research grant uk

Welcome to the UKRI gateway to publicly funded research and innovation

Search for and analyse information on the latest innovative research in the uk.

Internet Explorer is no longer supported by Microsoft. To browse the NIHR site please use a modern, secure browser like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge.

Funding opportunities

View our current funding opportunities. Use the filters below to find the opportunities most relevant to you. Get information to help you fund your research , including eligibility, support and tips.

Filter results

• Department of Health and Social Care (1)
• Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (5)
• Evidence Synthesis (2)
• Fellowship Programme (3)
• Global Health Research (3)
• Health and Social Care Delivery Research (4)
• Health Technology Assessment (22)
• In-Practice Fellowship (0)
• Integrated Academic Training Programme (5)
• Integrated Clinical Academic Programme (2)
• Invention for Innovation (2)
• Leaders Support and Development Programme (0)
• Local Authority Academic Fellowship Programme (1)
• Policy Research Programme (3)
• Programme Development Grants (2)
• Programme Grants for Applied Research (1)
• Public Health Research (11)
• Research for Patient Benefit (2)
• Research Professorships (0)
• Research Programme for Social Care (1)
• Senior Investigators (0)
• Technology Assessment Review (0)
• Training within Infrastructure and Schools (0)
• Career Development (16)
• Infrastructure (1)
• Programme (49)
• Anaesthesia, Preoperative Medicine and Pain Management (2)
• Anti-Microbial Resistance (2)
• Brain tumours (1)
• Cannabis-based products (0)
• Cardiovascular Disease (2)
• Children and Young People (2)
• COVID-19 (0)
• Critical Care (1)
• Dementias and Neurodegeneration (1)
• Dermatology (2)
• Diabetes (1)
• Ear, Nose and Throat (2)
• Gastroenterology (3)
• Genomics and Rare Diseases (0)
• Haematology (1)
• Health Services Research (3)
• Health systems and research policy (0)
• Infectious diseases and microbiology (1)
• Inflammatory disease (4)
• Mental Health (2)
• Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders (1)
• Motor neurone disease (MND) (1)
• Musculoskeletal Disorders (1)
• Neurological Disorders (1)
• Ophthalmology (3)
• Oral and Dental Health (1)
• Primary Care (1)
• Public Health and Prevention (10)
• Reproductive Health (3)
• Respiratory Disorders (1)
• Social Care (6)
• Surgery (1)
• Trauma and Emergency Care (1)
• Commissioned (32)
• Researcher-led (14)
• Themed Calls (3)

Latest posts

24/39 eme programme researcher-led.

The Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme is accepting Stage 1 applications to their researcher-led workstream.

• Closes: 13:00 on 20 August 2024

24/40 NIHR James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnerships rolling call

The Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme is accepting Stage 1 applications to this funding opportunity.

24/41 NIHR NICE rolling call

The Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation Programme is accepting Stage 1 applications to this funding opportunity.

Policy Research Programme - Upcoming topics in Round 39

Upcoming topics for Policy Research Programme Round 39.

• Potential advert date: 14 May 2024

24/42 NIHR Specialised Evidence Synthesis Groups (ESG) to provide research evidence to support the UK National Screening Committee (NSC)

Our Evidence Synthesis Programme is accepting Stage 2 applications to this new funding opportunity.

• Closes: 1pm on 02 July 2024

24/43 NIHR Specialised Living Evidence Synthesis Group (LES)

Nihr commercial research delivery centres.

The NIHR is launching a new, open competition to designate and fund the Commercial Research Delivery Centres (CRDCs), an evolution of the current NIHR Patient Recruitment Centre scheme.

• Closes: 13:00 on 03 July 2024

NIHR Global Advanced Fellowships - Round 1

The NIHR Global Advanced Fellowship aims to create a sustainable career pathway for postdoctoral global health researchers to become research leaders.

• Closes: 11 July 2024

Advanced Fellowship Round 12

The NIHR Advanced Fellowship is a postdoctoral Fellowship aimed at anyone with a PhD who hasn’t yet been appointed to a professorial post.

Doctoral Fellowship Round 12

The NIHR Doctoral Fellowship is a three year full-time award that supports individuals to undertake a PhD.

• Closes: 18 July 2024

NIHR Population Health Career Scientist Awards

We are accepting applications to the Population Career Scientist Award 2024 round.

• Closes: 13:00 on 11 July 2024

Invention for Innovation - Product Development Awards Call 28

The i4i Product Development Awards (PDA) supports collaborative research and development of medical devices, in vitro diagnostic devices and high-impact patient-focused digital health technologies for use in the NHS or social care systems.

• Closes: 13:00 on 29 May 2024

Public Health Intervention Responsive Studies Teams (PHIRST) 2024

The Public Health Research (PHR) Programme are accepting Expressions of Interest to Public Health Intervention Responsive Studies Teams (PHIRST).

Doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (DCAF) Round 5

The Doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (DCAF) scheme funds registered health and care professionals to undertake a PhD by research and, concurrently, to undertake further professional development and practice.

• Closes: 11 June 2024

Global Health Research Development Awards - Call 1

• Closes: 13:00 on 15 May 2024

Cancer Research Transatlantic Development and Skills Enhancement (DSE) Award Round 2

This award will fund UK early to mid-career researchers to spend between 6 and 12 months at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Intramural Institutes in the USA.

• Closes: 02 August 2024

NIHR Development and Skills Enhancement Award (DSE)

The DSE award is a post-doctoral level funding opportunity aimed at supporting early to mid-career researchers in gaining specific skills and experience to underpin the next phase of their research career.

• Closes: 26 July 2024

Advanced Local Authority Fellowship (ALAF) - Round 2

The Advanced Local Authority Fellowship (ALAF) supports individuals across a broad range of post-doctoral career stages.

• Closes: 23 May 2024

Pre-Application Support Fund - Round 3

The Pre-Application Support Fund provides extra support to those who need it, to enhance their chances of making a successful application to an NIHR career development scheme in the future.

• Potential advert date: 29 May 2024

Programme Development Grants - Competition 39

Applications are invited for Programme Development Grant funding. Programme Development Grants are available for researchers to undertake preparatory work to develop a future programme of research and to develop and enhance the quality and value of an ongoing or recently completed Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR) award.

• Closes: 13:00 on 22 May 2024

Advanced Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (ACAF) Round 5

The NIHR Advanced Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (ACAF) supports post-doctoral researchers to develop their academic career while developing their health or care career.

• Closes: 13:00 on 30 May 2024

24/11 Nebulised therapy in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and disabling breathlessness

The Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme is accepting Stage 1 applications to their commissioned workstream for this primary research topic.

• Closes: 13:00 on 24 July 2024

24/12 Improving outcomes for children and young people in care using interventions that combine mentoring with skills training

24/13 digital technology enabled interventions in social care.

The Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme is accepting Stage 1 applications to their commissioned workstream for this research topic.

24/16 The effectiveness of technologies for people living with deafblindness in social care settings

Imperial College London Imperial College London

Latest news.

New AI startup accelerator led by Imperial opens for applications

Imperial ranks first in the world in QS Online MBA rankings

Taxing unhealthy food helps cut obesity, says global study

• Research Office
• Research and Innovation
• Support for staff
• Funder information

Types of research funding

Non-commercial

The key aim of research charities is to generate knowledge that benefits the public good. Charities provide an important independent stream of research funding which complements the objectives of the Research Councils and Government departments. There are hundreds of research funding charities covering a wide range of aims. All are regulated by charity law and are required to adhere to certain obligations and restrictions on the use of charitable funds for research, e.g. the requirement to disseminate research findings and a prohibition on funding research for the purpose of commercial or private gain.

Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC)

The AMRC is a member organisation of the leading UK charities that fund medical and health research. There are currently over 100 members, including the world’s largest charity, the Wellcome Trust, all with the common aim of improving human health by funding a wide range of research including basic, applied and disease specific. These charities provide funds in a variety of ways ranging from small pump-priming grants to substantial funds intended for programmes of research. Medical research charities can only fund research that falls within their charitable objectives, which may focus on a particular disease or condition, a range of diseases or more widely on improving human health through education and research.

