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Funding opportunities

This page contains a list of current funding opportunities offered by other societies, associations and organisations.  If you would like to advertise a funding opportunity on this page, please contact our Education & Careers Officer, Eolan Healy.

Funding opportunities are removed once the application deadline has passed.

You may also find it useful to have a look at our jobs board. In addition to the specific opportunities below, the following websites contain information on sources of funding.

For information relating to funding postgraduate courses and research in the UK:

For information on research funding and fellowship opportunities at all levels in the UK and internationally:

Funding Opportunities

JDRF UK Small Grant Awards – Call for applications

Introduction

JDRF UK Small Grant Awards offer competitive funding to support excellent proposals which meet the following:

  • new research or innovation with a clear impact pathway that has the potential to deliver significant contribution to the understanding of type 1 diabetes
  • leads on to further research or clinical practice change
  • gather critical data and resources to make novel research ideas more competitive for larger follow-on funding in the field of type 1 diabetes
  • take into consideration the views and needs of people with type 1 diabetes
  • supports the development of early career researchers (basic scientists, clinicians or healthcare professionals including allied health professionals)
  • Applications related to COVID-19 will not be given priority nor be treated more favourably.


Eligibility criteria

JDRF UK Small Grant Awards is open to basic scientists, clinicians or health professionals (including allied health professionals) within ten years post PhD or post professional qualification for healthcare professionals. Established clinicians who are more than 3 years from completion of certificate of training are not eligible. Allowance will be made for applicants whose career has been subject to an interruption for family or personal reasons.

  • The principal investigator must be affiliated with UK academic or medical institutions and have a contract of employment which extends beyond the termination date of the award.
  • The research must be carried out in the UK.
  • These awards are open for clinical and basic research with equal priority. Preference will be given to collaborative research.

Output of the study

A written report will be requested three months after the end of the project including plans to seek further funding / develop the findings from the project. A follow up report will also be requested 18 months after the end of the project including final results, publication(s) resulting from the research and outcomes of applications for future funding or future development.

Patient and Public Involvement

JDRF believe that involving people affected by medical conditions strengthens the quality and relevance of medical research and people living with type 1 diabetes are at the heart of what they do at JDRF UK. Therefore the views and needs of people living with type 1 diabetes should be taken in to account as well as how the project may be of benefit to people living with – or with a connection to type 1 diabetes. It is important to write a clear non-scientific summary because people with a personnel connection to type 1 diabetes are involved in the review process.

How will the application be assessed?

JDRF UK Small Grant Awards scheme involves a one-step assessment process. All applications will be assessed by JDRF Scientific Advisory Council (SAC) to ensure a minimum quality threshold has been passed. The SAC includes lay members with a connection to type 1 diabetes, healthcare professionals and researchers in equal numbers.

The following criteria will be considered during the assessment of the applications:

  • Relevance of the project to people living with type 1, their views and their needs
  • Clarity of the project question
  • Applicant suitability and track record / What impact will it have on the applicant’s career
  • How will the project be taken forward?
  • Value for money
Closing Date:
Source:
JDRF
External link:
Further information
Developmental pathway funding scheme

You can apply for funding from this scheme for academically led pre-clinical development and early clinical testing of novel therapeutics, devices and diagnostics, including repurposing of existing therapies.

Awards are made every year and there are deadlines every four months. They generally fund 80% of the full economic costs of your research, and your research organisation must agree to find the balance.

You can apply for funding for work in:

  • candidate therapeutic entities, for example drug discovery
  • vaccines for infectious or non-infectious disease
  • novel biologics (antibodies, peptides, proteins)
  • advanced therapeutics (gene therapy, T-cell therapy, etc)
  • regenerative medicine
  • repurposing clinical studies, using existing therapies for new indications
  • novel devices
  • diagnostics (including biomarker validation)
  • novel medical imaging technology
  • new surgical techniques or tools
  • behavioural and psychological interventions
  • digital healthcare, app development, enabled devices, artificial intelligence enabled diagnosis
  • radiotherapy and radiation protocols
  • interventions that benefit health in low- and middle-income countries.
Closing Date:
Source:
UKRI/MRC
External link:
Further information
The Medical Research Foundation’s 2021 Emerging Leaders Prize

The Medical Research Foundation’s 2021 Emerging Leaders Prize will celebrate outstanding scientists whose research has made a significant impact in the fight against COVID-19.

