Funding Opportunities (Projects and Programmes)
1. NIHR Public Health Research Programme – physical activity in older people
Closing Date: 29/11/2012, 1pm
The Public Health Research Programme invites research proposal to investigate interventions that maintain and/or increase physical activity levels, as people move into older age. Research proposals should:
- seek to demonstrate which interventions would help maintain and/or increase physical activity in older people
- consider social, psychological, behavioural, and environmental factors.
Primary research or evidence synthesis studies may be proposed. For primary research, a health related primary outcome measurement be specified.
The closing date for submissions is 29 November 2012, 1pm.
2. NIHR Public Health Research Programme – commissioned call
Closing date: 11/12/2012, 1pm
The Public Health Research Programme invites research proposal in the following areas:
- Nutrition in early years
- Transport related childhood injuries.
The closing date for submissions is 11 December 2012, 1pm.
3. NIHR HTA Programme – Researcher-led Proposals
Closing Date: 07/01/2013
Our researcher-led calls are open all year round, with three application cut-off dates. The next closing date for applications is 1pm on Monday 7 January 2013. Application forms and all associated documents for this call are available on the HTA Programme website.
**For this call, we are particularly interested in receiving proposals assessing very rare diseases.
This drive for research proposals is part of an NIHR-wide call to increase research in this area. The specification document is available on the HTA website.**
Proposals deemed within remit for the current call will be assessed for their importance to the NHS in March 2013 and May 2013. Applicants will be advised as to whether they have been short-listed by the end of August 2013.
4. NIHR HTA Programme – Primary Research Commissioned calls
Closing Date: 06/12/2012, 1pm
The Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme invites research proposals about the effectiveness, costs and broader impact of healthcare treatments.
Primary Research proposals are sought on the following topics:
- Culturally relevant interventions for obesity in children (Feasibility study)
- HIV testing among black African adults in theUK(Feasibility study)
- Interventions to reduce alcohol consumption in obese men (Feasibility study)
- Diagnosis and management of bladder outlet obstruction in men
- Contrast enhanced ultrasound in the surveillance of endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair
- Early detection of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
- The early identification of relapse in Crohn’s disease
- Hydrotherapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Feasibility study)
- Pressure garment therapy for the prevention of abnormal scarring after burn injury (Feasibility study)
- Clinical and cost-effectiveness of tonsillectomy in adults
- Aspirin for leg ulcers
- Group support for people with leg ulcers
- Brief intervention for chronic non-specific cough in children (Feasibility study)
- An interventional package for parents of excessively crying infants.
The deadline for outline proposals is 1pm on Thursday 6 December 2012.
Funding Opportunities (Fellowships)
1. Medical Research Council New investigator research grants – infections and immunity
Closing date: 08 January 2013
The Medical Research Council invites applications for its new investigator research grants in infections and immunity. Applicants must be based at a UK institution and hold a PhD, DPhil or an MD. They should either be at the start of their first lecturer appointment and have a minimum of three years post qualification research experience or be in a senior postdoctoral position and have between three and 10 years post qualification research experience. Awards are worth up to £600,000, usually for a period of three years, but applications for a longer period of time are accepted. MRC will usually meet up to 80 per cent of the full economic cost.
2. Medical Research Council and other Funders
Jointly funded clinical research training fellowships
Closing date: 15 January 2013
The Medical Research Council invites applications for its jointly funded clinical research training fellowships. In addition to standard clinical research training fellowships, opportunities for jointly funded fellowships are provided through collaborations with Royal Colleges and charities. In the next funding round, joint funding will potentially be available with:
- Alzheimer’s Society: up to two fellowships may be funded each year;
- Asthma UK;
- British Association of Dermatologists/British Skin Foundation;
- British Infection Association;
- British Lung Foundation/Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Fund;
- Chronic Granulomatous Disorder Society;
- Cystic Fibrosis Trust;
- Fight for Sight;
- Kidney Research UK: two fellowships will be awarded each year;
- MND Association Lady Edith Wolfson fellowships;
- Multiple Sclerosis Society;
- Novo Nordisk UK Research Foundation;
- Pancreatic Cancer UK;
- The Prostate Cancer UK;
- Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists;
- Royal College of Ophthalmologists/Novartis;
- Royal College of Physicians/Dinwoodie Trust;
- Royal College of Radiologists;
- Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh);
- Sparks: up to two fellowships will be awarded;
- Stroke Association: up to two fellowships will be awarded;
- Target Ovarian Cancer;
- Ulverscroft Vision Research Group;
- Welsh Assembly: two fellowships will be awarded each year.