Members are listed on the AMRC website .

UK Research and Innovation

UKRI , primarily through its Research Councils, invests approximately £2.8 billion per annum in research ranging from medical and biological sciences to astronomy, physics, chemistry, engineering, social sciences, economics, and the arts and humanities. The aim, scale and balance of the projects funded reflect the national research priorities agreed in consultation with Government and other stakeholders.  UKRI is principally funded through the Science Budget by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

UKRI comprises nine organisations: seven Research Councils, which are organised by discipline,  Innovate UK who support translation activities (often involving industry partners) and Research England, a funding council who support underpinning funding for universities:

• Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
• Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
• Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
• Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
• Medical Research Council (MRC)
• Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
• Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
• Innovate UK
• Research England

UKRI also has its own funding streams:

• Official Development Assistance ( Newton Fund)
• National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF)
• Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund
• Talent -  Future Leaders Fellowships  (Imperial has an internal process for this scheme)
• Place -  Strength in Places Fund
• Strategic Priorities Fund

The Strategic Priorities Fund is currently the newest stream of funding emerging from the UKRI NPIF and is primarily being strategically allocated at this stage. There may be open calls at later stages. A summary of the current status of this stream can be seen in the following table - UKRI does not group together calls for this stream in the same way as the other streams. 

Other UK Goverment departments

A number of Government departments provide significant funding for a wide variety of research activities.

Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) DEFRA programmes on the environment, food and rural affairs.

Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) and QinetiQ DSTL is an agency of the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD). QinetiQ is Britain's largest independent science and technology company. They both supply scientific and technical research and advice to the MOD. Department for Transport (DfT) The DfT oversees the delivery of a reliable, safe and secure transport system that responds efficiently to the needs of individuals and business whilst safeguarding our environment. Department of Health (DH) The DH funds significant programmes of research and development in the NHS through the National Institute for Health Research . The national programmes investigate a broad range of healthcare matters including the provision of funding to support the training and education of future health researchers. In addition, DH spends about £30 million per annum through ad-hoc research budgets (held by Departmental policy branches) and through research undertaken by arm's length bodies including the Public Health England (previously known as the Health Protection Agency).

National Academies, including the Royal Society

There are four English-based National Academies, all of which have the same principal roles:

• an independent fellowship of world-leading scholars and researchers
• a funding body that supports new research, nationally and internationally
• advocacy for their respective research fields
• a forum for debate and engagement

The four organisations are as follows:

The  Royal Society  is a leading independent scientific body in the UK and the Commonwealth, promoting excellence in science by supporting scientists from postdoctoral level to senior professorships. They offer grants for a variety of purposes ranging from conference travel to the modernisation of laboratories.

The British Academy   is the UK’s national body for the humanities and social sciences – the study of peoples, cultures and societies, past, present and future.  The British Academy provides a variety of grants and fellowships to support academic research, career development and wider engagement. Funding opportunities cover UK and international research from the postdoctoral level upwards.

The Royal Academy of Engineering  is  the UK’s national academy for engineering and technology, bringing together the most talented and successful engineers to advance and promote excellence in engineering for the benefit of society.  The Academy runs a programme of grants and prizes to support and celebrate the pursuit of engineering activities and to enable closer contact between academia and industry. 

The Academy of Medical Sciences is  the independent body in the UK representing the diversity of medical science, advancing biomedical and health research and its translation into benefits for society.  The Academy is committed to supporting the careers of the next generation of biomedical and health researchers  through a portfolio of  grant schemes , a  mentoring programme ,  career development events  and careers policy work .

National Institutes of Health, USA (NIH)

The NIH is the United States’ national medical research agency and consists of twenty-seven institutes and centres. It funds grants, cooperative agreements and contracts that support the advancement of fundamental knowledge about the nature and behaviour of living systems to meet the NIH mission of extending healthy life and reducing the burdens of illness and disability. Comprehensive information on NIH policies, funding opportunities is available on the NIH website .

NIH Application Process Flowchart [pdf]

National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tool (RePORTER)

Further information: NIH Financial Conflict of Interest Policy

European Commission

The European Commission’s main mechanism for funding research and innovation in Europe is Horizon Europe which offers a range of funding opportunities to UK HEIs.

Information on funding opportunities, application processes and details of support is available from the Research Office Europe team: Horizon Europe

The UK Research Office (UKRO) is the UK's leading national information and advice service on European Commission funding for research and higher education, and their mission is to promote effective UK participation in European Commission funded research programmes, higher education programmes, and other related activities. This includes:

• Supporting sponsors and subscribers through early insight and briefing on developments in European programmes and policies
• Disseminating timely and targeted information on European Commission funding opportunities
• Providing high quality advice, guidance and training on applying for and managing European Commission projects

Details on European Commission funding are also available at UK Research Office (UKRO)

Internal schemes

The application and award processes of a number of College internal funding schemes are managed by the Funding Strategy team in the Research Office on behalf of the Vice-Provost (Research). These include, but are not limited to:

• Research Council supported Impact Acceleration Accounts
• EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellowships
• Imperial College Research Fellowships

These awards go through the research ledger and are managed post award by Faculty Research Services teams.

Industry and private companies (national and multinational)

A wide variety of activities are funded by industry and the private sector.  A good understanding of the market context is critical when entering into negotiation with industry. This includes:

• Understanding the investigators’ and Imperial’s position within the wider market, i.e. retaining or gaining market share
• Acquiring sufficient knowledge of competitors
• Taking advantage of opportunities, e.g. gaps in the market
• Minimising risks and threats
• Relating supply with demand, e.g. reacting to funders’ priorities, where appropriate
• Understanding the funders’ willingness and ability to pay
• The value of the research to its business
• Consideration of multiple services to provide a competitive edge

Imperial has faculty-based contract negotiators who liaise with companies on the terms and conditions of funding. The requirement to retain the academic freedom to disseminate knowledge and ownership of background and arising Intellectual Property is central to contract negotiations. Because of this, negotiation can be a lengthy process. Background information to the contracting process and associated policies is available in the Contracts pages.

Grant Finder

Research and Development Grants

Browse the latest research and development grants for large, medium and small businesses, as well as nonprofits and charitable organisations.

A research and development grant typically funds the development of a new product, service or process, with a view to bringing it closer to the market. The final result might be a medical treatment, a consumer device, or a piece of software that accomplishes a particular task, to name a few.

Research and development grants are typically offered by governmental organisations – eg, HM Government, or by regional/local bodies. Other bodies, such as corporations or universities, may also offer grant funding opportunities.

Research and Development grants – a selection from our subscription database

To access more funding opportunities, log in to GrantFinder or get in touch today to learn more about subscribing to our services.

Nottingham – UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Talent and Innovation Project

2024-04-17T16:02:04+01:00 April 17th, 2024 |

Tenfold NetZero Accelerator Programme

2024-04-10T16:02:03+01:00 April 10th, 2024 |

Water Restoration Fund

Aerospace technology institute (ati) non-co2 programme.

2024-04-03T16:02:03+01:00 April 3rd, 2024 |

Scottish Inward Investment Catalyst Fund

2024-03-20T15:02:04+00:00 March 20th, 2024 |

Electrolyser Technology Competition

2024-03-13T15:02:04+00:00 March 13th, 2024 |

Horizon Europe: Mission – Cancer

2024-02-28T15:02:04+00:00 February 28th, 2024 |

Horizon Europe: Mission – Climate Neutral and Smart Cities

Made smarter innovation sustainability accelerator, milton keynes – challenge us competition, sevenoaks – uk shared prosperity fund: green business grants.

2024-01-31T15:02:04+00:00 January 24th, 2024 |

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Social Science Research Grant Program

2024-01-17T15:02:04+00:00 January 10th, 2024 |

East Midlands Health Innovation Fund

2024-01-03T15:02:04+00:00 December 20th, 2023 |

Environmental Monitoring Innovation Competition

National centre for resilience – knowledge mobilisation fund, joint programming initiative – healthy and productive seas and oceans (jpi oceans).

2023-12-13T15:02:03+00:00 December 13th, 2023 |

Want to access more funding?

