Funding Opportunities (Projects and Programmes)

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.

NIHR Health Services and Delivery Research Programme – Commissioned Closing Date: 17/01/2013

The Health Services and Delivery Research (HS&DR) Programme invites research proposals to improve the quality, effectiveness and accessibility of the NHS in the following areas:

• Evaluating new models of care for people with long-term conditions.

NIHR Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) programme – competition 20 Closing Date: 23/01/2013

The NIHR RfPB Programme invites applications for applied research projects to provide benefit for NHS patients and other users of health and social care services, including for this call, Applied Clinical Research on Very Rare Diseases. RfPB is a nationally co-ordinated funding stream for regionally commissioned research, which supports research into day-to-day practice of health service staff that can achieve improvements in patient care. Projects are funded to a maximum of £350k for up to 36 months.

Heath Technology Assessment Programme – Management of sciatica Closing Date: 01/02/2013

The NIHR Heath Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme invites research proposals that provide information about the effectiveness, costs and broader impact of healthcare treatments and tests. Outline research proposals are sought on the following topic:

• Management of sciatica (lumbosacral radiculopathy) and suspected sciatica.

Funding Opportunities (Fellowships)

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.

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 RoyalColleges 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.

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.

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.

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.

Funding Opportunities (Studentships)

Heart Research UK Novel and emerging technologies grant Closing date: 01 April 2013

Heart Research UK invites applications for its novel and emerging technologies grant. In addition to research costs, the grant may include support for attending a conference, dissemination of research findings, and a PhD studentship consisting of a stipend of up to £16,000 per year and research costs up to £5,000 per year. The maximum funding amount available is £200,000.

Motor Neurone Disease Association PhD studentship Closing date: 03 May 2013

The Motor Neurone Disease Association invites applications for its PhD studentships. This scheme aims to attract promising science graduates to develop a career in motor neurone disease-related biomedical research. Applications should be submitted by prospective supervisors based in UK laboratories. The association welcomes collaborative projects between departments. Supervisors should recruit and nominate the student of their choice, who should hold, or expect to obtain, a first or upper second class honours degree. Awards will be offered for three years and will consist of:

• a student stipend of £16,000 for the first year (£17,000 in London), which will be increased in £500 increments for each of the following two years;
• £8,000 per annum for laboratory expenses;
• a total budget of £1,000 over three years for conference attendance;
• relevant tuition/bench fees for UK students.

Parkinson’s UK PhD studentship Closing date: 07 June 2013

Parkinson’s UK invites applications for its PhD studentships. These are offered to outstanding students undertaking research into Parkinson’s. Funding is available over three years to students based at UK higher education institutions and provides:

• a stipend of £15,000 per year (or £16,000 per year if in London);
• full PhD tuition fees at the UK/EU rate;
• a contribution of up to £10,000 per year towards research costs

Medical Research Council Industrial CASE studentships Closing Date: 26^th July 2013 (FORECAST)

CASE studentships aim to provide PhD students with a challenging training experience within the context of a mutually beneficial collaboration between academic and non-academic partner organisations. Industrial CASE studentships are based at the academic institution, but must spend part of their time with the non-academic partner. This period must be a minimum of three months.

Funding for MRC studentships is provided to research organisations, such as universities, who select outstanding candidates for projects with leading researchers.

We do not fund students directly, so prospective students should contact the institution at which they wish to study.

Applications must demonstrate a relevance to MRC’s health mission