For fighting the deadly disease called cancer, New Zealand and Singapore have teamed up.

A joint initiative to fund cancer research was announced recently by the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) and the Singapore Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

To support research into cancer through a joint research initiative, the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, A*STAR, Singapore, more than NZ$2 million has been awarded.

To Crown Research Institutes, research associations and private companies, the initiative was open in New Zealand.

The initiative supports applicants to engage in research activities that will produce gains for New Zealand and Singapore, and offer significant leverage to build New Zealand's health research capacity.

Proposals from New Zealand and Singapore-based public research organizations was what the joint fund was open to and it includes universities and institutes supported by the HRC and A*STAR.

To facilitate research programmes of joint interest, the partnership is part of the HRC's work on the development of international funding partnerships with other countries.

Experts believe that joint work would yield positive results in the field of cancer research.