Simply access the latest grants by logging in to GrantFinder. Or, if you want to find out more about our services, get in touch today.

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

• Business and industry
• Running a business
• Business finance and support

Find government grants

Browse a list of available government grants and see if you're eligible to apply for them.

Use this service to search for government grants.

You can use this service to:

• access government grant funding
• search and filter to find a grant that matches your needs
• find out if you are eligible to apply for a grant
• find out how to apply for a grant

These grants are for:

• voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations (for example, a charity)
• individuals
• small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and other businesses

You can also get advice and financial help for your business from government-backed schemes .

A description of what the service can be used for has been added. Reference to the pilot has been removed as the service has fully launched.

First published.

Is this page useful?

• Yes this page is useful
• No this page is not useful

Help us improve GOV.UK

Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.

To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. We’ll send you a link to a feedback form. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. Don’t worry we won’t send you spam or share your email address with anyone.

Looking for our teaching and curriculum resources?

Foundation grants UK

We award research funding to original and robust ideas that aim to improve people’s lives.

Grant applications should fall within or across our key areas of interest: Education, Welfare and Justice.

The Foundation believes in the power of evidence to create change

Our funding grants are awarded to research that examines the inequalities, disadvantages and vulnerabilities people face throughout their lives, and produces findings that can influence future policy.

As an independent Foundation, we offer the freedom to frame questions and  enable new thinking to understand and find solutions to the challenges we face . We encourage interdisciplinary approaches in and across our three broad research areas of  Education ,  Justice  and  Welfare . We look for comprehensive proposals that use rigorous methodology and can make a difference.

Learn more about how some of our projects have led to real-world change in both policymaking and wider society. Explore our  impact  section.

For tips on submitting a successful application, watch our webinar on how to get Nuffield Foundation research funding.

For researchers applying for our Research, development and analysis fund , please note that in March 2024, we are pausing funding for strategic grants of over £750,000 while we consult with partners and stakeholders about our new strategy. The pause means that for 2024, the research projects we support will be for grant sizes of up to £750k.

As an inclusive funder, we welcome applications from diverse communities and under-represented groups.

I think that one of the things that is a profound challenge to all of us, and that goes well beyond what individual social scientists can do, is people’s abandonment of evidence in parts of the political debate. It’s a very difficult world now, which requires a lot of thought about how to establish authoritative evidence.

Current funding opportunities

Recommended for you

Research, Development & Analysis Fund

We have two application rounds each year for grant funding for research, development and analysis projects in our core domains of Education , Welfare and Justice .

Oliver Bird Fund

£6 million for research funding to improve the social and economic well-being of people living with musculoskeletal conditions.

Coming soon

Racial Diversity 2048

A new grants programme will explore the influence of migration and ethnic diversity on present day UK society and its future trajectory, and improve understanding of pathways to a racially inclusive and just society. The year 2048 marks the hundredth anniversary of the British Nationality Act 1948 and the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush.

POST Fellowship

Each year we fund a three-month fellowship for at least one PhD student at the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST).

General Election Analysis and Briefing Fund

New  grants  for   projects  examin ing  key policy areas or  the economic and social context of the upcoming UK general election . 

Looking for tips on applying for a grant?

We held a webinar on our research interests, our priorities and what we expect from an application. Missed it? We recorded the event.

Webinar | How to get Nuffield Foundation research funding

Online Webinar via Zoom & YouTube

Support for grant holders

See our resources for grant holders.

Explore Nuffield-funded research

Our research provides independent evidence on topics that affect people’s daily lives and their well-being.

360Giving supports organisations to publish their grants data in an open, standardised way and helps people to understand and use the data to support decision-making and learning across the charitable giving sector.

Latest news, impact, events and opinion

Sir ernest ryder | making justice work, where has my justice gone improving people’s legal experiences, where has my justice gone, the nuffield foundation’s response to the department for education’s advanced british standard consultation, gaia marcus appointed as new director of the ada lovelace institute, chair and governing board member, nuffield council on bioethics , £6m available to fund new research to improve the lives of people living with musculoskeletal conditions  , connecting mental health and education, supporting early career researchers: next steps, a break-down of new evidence on financial settlements in divorce, mark franks: insights from the green budget, josh hillman: a level reform plans , provocations: what are the issues shaping tomorrow, nuffield early language intervention in the making, helping divorcing couples to navigate pensions on divorce, addressing the social and economic impacts of the covid-19 pandemic, the food foundation: tackling child food poverty during the pandemic, study of school breaktimes inspires campaigners, policy makers and researchers, independent scrutiny of public finances: the ifs green budget, intersectional approaches to research and practice, place and opportunity: a better future for work and skills, what’s behind the teacher workforce crisis a look at current challenges and future solutions, improving reading attainment in primary & early secondary, stay up to date.

Get the latest news about the Nuffield Foundation and the work we fund through our email newsletter.

Follow us on social media.

Privacy and cookie policy, privacy overview.

Find a funding opportunity

Refine results, lead applicant career stage.

• Early-career researcher (8) items
• Mid-career researcher (10) items
• Established researcher (9) items
• Leading a research programme (8) items
• Postdoctoral research (7) items
• Postgraduate training (3) items
• Returning to research (3) items
• Undergraduate education (1) item

Strategic programme

• Climate and Health (4) items
• Discovery Research (4) items
• Infectious Disease (7) items
• Mental Health (6) items
• Research Environment (1) item
• Annual (2) items
• One-off (8) items
• Three times a year (3) items
• Open to applications (10) items
• Closed to applications (9) items

Showing 19 results of 19

Showing 19 of 19

Sign up to our research newsletter

By clicking subscribe, you agree to receive this newsletter. You can unsubscribe any time. For information about how we handle your data, please read our privacy notice .

British Council

• English, education and arts
• Our work in education
• Higher education and science
• Our opportunities

Opportunities for academics and researchers

Extend the reach of your research by collaborating with other academics and researchers from around the world. Our opportunities include professional development, partnerships, international mobility and research consultancy opportunities.

Our programmes:

Deep Dialogues

Focused, global discussions on key themes influencing international higher education.

Research Environments

Applications for Research Environments grants are now closed. 

Research consultancy opportunities

Share your knowledge and expertise with the world by applying for one of our open consultancy opportunities.

International research workshops

Apply for one of our upcoming international research workshops

EURAXESS UK

Find your next research role in the UK or overseas with EURAXESS and learn about funding opportunities to help support you in your career development.

Researcher Connect

Ensure your researchers have the communication skills they need to compete internationally by running a Research Connect workshop at your institution.

CLOSED UK-ASEAN Institutional Links Early Career Researchers Scheme

Seed funding for senior researchers from UK and Singapore to work with early career researchers in institutional partnership.

British Council Worldwide

• Afghanistan
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Czech Republic
• Hong Kong, SAR of China
• Korea, Republic of
• Myanmar (Burma)
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• North Macedonia
• Northern Ireland
• Occupied Palestinian Territories
• Philippines
• Saudi Arabia
• Sierra Leone
• South Africa
• South Sudan
• Switzerland
• United Arab Emirates
• United States of America

Kidney disease ends here .

Kidney Research Grants

Our research grants.

We will have two hybrid research grant rounds and our second Professor Michael Nicholson awards round for 2024/25.

• Grant round 1: March 2024 – October 2024
• Grant round 2: July 2024 – February 2025
• The Professor Michael Nicholson Awards : July 2024 – February 2025

Some more details that will be useful:

• Our two main rounds have an initial phase with an expression of interest. Those shortlisted will be invited to complete a more detailed full application. Both phases will use our online system for applying.
• Our named rounds, including Professor Michael Nicholson Awards and our Alport Research Hub Project, are single phase as full application.
• Patients continue to be involved in our grants review process.

Types of research grants

Find out about the different research grants we have available.

 Dates may be subject to slight change up to the actual round opening. If you have any questions please get in touch  before you apply so we can provide advice that may be helpful. 

Opening date: 20 March 2024

Closing date: 24 April 2024

Funds innovative standalone research projects that will advance our knowledge of kidney disease and refine current treatments or lead to new ones.