£200,000 of flexible funding will be awarded to the winners, helping them to advance their COVID-19 research and their research careers.

Each year our Emerging Leaders Prize celebrates the achievements of researchers working on a different research theme. The prize funding provides a springboard for the winners’ careers and ensures they can continue to tackle key health challenges – both now and long into the future.

This year’s Emerging Leaders Prize applicants may have conducted COVID-19 research related to (but not limited to) the following scientific areas: virology, viral phylogenetics, epidemiology, immunology, viral transmission, neuroscience, clinical symptoms and management, cardiology, stroke, vaccine development, therapeutic development, long-term effects of COVID-19 including Paediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome temporally associated with COVID-19 (PIMS-TS) and ‘Long-COVID’, and child, adolescent or adult mental health.

To be eligible for a prize, the applicant’s contributions to the pandemic must be research-based and not service-based, for instance setting up diagnostic laboratories or vaccine infrastructure.

The funding is flexible, meaning that the winners decide how best to use it. This could mean spending time in a lab overseas, buying a cutting-edge piece of technology for their research, or investing in their personal career development.

The research supported in this competition is possible thanks to the legacy from the estate of Professor Victor Louis Ménage and Mrs Johanna Alicia Ménage. In previous years, our Emerging Leaders Prize has recognised researchers working in the fields of pain, antimicrobial resistance, adolescent mental health and lupus research.

Closing Date:
Source:
Medical Research Foundation
External link:
Further information
H C Roscoe grant for research into viral diseases of the respiratory system

The BMA Foundation for Medical Research awards research grants each year (totalling approximately £780,000) to encourage and further medical research in a variety of areas. One of these grants, the HC Roscoe, is to assist research into the elimination of the common cold and/or other viral diseases of the human respiratory system. Applications are invited from UK-registered medical practitioners or research scientists working in the UK, and can be for either research in progress or prospective research.

The Foundation would like to raise awareness of the availability of this grant to as wide an audience as possible. Given the scope of your organisation we would be grateful if you could promote the availability of this grant to interested individuals.

In 2021, the HC Roscoe grant will be awarded for an amount up to £65,000. This grant, and other BMA Foundation grants will be available to apply for online on the BMA Foundation website from 01 March 2021. 

Closing Date:
Source:
BMA Foundation
External link:
Further information
MRC Infections and immunity new investigator research grants

These Infections and Immunity Board grants are for researchers who are ready to take the next step towards becoming an independent principal investigator with clear host institution support.

There is no limit to the funding that you can request but the amount should be appropriate to the project. You must also be able to justify why you need this amount to deliver the objectives of your research. Typically awards are up to £1 million and will usually fund up to 80% of your project’s full economic cost.

New investigator research grants usually last three years and fund up to 50% of your salary.

The new investigator research grant is aimed at researchers who are capable of becoming independent principal investigators and who are now ready to take the next step towards that goal. You do not need a specific number of years postdoctoral experience to be eligible to apply.

Research funded includes, but is not limited to, the following areas:

  • discovery research relating to human pathogens, pathogenicity, antimicrobial resistance, host pathogen responses including inflammation and the development function and disorders of the immune system where this informs mechanism of disease. Immune disease including allergy (except asthma and other organ-based disorders), transplantation immunology, systemic immune disorders and auto-immune disease. Including use of in silico systems, relevant animal models and experimental studies in humans throughout the lifecourse
  • population-level research, using epidemiological, genetic and omic approaches, and computational modelling to elucidate disease risks, aetiologies and progression, and to understand the evolution of pathogen populations and epidemic preparedness
  • research to inform novel strategies for preventing and controlling infectious and immune disease, including vector control, predictive modelling and early development research to inform future intervention strategies including vaccines.
Closing Date:
Source:
UKRI/MRC
External link:
Further information
BactiVac Catalyst Funding for Pump-Priming Projects - Round 5

Round 5 of BactiVac Network catalyst funding for pump priming projects is available to support our members in bacterial vaccinology to explore new approaches and strategies to advance their vaccines in partnership with LMICs and industry, and acquire the data to support substantive funding applications. 