Any jointly funded fellowships will be offered under standard MRC terms and conditions and at the same funding level as standard clinical research training fellowships. Additional eligibility criteria relating to college membership, clinical training, experience and qualifications may apply: potential applicants should visit the website of the organisation providing funding.
3. European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology Research Fellowships
Closing date: 01 March 2013
The European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology invites nominations for its research fellowships. These enable young paediatricians or scientists to undertake research training for up to two years in a centre of excellence outside their current institution. Short-term fellowships last for two to six months, while long-term research fellowships last for two years. Long-term research fellowships are worth up to €53,600 annually, while short term fellowships are worth up to €13,400 in total. At least six months or up to the full long-term fellowship must be spent in an institution in a foreign country. Each applicant should be fully trained in paediatrics, have received clinical endocrine training at their present institution and be in need of additional specialised research training. Researchers who completed a PhD not longer than four years ago may also apply for long-term research grants. Each applicant should be proposed by their current supervisor or head of department, who must be an ESPE member. All grants are reserved for European researchers.
4. Medical Research Council Clinician scientist fellowship
Closing date: 9 April 2013
The Medical Research Council invites applications for its clinician scientist fellowships. The scheme aims to develop outstanding medically and other clinically qualified professionals to establish themselves as independent researchers. Applicants must demonstrate a rigourous and insightful approach to research, and the ability to relate their research to clinical medicine and to the improvement of health. The following fellowships are available:
- the MRC clinician scientist fellowship is a postdoctoral clinical fellowship providing up to four years’ support. There is also a patient-oriented version of the scheme that provides up to five years’ support and is intended for research which requires up to 40 per cent of the fellow’s time to be spent in clinical work. At least 50 per cent of this clinical work should be of direct relevance to the research project;
- the MRC/Academy of Medical Sciences tenure-track clinician scientist fellowship is designed to support career development and promote recruitment into clinical academic medicine. This award provides up to five years’ support;
- MRC/MND Association Lady Edith Wolfson fellowships enable clinicians to pursue research into the pathogenesis and treatment of motor neurone disease.
Each of the above awards provide the opportunity to spend time in an overseas research centre, UK industry, or a second research centre, for a period of up to one year to receive training that cannot be achieved as effectively within the academic host institution.
The clinician scientist and patient-oriented clinician scientist fellowships are open to hospital doctors, dentists, general practitioners, nurses, midwives and members of the allied health professions. The MRC/Academy of Medical Sciences tenure-track clinician scientist fellowship is open only to hospital doctors, dentists and general practitioners. Medical or dental graduates should be of speciality registrar or consultant status. Nurses, midwives and other allied health professionals must have completed their professional training. All applicants must have obtained a PhD, DPhil or MD in a basic science or clinical research project. All nationalities are eligible to apply.
Fellowships cover salary, support staff, consumables, travel and capital equipment under full economic costs.
5. Medical Research Council Senior clinical fellowship
Closing date: 9 April 2013
The Medical Research Council invites applications for its senior clinical fellowship. This aims to develop outstanding medically and other clinically qualified professionals to become research leaders. There are two types of fellowship:
- the MRC senior clinical fellowship, which provides the salary of the senior clinical fellow who will be an employee of the host institution.
- MRC/MND Association Lady Edith Wolfson fellowship which enables clinicians to pursue research into the pathogenesis and treatment of motor neurone disease.
Each of the awards provide the opportunity to spend time in an overseas research centre, UK industry, or a second research centre, for a period of up to one year to receive training that cannot be achieved as effectively within the academic host institution.
Clinical applicants should hold a PhD/DPhil or MD and will have at least three years’ relevant postdoctoral research experience. The scheme is open to hospital doctors, dentists, general practitioners, nurses, midwives and members of the allied health professions. There are no residence eligibility restrictions.
Funding may cover research support staff, research consumables expenses and capital equipment appropriate for the research project, an annual travel allowance, and other appropriate items under full economic cost. Support is provided for five years.