The maximum Research Project Grant available is £250,000 and may be spread over a two or three-year period.

Find out more

Funds stand-alone research studies to investigate innovative new hypotheses around kidney disease that lack any significant existing research prior to a full research project.

The maximum Start-Up Grant available is £40,000 and may be spread over a one or two-year period.

Opening date: 3 April 2024

Closing date: 15 May 2024

A joint competition between  Devices for Dignity, NIHR HealthTech Research Centre for Long-Term Conditions (D4D) and Kidney Research UK.

The competition will fund innovative projects in the MedTech sector that focus on the rapid translation of scientific discoveries into clinical applications with a clear benefit for patients with renal disease.

Opening date: Provisional mid-April 2024

Closing date: Provisional end of June 2024

A specific research call on nephrotoxicity.

More details to be announced.

Opening date: 24 July 2024

Closing date: 16 October 2024

The second of a three-year programme of awards, we are seeking applications from UK-based researchers to drive innovation and build expertise and capacity in kidney transplant science.

Grants available include standalone research projects and startup grants, transplant surgeon PhD fellowships and PhD studentships to help drive innovations in transplant science.

Opening date: 30 July 2024

Closing date: 28 August 2024

Opening date: To be confirmed

Closing date: To be confirmed

A specific call for a research project grant to transform Alport syndrome.

Supports non-clinical scientists who have conducted independent research in the renal field and wish to build on their history and reputation in this field, deepening their knowledge and experience.

The Fellow’s salary is based on the University or Institute Scale, a consumables allowance of £24,000 per annum.

Supports experienced post-doctoral scientists to specialise in the renal field so expanding the levels of expertise in kidney research.

The purpose of the award is to enable a post-doctoral scientist to specialise in renal research.

Intermediate Fellowship: The Fellow’s salary and a consumables allowance of £15,000 per annum.

PhD Studentships are available to any UK higher education institute, for research studentships leading to PhD, within the renal community.

PhD Studentship: The student’s stipend is based on the Medical Research Council Scale. Higher degree tuition fees and a consumables allowance of £3,500 per annum up to a total of £10,500.

Supports medical graduates to specialise in the renal field thereby expanding the levels of expertise in kidney research and treatment.

The purpose of the award is to enable medical graduates to gain specialised training in renal research.

Training Fellowship: The Fellow’s salary, higher degree tuition fees and a consumables allowance of £15,000 per annum.

Supports nurses, psychologists, pharmacists, and allied health professional to undertake a renal research study and develop their research interests and career.

The maximum grant available is for a three-year period, which may be either full or part-time. The salary should be based on the appropriate NHS or university scales, higher degree tuition fees and in addition an annual allowance of £8,000 is made for consumables costs.

A joint competition between Devices for Dignity, NIHR HealthTech Research Centre for Long-Term Conditions (D4D) and Kidney Research UK.

Opening date: To be confirmed 2024

Closing date: To be confirmed 2024

Daphne Jackson Fellowships

The Daphne Jackson Trust is dedicated to returning researchers following a career break for a family, caring or health reason.

Daphne Jackson Fellowships are unique - they offer professionals wishing to return to a research career after a break of two or more years, the opportunity to balance an individually tailored retraining programme with a challenging research project in a suitably supportive environment. The unparalleled support offered by the Trust's Fellowship advisors and administrative staff, coupled with mentoring and retraining provided during the Fellowship, give returners the confidence and skills they need to successfully return to research.

Find out more about the eligibility criteria and application process.

Opening date: Now open

Closing date: See the UKRI/MRC website for full details

Appropriate for medical graduates in clinical or academic renal medicine and are only awarded after interview of short-listed candidates. These are offered as part of the main triannual MRC fellowship rounds.

Apply via MRC .

This award supports clinicians who have already attained a higher degree and who wish to pursue further their research into kidney disease and awards will be jointly funded by the MRC and Kidney Research UK.

This award supports non-clinical researchers who have already attained a higher degree and who wish to pursue further their research into kidney disease and research independence, awards will be jointly funded by the MRC and Kidney Research UK.

Closing date: See NIHR website for full details

Visit NIHR for more information.

Opening date: We are planning when we can restart our joint funding

Supports overseas clinicians, applying via the normal ISN fellowship program to come to the UK for a one-year fellowship to gain experience in clinical nephrology and kidney research in a UK establishment.

Apply via ISN .

Supports a post-doctoral post for a non-clinical scientist for three years - based in Scotland.

Apply via CSO .

How to apply for a research grant

Applying for a grant can sometimes be confusing and difficult. We have tried to make our application process as easy as possible.

Follow our simple instructions on how to make your application, use our online grants management system and how to make your application as successful as possible.

How our funding helps

"My kidney Research UK fellowship is a fundamental step change in my career.

It has allowed me to join the thriving Centre for Cardiovascular Science in Edinburgh where I benefit from the crossover between clinical and basic science renal research.

The funding has allowed me to become involved in cutting edge renal research within the UK."

Dr Morag Mansley, post-doctoral fellowship

Other ways to fund your research

Take a look at the other ways that research can be funded other than with a research grant.

Tell us your ideas through our open door

We want to hear about new ideas that could make a difference to people affected by kidney disease. Anyone can share their ideas with us at any time.

Alternative funding

Opportunities to accelerate research and innovation in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of kidney disease through a range of alternative funding.

Got a question? Get in touch.

For more information or if you have any questions about applying for a research grant, get in touch with our Research Grants Team:

[email protected]

0300 303 1100

Privacy Overview

• Accessibility Tools
• Current Students
• Postgraduate
• Postgraduate scholarships and bursaries
• Research Scholarships

Population and Health Data Science: Fully Funded Health Data Research UK PhD Scholarship: Use of Real-World Evidence in Health Technology Assessment for Multiple Long-term Conditions (RS600)

• An introduction to postgraduate study
• Postgraduate Taught Courses
• Taught Master's Scholarships
• Contact the Postgrad Admissions team
• Postgraduate Research Programmes
• How to Apply For Your Postgraduate Course
• Postgraduate Fees and Funding
• Postgraduate Open Days
• Apply Online
• Postgraduate Careers and Employability
• Accommodation
• Postgraduate Study Video Hub
• Why study at Swansea
• Academi Hywel Teifi
• Student life
• Student Services
• Information for parents and advisors
• Enrolment, Arrivals and Welcome
• Postgraduate Enquiry
• Postgraduate programme changes
• Meet our postgraduate students
• Postgraduate Prospectus
• Fast-track for current students

Closing date: 12 May 2024

Key Information

Funding provider:   Health Data Research (HDR) UK

Subject areas:   Population Data Science

Project start date:

• 1  October 202 4 ( Enrolment open from mid-September )

Project supervisors:

• Professor Rhiannon Owen ( r.k.owen @swansea.ac.uk )
• Dr James Rafferty
• Professor Hamish Laing
• Professor Keith Abrams (University of Warwick)

Aligned programme of study: PhD in Population and Health Data Science

Mode of study: Full-time

Project description:

Healthcare decision-making has previously focussed on developing recommendations for single conditions. However, standardised care for each chronic condition in isolation can be inappropriate for individuals living with multiple long-term conditions known as multimorbidity, and may lead to unnecessary polypharmacy. This PhD studentship aims to develop a modelling framework to estimate the natural history of disease in individuals living with multiple long-term conditions using population-scale, linked, electronic health records from the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank Wales Multimorbidity e-Cohort ( Lyons et al , 2021 ). This approach will allow estimation of the potential adverse effects (such as hospitalisations) of drug-on-drug interactions for the treatment of multiple conditions and associated genetic, environmental, or demographic risk factors. Further this PhD project will compare the efficacy of different combinations of treatments used in people with multiple long-term conditions, and assess potential health inequalities.   

Facilities 

The PhD student will be based in Population Data Science at Swansea University with visiting PhD Student Status at the Department of Statistics at the University of Warwick, benefiting from the stimulating and supportive environment and bespoke training programmes. The successful candidate will receive training to develop their knowledge and expertise in statistical modelling, epidemiology, population data science and health technology assessment, with the opportunity for their research to directly inform healthcare policy and practice. The successful student will have the opportunity to present their work at national and international conferences and workshops.  

