard for the next generation of discoveries.
Researchers at the ICR continue to explore new frontiers in radiotherapy, including novel radiotherapy-drug combinations, precision radiotherapy guided by advanced imaging, and personalised treatment plans that maximise effectiveness while limiting side effects.
With an ever-increasing number of new tools at their disposal – including artificial intelligence, machine learning–based image analysis, new particle beam technologies and biological profiling of tumours – researchers are poised to develop even more personalised and effective radiotherapy strategies.
These research aims are supported by a strong educational strategy designed to equip future clinicians and researchers with the knowledge, skills and collaborative mindset needed to accelerate progress.
A proud day for the ICR
Today’s ceremony at St James’s Palace was a moment of celebration and pride for the ICR. In officially recognising the ICR’s role as a world-leading institution at the intersection of research and education, it fortified the institute’s ongoing mission to make the discoveries that defeat cancer.
Professor Kevin Harrington, Head of the Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging at the ICR, said:
“We are deeply honoured to receive the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Higher and Further Education. Radiotherapy is one of the most important tools we have for treating cancer, and this award recognises generations of scientists, clinicians, educators and technical specialists whose combined efforts have helped redefine what this treatment can achieve.
“At the ICR, we have always believed that combining disciplines is the key to major breakthroughs, and radiotherapy is one of the clearest examples of that. Today’s prize reflects the power of innovation when different areas of science come together with a shared goal: to give people with cancer better outcomes and a better quality of life.”
Professor Kristian Helin, Chief Executive of the ICR, said:
“We are incredibly proud to accept this national honour, which is a testament to the extraordinary dedication of our staff and collaborators, and to the positive impact their work has on people with cancer around the world.
“Our mission has always been driven by the conviction that pioneering research must go hand in hand with excellence in training. We are committed to creating an environment where scientific discovery directly informs education – providing students, researchers and clinicians with the skills to deliver tomorrow’s breakthroughs.
“While the challenges ahead are considerable, so too are the opportunities. Radiotherapy will continue to evolve rapidly, and with the right support, we can continue to deliver treatments that are increasingly precise, personalised and effective for patients.”
Celebrating and championing work across the UK
This year’s ceremony continued the long tradition of celebrating UK institutions that have made unique contributions to national and global life. Over the past 30 years, the prizes have recognised achievements across a wide range of fields, including health and medicine, pure and applied science, engineering, the arts, education, social sciences and environmental research.
The current round of the awards – the 16th – saw a total of 19 prizes being announced on 25 November 2025.
Science Minister, Lord Patrick Vallance, said:
"Cancer touches millions of lives, from those living with it to those caring for others. It is vital that we continue to support work which advances treatment and minimises side effects. This pioneering and globally important work from the ICR highlights how British research expertise backed by government funding is delivering real change and support for people who are going through the most difficult period of their life."
Sir Damon Buffini, Chair of the Royal Anniversary Trust, said:
“The Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Higher and Further Education celebrate the power of education to change the world for the better. This much-loved national honour recognises, at the highest level of state, outstanding work in UK universities and colleges, and the remarkable benefit they bring to our economy, society and the wider world.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer congratulated the prize-winners, saying:
“Your work is improving lives, growing our economy and helping to shape a fairer, more prosperous future. I would like to thank all the winners commended this year for their commitment, creativity and contribution to our nation.”