This catalyst funding scheme will be run up to August 2022 with calls for proposals prioritising projects that:

  • Facilitate onward progression of bacterial vaccines along the pipeline to licensure
  • Offer robust solutions to overcome the difficult preclinical to clinical transition
  • Advance the ability to tackle the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
  • Involve BactiVac partnerships, particularly new partnerships, with a long-term work plan
  • Include LMICs and/or industrial partners
  • Demonstrate a clear pathway to impact
  • Have realistic plans in place to demonstrate intellectual property (IP) has been considered
  • Include plans for achieving further substantive funding at the end of the project


The catalyst funds are flexible, typically up to £50,000 and expect to provide deliverables within 6 months post-award. The BactiVac Network will be able to provide additional advice as to where to access follow-on funding and how to progress the project.

 

 

Closing Date:
Source:
BactiVac Network
External link:
Further information
BMA Foundation for Medical Research – grant categories 2019

All the BMA Foundation for Medical Research grants have National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) partnership status.

Closing Date:
Varied
Source:
British Medical Association
External link:
Further informaiton
Medical Research Council (MRC) - variety of fellowships, career development awards and research grants

A variety of fellowships, career development awards and research grants opportunities offered by the Medical Research Council.

Closing Date:
Varied
Source:
Medical Research Council
External link:
Further information
GUTS UK: Grants & Awards

GUTS UK are pleased to announce some new and varied research funding opportunities: 

  • GUTS UK/BSG trainee reserach awards
  • GUTS UK development grants
  • GUTS UK nutrition development grants
  • GUTS UK/FORCROHNS development grants
  • The GUTS UK Derek Butler Fellowship
  • GUTS UK Amelie Waring Fellowship
  • GUTS UK/BSPGHAN grants
  • Olympus/GUTS UK Fellowship
  • Parabola/ GUTS UK colorectal cancer research grant
  • GUTS UK/ DR FALK awards
Closing Date:
Varied
Source:
GUTS UK
External link:
Further Information
The Advanced Leadership Program

The Advanced Leadership Program is a high-impact and challenging developmental experience for elite female leaders. Over a career-defining, twelve-month journey, participants engage in a deep exploration of their own strengths and weaknesses as they relate to building and leading highly effective organisational communities. Purpose designed to stretch experienced leaders beyond their comfort zone, the ALP challenges participants to develop their critical thinking abilities and begin to unlock their full leadership potential. 


The program employs a multifaceted learning approach based on expert guidance, peer collaboration, self-analysis, experiential exercises and practical application. Theoretical exploration is continually overlaid with real-world experience to ensure that participants develop the adaptive skills needed to confidently overcome future challenges. This process is further enhanced through a combination of executive coaching and peer group mentoring, enabling participants to cultivate valuable peer level networks, build their self-confidence and hone the skills to lead at the highest levels.


Segmented into eleven key themes, the Advanced Leadership Program engages participants in a comprehensive exploration of the responsibilities and opportunities of senior leadership. Through exploring previous experiences, participants gain a deeper understanding of their innate drivers and derailers and develop the skills to take a more adaptive approach to current and future challenges.

Encompassing a sophisticated blend of synchronous and asynchronous learning, the ALP immerses participants in a multilayered development journey designed to ensure maximum individual impact. Coordinated via our state of the art learning management system, the program provides powerful and accessible learning.

All applicants enrolling into the Advanced Leadership Program must satisfy WLI’s admissions criteria and adhere to standard admissions policies and procedures. Enrolments are at the discretion of the WLI Admissions Department. Enrolment details may be obtained by contacting the WLI Admissions Department.

£2,500 Scholarships are available for this program

Closing Date:
Ongoing
Source:
Women and Leadership International
External link:
Further Information

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