This PhD is funded as part of the HDR UK Medicines in Acute and Chronic Care Driver Programme, which is a national collaboration that aims to understand and transform the use of medicines for patient benefit, and reduce medicines-associated harm. The Driver Programme has a particular focus on vulnerable populations including people living with multiple long-term conditions and those experiencing health inequalities. The successful candidate will be one of several PhD students contributing to the wider HDR UK Driver Programmes and will have the opportunity to collaborate with the wider HDR UK Driver Programme Team as well as access additional training and associated events hosted by HDR UK. 

Eligibility

Candidates must hold an Upper Second Class (2.1) honours degree. Candidates  will need an MSc in Statistics/Biostatistics or Epidemiology/Health Data Science (with a strong analytical component ) plus programming and data analysis skills/experience in R and/or Python.  

Experience of analysing large-scale linked electronic health record data and k nowledge of Bayesian methods would be an advantage.

If you are eligible to apply for the scholarship but do not hold a UK degree, you can check our comparison entry requirements (see  country specific qualifications ). Please note that you may need to provide evidence of your English Language proficiency. 

This scholarship is open to candidates of any nationality.

If you have any questions regarding your academic or fee eligibility based on the above, please email  [email protected]  with the web-link to the scholarship(s) you are interested in. 

This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees and an annual stipend of £ 19,237.

Additional research expenses will also be available.

How to Apply

To apply, please  complete your application online   with the following information:

In the event you have already applied for the above programme previously, the application system may issue a warning notice and prevent application, in this event, please email [email protected] where staff will be happy to assist you in submitting your application.

• Start year  – please select  2024
• Funding (page 8)  –
• ‘Are you funding your studies yourself?’ – please select  No
• ‘Name of Individual or organisation providing funds for study’ – please enter  ‘RS600 - Health Technology Assessment'

*It is the responsibility of the applicant to list the above information accurately when applying, please note that applications received without the above information listed will not be considered for the scholarship award.

One application is required per individual Swansea University led research scholarship award ; applications cannot be considered listing multiple Swansea University led research scholarship awards.

We encourage you to complete the following to support our commitment to providing an environment free of discrimination and celebrating diversity at Swansea University: 

• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Monitoring Form  (online form)  

As part of your online application, you MUST upload the following documents (please do not send these via e-mail).  We strongly advise you to provide the listed supporting documents by the advertised application closing date.  Please note that your application may not be considered without the documents listed:

• Degree certificates and transcripts  (if you are currently studying for a degree, screenshots of your grades to date are sufficient)
• A cover letter  including a ‘Supplementary Personal Statement’ to explain why the position particularly matches your skills and experience and how you choose to develop the project.
• Two references  (academic or previous employer) on headed paper or using the  Swansea University reference form . Please note that we are not able to accept references received citing private email accounts, e.g. Hotmail. Referees should cite their employment email address for verification of reference.
• Evidence of meeting  English Language requirement  (if applicable).
• Copy of  UK resident visa  (if applicable)
• C onfirmation of EDI form submission (optional)

Informal enquiries are welcome, please contact Professor  Rhiannon Owen  ( r.k.owen @swansea.ac.uk ).

*External Partner Application Data Sharing  – Please note that as part of the scholarship application selection process, application data sharing may occur with external partners outside of the University, when joint/co- funding of a scholarship project is applicable.

Application dates

The tables below show our funding scheme deadlines and anticipated decision dates for 2023 and 2024. More dates for 2024 will be added in due course.

The Royal Society funds researchers at the postdoctoral level and above in the UK and overseas. Undergraduate, Masters and PhD students cannot apply for Royal Society funding.

Research must be within the Society’s remit of natural sciences, which includes but is not limited to biological research, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and physics. For a full list, see our  guidance page .

Selected funding is also available for scholars of history of science, UK schools and colleges, small museums and for the exchange of commercial knowledge between industry and academia.

See our information on our  grants policies and positions  and guidance on  how to apply  for further information. Contact  [email protected]  with any further queries.

Schemes opening in 2023

Schemes opening in 2024, related content.

The application and assessment process

Further information on eligibility and the application process for Royal Society grants.

See all upcoming key dates of the Society’s funding schemes.

Training, mentoring and partnership schemes

We help promote excellence in science through funding, training, mentoring and building…

Email updates

We promote excellence in science so that, together, we can benefit humanity and tackle the biggest challenges of our time.

Subscribe to our newsletters to be updated with the latest news on innovation, events, articles and reports.

What subscription are you interested in receiving? (Choose at least one subject)

• Opportunities
• How we help

Transport Research and Innovation Grants 2024

The latest round of the Government’s Transport Research and Innovation Grant (TRIG) is now open, with organisations and academics able to win up to £45k in funding.

Opportunity Details

Registration Opens

Registration Closes

Grants of up to £45k per project are available: these can cover 100% of costs. 3 grants are available for the Open Call, and between 5 and 8 grants for each of the 4 targeted calls.

Organisation

Share this opportunity, find out more and apply.

Transport Research and Innovation Grants  (TRIG) provide early-stage funding for innovations in science, engineering, or technology delivered by The Department for Transport’s (DfT) project delivery partner, Connected Places Catapult. TRIG is open to any UK organisation to support proof-of-concept projects that could lead to the development of successful new transport research products, processes, or services. TRIG is designed to support organisations by providing easily accessible grants, alumni, and wrap-around support from Connected Places Catapult to bring innovations closer to the market. The programme also provides a collaborative space for innovators, including academics, SMEs, and large businesses, to work with DfT’s policy teams on realising shared goals. Since 2014, over £12 million has been awarded to 400+ projects.

For TRIG 2024, DfT will offer innovators grants of up to £45k across four separate challenge areas (detailed below), in addition to an Open Call challenge to undertake early stage feasibility studies.

Who can apply?

TRIG is open to public, private and third sector organisations in addition to universities and research and technology organisations. Organisations must be based in the UK (excluding the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) but are able conduct elements of work through overseas contractors. However, projects and technologies or services must be fully delivered and deployed in the UK. Mandatory requirements for entry:

• Proposals should all prove an innovative concept, taking an idea typically from TRL 2 (basic research) to TRL 4 (proof of concept/small scale prototype)
• Your organisation must have a UK registered company number and office

We will consider proposals from consortia. However, the lead applicant who will receive the funding must be identified.

Applicants submitting more than one competition entry need to demonstrate the ability to deliver the projects concurrently.

Challenge 1: open call

Under the open call, the DfT is seeking innovative ideas that have the potential to address a UK transport challenge, across all modes and technology areas. It should be noted that although the open call is available for solutions to all transport challenges, applicants should consider their proposals within the context of DfT’s priorities and innovation needs. Any science or technology that may contribute to improving the transport system will be considered for the Open Call. This could include investigating equality of access to transport services for all users, or the performance of a new low carbon fuel. Applicants with new ways of exploiting datasets to improve services, or tools that could increase the safety of women using public transport, or encourage modal shift and active travel are also invited to submit their ideas.

3 grants of £45k each are available.

Challenge 2: Local Transport Decarbonisation

Innovative technologies and processes with the potential to accelerate local transport decarbonisation across the UK are welcome, especially those taking a place-based approach and demonstrating an understanding of the specific needs of a local area.

Projects could include mobility hubs, initiatives that support communities to make greener transport choices and tools to address challenges faced by rural areas. Areas of interest may include Mobility as a Service, shared mobility solutions and ways of supporting businesses to reduce their transport emissions.

7 grants of £45k each are available.

Challenge 3: Critical and Emerging Technologies

The scope for this call is not limited to a particular transport mode or outcome, but all projects must have a transport focus and project types could include at least one of the following principal areas of interest: AI in transport; Resilient and novel Position Navigation and Timing Technologies, Digital Connectivity and Sensors, Engineering Biology, Novel use of drones on the transport system, Pathway to personal air mobility, Pathway to smart infrastructure, Digital Twins.

Challenge 4: Nation-Specific Transport Solutions

The Department is seeking innovative technologies and approaches that have the potential to improve connectivity and reduce emissions in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. With limited funding options available, we need to work collaboratively with partners to deliver creative solutions to these challenges. Projects within this challenge should take a place-based approach, demonstrating an understanding of local, regional and national needs. Applicants should set out how the challenge they are seeking to tackle is particularly problematic in, or unique to, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. If the challenge is shared, to varying degrees, with other parts of the UK, applicants should consider how and where their project might have broader applications.

5 grants of £45k each are available.

Challenge 5: Maritime Decarbonisation

Clean maritime solutions that are innovative, promise to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from maritime and support the transition to net zero by 2050 are invited to be put forward. Projects could focus on low and zero emission fuels, energy sources and vessel technologies; landside infrastructure and energy efficient measures to allow their uptake; and smart shipping technologies, automation and artificial intelligence that deliver indirect emissions savings for any size of vessel.

8 grants of £45k each are available.

Briefing and support

Join Connected Places Catapult and DfT on Tuesday 2 May for the TRIG application support & information webinar (2 May 2024, 2:00pm – 3:30pm) . This webinar will provide further information about the programme, offer application support and guidance and give you the opportunity to ask Connected Places Catapult and the DfT any questions you may have.

For further support with your application, you are also welcome to contact Innovate UK Business Connect’s Transport team .

Connect with Innovate UK Business Connect

Join Innovate UK Business Connect's mailing list to receive updates on funding opportunities, events and to access Innovate UK Business Connect's deep expertise. Please check your email to confirm your subscription and select your area(s) of interest.

I agree to receive communications from Innovate UK Business Connect in accordance with Innovate UK Business Connect's Privacy Policy .

UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health

Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health

• Partnerships
• Short Courses & Events
• Research Degrees

New national research centres to unlock tests and treatments for rare diseases

23 April 2024

UCL scientists will work to help thousands of people living with rare diseases get access to improved diagnostics, treatments and potentially cures, thanks to funding for four new research centres.

The LifeArc Translational Centres for Rare Diseases (including the LifeArc Centre for Rare Mitochondrial Diseases, LifeArc Centre for Rare Kidney Diseases, LifeArc Centre for Rare Respiratory Diseases and the LifeArc Centre for Acceleration of Rare Disease Trials) have been awarded nearly £40million over five years and will focus on areas where there are significant unmet needs. They will tackle barriers that ordinarily prevent new tests and treatments reaching patients with rare diseases and speed up the delivery of rare disease treatment trials.

The centres will bring together leading scientists and rare disease clinical specialists from across the UK for the first time; encouraging new collaborations across different research disciplines and providing improved access to facilities and training.

The LifeArc Centre for Rare Mitochondrial Diseases is a national partnership with the Lily Foundation and Muscular Dystrophy UK. It will be co-led by Professor Michael Hanna (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery).

Mitochondrial diseases are genetic disorders affecting one in 5,000 people. They often cause progressive damage to the brain, eyes, muscles, heart and liver, leading to severe disability and a shorter life.

There is currently no cure for most mitochondrial conditions. However, new opportunities to treat mitochondrial diseases have been identified in the last five years, meaning that it’s a critical time for research development.

The new £7.5million centre will establish a national platform that will connect patient groups, knowledge and infrastructure in order to develop biomarkers and accelerate new treatments getting to clinical trial.

UCL lead, Professor Michael Hanna, said:“ Since the original discovery at Queen Square in 1988 that mutations in mitochondrial DNA can cause human disease we have pursued a strong multidisciplinary research programme to determine disease mechanisms and advance treatment opportunities. Crucially, our work is centred around patients and, in London, we lead the NHS England national highly specialised service for mitochondrial diseases."

Professor Robert Pitceathly (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology), who will co-lead at UCL, said: “This new funding to establish a national translational centre is a major development and will enable our science to be translated into new biomarkers, clinical trials and ultimately treatments. A strong training component will allow us to train the next generation of researchers.”

Professor Alan Thompson Dean UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences said: “I am delighted to congratulate Professors Hanna and Pitceathly and the UCL team for securing this major collaborative award. It builds on a strong foundation of excellent genetic and neuroscience research that the new LifeArc Centre will help translate into trials and ultimately treatments to benefit patients and families globally.”

Globally, there are more than 300 million people living with rare diseases. However, rare disease research can be fragmented. Currently researchers can lack access to specialist facilities, as well as advice on regulation, trial designs, preclinical regulatory requirements, and translational project management, which are vital in getting new innovations to patients.

UCL researchers will also play a key role in the new £9.4million LifeArc Centre for Rare Respiratory Diseases. The centre will be co-led by Professor Hannah Mitchison (UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health) alongside academic partners in Edinburgh, Nottingham, Dundee, Cambridge, Southampton and the UKRI Nucleic Acid Therapy Accelerator (NATA) – with the aim of uniting children, adults and families with clinical experts, researchers, investors and industry leaders.

The LifeArc Centre for Rare Respiratory Diseases collaboration will create a UK-wide bank of anonymised tissue samples and models of disease, allowing researchers to advance pioneering therapies. It will work to lower the risk of investment in rare respiratory disease research, building the partnerships and innovative infrastructure needed for clinical trials in patients with rare conditions. The centre team also aims to boost public awareness of the realities of living with rare respiratory diseases and raise patient awareness of resources that can improve their quality of life. It is supported by patient groups including PCD Research, PCD Support UK, Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis, Childhood Interstitial Lung Disease and LAM Action.

Professor Hannah Mitchison, the UCL lead, said: “I am thrilled to be part of this major translational initiative, it offers significant prospects to unify research for better recognition of rare respiratory diseases such as primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) through diagnostics and mechanistic understanding, paving the way for creation of novel therapeutics. We have a unique opportunity working together with LifeArc, our academic partners, NATA, the affected families and their advocates, to develop national infrastructure and biobanking that ensures no patient is left behind in development and trials of new products and therapies for these debilitating and critical disorders.”

Dr Catriona Crombie, Head of Rare Disease at LifeArc, says: “We’re extremely proud to be launching four new LifeArc Translational Centres for Rare Diseases. Each centre has been awarded funding because it holds real promise for delivering change for people living with rare diseases. These centres also have the potential to create a blueprint for accelerating improvements across other disease areas, including common diseases.” 

Patient stories

Adam Harraway  has Mitochondrial Disease and says he lives in constant fear of what might go wrong next with his condition. He says: “With rare diseases such as these, it can feel like the questions always outweigh the answers. The news of this investment from LifeArc fills me with hope for the future. To know that there are so many wonderful people and organisations working towards treatments and cures makes me feel seen and heard. It gives a voice to people who often have to suffer in silence, and I'm excited to see how this project can help Mito patients in the future."

Former BBC News journalist and presenter,  Philippa Thomas , has the rare incurable lung disease, Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). Philippa’s condition has stabilised but for many people, the disease can be severely life-limiting. Philippa explains: “There is so little research funding for rare respiratory diseases, that getting treatment - let alone an accurate diagnosis - really does feel like a lottery. It is also terrifying being diagnosed with something your GP will never have heard of.  I am one of the lucky patients not to be relying on bottles of oxygen or surviving with a lung transplant. I’ve only had a kidney tumour removed and one lung pinned in place. But even as a woman living a relatively normal life with LAM, I am overjoyed at the prospect of a new LifeArc centre for Rare Respiratory Diseases. It represents new and significant hope for all RRD patients and their families - hope that we can speed up and bring together the provision of essential information, access to specialised care, new clinical trials, and above all a future with a cure.”

• Professor Michael Hanna's academic profile
• Professor Robert Pitceathly's academic profile
• Professor Hannah Mitchison's academic profile
• UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology
• UCL Brain Sciences
• UCL Population Health Sciences
• Credit:  Wasan Tita  on iStock

Media contact 

Poppy tombs .

E: p.tombs [at] ucl.ac.uk

Further information

• Athena SWAN
• Strategic Partners

Follow us: 

Tweets by @UCLchildhealth

• Staff & students

Scholar awarded prestigious grant for research in India

Primary page content.

Dr Siddhesh Mukerji, Senior Lecturer in Social, Therapeutic and Community Studies has been selected as a 2024 Fulbright US Scholar for India.

Goldsmiths’ Dr Siddhesh Mukerji has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar Grant to fund research on Navayana Buddhist social action in India. The US Fulbright Program is one of the world’s largest and most diverse international educational exchange programmes, recognising outstanding academics and allowing them to conduct collaborative research and teaching internationally.

Dr. Mukerji’s research will involve interviewing Navayana social workers, community workers, and activists. Navayana Buddhism was founded by the 20 th- century social-political-religious revolutionary Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, who saw Buddhism as a vehicle of liberation from the oppression of the Hindu caste system.

Dr Siddhesh Mukerji notes: “Part of what makes Navayana Buddhism unique and compelling is its strong emphasis on social action. Rather than existing solely as a path of self-cultivation, it emphasizes that social and political transformation are necessary conditions for collective enlightenment and, as Dr. Ambedkar envisioned, a society grounded in liberty, equality, fraternity, and justice.”

The goals of this project are to learn how these social workers, community workers, and activists incorporate Buddhist concepts and practices into their work, and how their praxis helps challenge and expand dominant, Eurocentric definitions of social work.

For Dr Mukerji, challenging and expanding understandings of social work and social action is vitally important in England, where he believes social work often functions in a way that is insular, bureaucratized, uncritical, individualistic, disembodied, and dehumanizing to social workers, themselves, and the people whom they serve. Dr Mukerji hopes that increasing the diversity of worldviews represented in social work’s body of knowledge will contribute to more globally informed, critical, and empowered social workers in England. He views this as a crucial task since social workers serve the most vulnerable members of society. 

He also hopes that this research, which is a collaborative effort with Indian scholars and activitsts belonging to the Navayana community, will yield resources that are useful for social workers in India.

For me, one of the most meaningful benefits of this project is the ability to continue developing relationships with my colleagues and collaborators in the Navayana community. I hope that opportunities arise to build connections between them and some of my colleagues at Goldsmiths.

Fulbright scholars play a critical role in US public diplomacy, establishing long-term relationships between people and nations. Alumni of the Fulbright Program include 62 Nobel Laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 80 MacArthur Fellows, and thousands of leaders and world-renowned experts in academia and many other fields across the private, public, and non-profit sectors.

More information is available on the Fulbright Scholar program website.

Dr Mukerji teaches on the Social Work Course ( BA  and MA ), where he especially enjoys welcoming and learning with students with diverse interests and critical perspectives.

A researcher from Zimbabwe awarded ERC Advanced Grant 2023

The European Research Council (ERC) announced winners of the latest Advanced Grants competition, 2023

EURAXESS Africa would like to congratulate  a researcher from Zimbabwe who has been awarded the European Research Council  ( ERC) Advanced Grant.

The ERC has announced the names of 255 outstanding research leaders in Europe set to be awarded ERC Advanced Grants. The funding is amongst the EU’s most prestigious and competitive, providing leading senior researchers with the opportunity to pursue ambitious, curiosity-driven projects that could lead to major scientific breakthroughs. The new grants, worth in total nearly €652 million, are part of the EU’s Horizon Europe programme.

Iliana Ivanova , Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said:

"To all the new ERC grantees, my heartfelt congratulations! These grants will not only support leading researchers in pushing the boundaries of knowledge, but also create some  2 500 jobs for postdoctoral fellows, PhD students and other research staff across Europe. This investment nurtures the next generation of brilliant minds. I look forward to seeing the resulting breakthroughs and fresh advancements in the years ahead.”  

President of the European Research Council  Prof. Maria Leptin  said:

“Congratulations to the 255 researchers who will receive grants to follow their scientific instinct in this new funding round. I am particularly happy to see more mid-career scientists amongst the Advanced Grant winners this time. I hope that it will encourage more researchers at this career stage to apply for these grants.” 

Projects selected for funding 

The new grants will support cutting-edge research in a wide range of fields, from life sciences and physical sciences to social sciences and humanities. How to get rid of harmful chemicals in our bodies? Can the protective layer around our heart help fix heart problems? Why do infants learn languages so fast? These are only some of the questions that will be addressed by the new grantees. 

See more  research examples

Facts & figures 

The successful candidates proposed to host their projects at universities and research centres in 19 EU Member States and associated countries, notably in Germany (50 grants), France (37) and the Netherlands (23). Among the winners there are Germans (50 researchers), French (31), Britons (28), Italians (22) and citizens of 28 other nations.   

This competition attracted 1 829 proposals, which were reviewed by panels of internationally renowned researchers. Nearly fourteen percent of proposals were selected for funding. Estimates show that the grants will create 2 480 jobs in teams of new grantees.   

The ERC Advanced Grants target established, leading researchers with a proven track-record of significant achievements. In recent years, there has been a steady rise in mid-career researchers (12-17 years post-PhD), who have been successful in the Advanced Grants competitions, with 18% securing grants in this latest round.

Applicants based in the UK 

The statistics and list of successful candidates are provisional. The European Commission and the UK Government have reached an agreement on the association of the UK to Horizon Europe. However, the association applies only for calls for proposals implementing the 2024 budget and onwards. For the Advanced Grants and other calls from the 2023 ERC Work Programme, the UK-based applicants who were eligible to apply under the transitional arrangement may receive EU funding only if they transfer their proposed project to an eligible host institution. 

Examples of proposed projects  

Statistics  

List of all selected researchers  

Lists of selected researchers by domain: 

Physical Sciences and Engineering  

Life Sciences  

Social Sciences and Humanities  

About the ERC 

The ERC, set up by the European Union in 2007, is the premier European funding organisation for excellent frontier research. It funds creative researchers of any nationality and age, to run projects based across Europe. The ERC offers four core grant schemes:  Starting Grants ,  Consolidator Grants ,  Advanced Grants  and  Synergy Grants . With its additional  Proof of Concept  Grant scheme, the ERC helps grantees to bridge the gap between their pioneering research and early phases of its commercialisation. The ERC is led by an independent governing body, the  Scientific Council . Since November 2021, Maria Leptin is the President of the ERC. The overall ERC budget from 2021 to 2027 is more than €16 billion, as part of the  Horizon Europe  programme, under the responsibility of European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth,  Iliana Ivanova .

Funding opportunity: Pre-announcement: Sustainable Industrial Futures

This is a £21million (funded by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) at 80% FEC over seven years) flagship investment focussed on tackling cross-sectoral research challenges rooted in excellent, leading-edge engineering and physical sciences and transdisciplinary approaches to enable the transition of UK industrial processes and operations to net zero.

Major progress is required to make significant advances in industrial emissions in the UK and EPSRC aims to drive a sustainable industrial future, shifting the UK away from environmentally detrimental industries and processes to more sustainable and circular alternatives.

This is a pre-announcement, and the information may change. The funding opportunity will open on 13 June 2024. More information will be available on this page by then.

Who can apply

Before applying for funding, check the Eligibility of your organisation .

EPSRC standard eligibility rules apply. For full details, visit  EPSRC’s eligibility page .

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has introduced new role types for funding opportunities being run on the new UKRI Funding Service.

For full details, visit Eligibility as an individual .

International applicants

Under the  UKRI and Research Council of Norway Money Follows Cooperation agreement  a project co-lead (international) (previously co-investigator) can be based in a Norwegian institution.

Businesses are not eligible applicant organisations as part of this funding opportunity, they are expected to be listed as project partners.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers.

We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes:

• career breaks
• support for people with caring responsibilities
• flexible working
• alternative working patterns

Find out more about equality, diversity and inclusion at UKRI .

What we're looking for

Major progress is still required to make sufficient advances in industrial emissions in the UK as identified by the Climate Change Committee (CCC). Through this funding opportunity, we aim to drive a sustainable industrial future, shifting the UK away from environmentally detrimental industries and processes to more sustainable and circular alternatives.

This funding opportunity will focus on an existing critical mass of research to deliver a cross-sectoral systems approach, working closely with industry and policy-makers to scale up, drive impact and translation and ensure the entire system delivers.

The objectives of this funding opportunity are to:

• support one virtual centre of excellence that enables high-greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting UK incumbent industries to shift towards sustainable operations with net zero/negative GHG emissions, enabling thriving biodiversity, economic and societal resilience, employment growth and resource & energy security
• advance the UK’s transition to net zero by building on previous UKRI investments (such as the Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge and Transforming Foundation Industries Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund programmes, as well as programmes such as National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research (NICER) Programme​)
• deliver excellent, leading-edge engineering and physical sciences and transdisciplinary research

This funding opportunity will focus on delivering directly against the Sixth Carbon Budget by 2030 and will grow the UK research capability in how to:

• scale up sustainability solutions and technologies and ‘learn by doing’ through partnering with active demonstration and deployment programmes across the UK; and
• do this with a true ‘systems approach’, where the interdependencies between decarbonisation, circular economy and resource & energy efficiency are truly understood and optimised for the most sustainable and inclusive outcome possible.

The outcomes of this investment will enable:

• industry to shift their products, systems and services to clean alternatives, which in turn will lead to sustainable skills, jobs and wealth creation in the industrial heartlands of our nations and regions
• security of UK supply of feedstocks, materials, fuels, and the creation of value from waste through greater circularity of resource streams in the UK (approaches for which could include industrial symbiosis)
• creation of new jobs, businesses, supply chains and industries that exploit (or leverage and build upon) UK research strengths
• influence on emission reductions
• ability to supply both UK needs and export sustainable solutions and products to the rest of the world.

The virtual centre of excellence will:

• build a transdisciplinary, inclusive team covering the essential engineering, physical sciences and other requisite areas, focused on a clear strategic vision
• create a critical mass centre to act as a focal point for industry to share common challenges
• explore the associated engineering & physical sciences and other interdisciplinary research questions
• deliver a stakeholder, specifically industry, co-created programme of research that directly advances the UK’s net zero transition
• look at all aspects of sustainability rather than individual challenges such as decarbonisation and circularity in isolation.
• technologies, products, and processes to reduce our demand on fossil fuels, including resource & energy efficiency improvements, diversification and security of energy supply and defossilisation of feedstocks
• new, scalable, and commercially viable low and zero emission alternative technologies and (where appropriate) processes
• solutions for the breadth of our energy intensive industries which are cross-industry with cross-sector impact
• synthesis and consolidation of current research to inform industry and policy in near term
• facilitation of ‘learning by doing’ with industry demonstrators, deployments and lessons learned cycles

For the purposes of this funding opportunity, ‘Industry’ refers to those UK incumbent energy-intensive industries ,as defined by the UK Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy , which are:

• metals and minerals
• food and drink
• paper and pulp
• oil refineries
• less energy-intensive manufacturing, including the manufacturing of vehicles, wood products, pharmaceuticals and electronics, among other such industries.

Any research area or technology is in scope as long as it can be justified in how it will facilitate the outcomes articulated in this funding opportunity.

This investment should not solely focus on the discovery and development of individual technologies but on the integration and application of these technologies as a system to support the transition to more sustainable industrial processes and operations. It is expected that this investment should collaborate with other major programmes that are focussed on technology discovery and development where appropriate (for example, hydrogen, nuclear fission, advanced manufacturing)

Industry engagement and co-creation

A key aspect required of the Centre is true co-creation with industry from the outset, where stakeholders collaborate around emerging opportunities and quick wins in order to meet the needs of industry now as well as in the future. To ensure that research outcomes can be exploited by industry, we are looking for clear evidence of genuine, substantive partnerships, with co-creation and co-delivery of projects and activities. As well as this expectation for co-creation from the outset, the Centre should welcome new and additional industry engagement at any time throughout the lifetime of the investment and have a clear strategy and framework to support this.

The investment should explore ‘learning by doing’ as far as possible by collaborating with industry to see what works and partnering with demonstration and deployment programmes as far as possible.

Specific funding opportunity information

There will be £21 million available, with £18m over seven years for ‘core’ funding, and £3million for years one to three for the first wave. These are the EPSRC contributions which are funded at 80% FEC over seven years.

There will be £18 million core level of funding provided by us, for example to cover:

• salaries of core team including thought leadership team, post doctoral research assistants, management team
• resources for integrating lessons learned and horizon scanning (workshops etc)
• a flexible fund to support secondments or agile research on emerging topics and to support the involvement of discrete parts of the community, outside of the centre, that would bring significant benefit to the programme but have not otherwise been engaged
• governance, monitoring and evaluation activities
• impact activities (including stakeholder and user engagement, policy engagement and public engagement)
• networking and community building activities, to enable engagement and collaboration across key disciplines, sectors and investments, and with policy officials
• travel and subsistence.

Additionally, there will be three waves of funding available to be used for specific research activities.

These waves of funding could, for example, be used to bring in new partners or to respond to specific emerging research needs. Funding for wave one (£3 million in years one to three provided by us) will be included for the successful application and should therefore be accounted for and justified in the full proposal.

Funding for wave two (£2million in years four to five) and wave three (£2million in years six to seven) should be conceived based on findings from the Centre’s initial work and will become available in future years following assessment and approval.

Funding will be released for subsequent waves through an assessment process, this will be defined by us and we will retain responsibility for funding decisions throughout. These waves provide a further opportunity to, for example, bring on new partners and funders and respond to new and emerging opportunities.

How to apply

We will publish full details on how to apply when the funding opportunity opens, on the 13 June 2024.

This will be a two-stage application process with an Expression of Interest (EoI) followed by a peer-reviewed full proposal stage. It is mandatory to submit an EoI if you wish to submit a full proposal.

Expression of Interest stage

This will be run on Citizen Space and will be open from 13 June 2024 to 25 July 2024.  The EoI will request the following details:

• project Lead name
• core team names
• industry partners and description of how the programme is/will be co-created
• the vision for the programme and a brief description of how you will achieve that vision

We must receive your EoI by 4:00pm UK time on 25 July 2024. You will not be able to apply after this time.

Facilitation and brokerage workshop

All the submitted EoIs will be published on the funding opportunity webpage. This will enable us to facilitate and broker introductions and relationships between EoI’s to create more inclusive and robust full proposals, as well as merge and come together where appropriate.

We will facilitate a virtual brokerage workshop on 18 th September 2024 between all applicants. It is expected that all project leads will attend.

The full proposal stage will close in November 2024.

How we will assess your application

We will publish full details on the assessment process when the funding opportunity opens, on the 13 June 2024.

Expression of interest stage

The expression of interest stage will not be peer reviewed or assessed, the aim of this stage is to gauge volume of applications, to look for areas of complementarity across the applications and to help broker relationships between applicants to encourage collaboration rather than competition by enabling proposals to merge where appropriate.

The full proposal stage will encompass peer review as well as an interview panel to take place in March 2025 (TBC).

In the event of this funding opportunity being substantially oversubscribed as to be unmanageable, we reserve the right to modify the assessment process, for example by adding a panel sift process.

Assessment criteria

The criteria we will assess your application against are:

• Vision and Approach
• Applicant and team capacity to deliver
• Co-creation and stakeholder engagement
• Resources and costs
• Ethics and responsible research and innovation

Contact details

Get help with your application.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Helpdesk is committed to helping users of the UKRI Funding Service as effectively and as quickly as possible. In order to manage cases at peak volume times, the Helpdesk will triage and prioritise those queries with an imminent opportunity deadline and/or a technical issue. Enquiries raised where information is available on the Funding Finder opportunity page and should be understood early in the application process (for example, regarding eligibility or content/remit of an opportunity) will not constitute a priority case and will be addressed as soon as possible.

Contact Details

For help and advice on costings and writing your proposal please contact your research office in the first instance, allowing sufficient time for your organisation’s submission process.

For questions related to this specific funding opportunity please contact [email protected]

Any queries regarding the system or the submission of applications through the Funding Service should be directed to the helpdesk.

Email:  [email protected]

Phone: 01793 547490

Our phone lines are open:

• Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5:00pm
• Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm

To help us process queries quicker, we request that users highlight the council and opportunity name in the subject title of their email query, include the application reference number, and refrain from contacting more than one mailbox at a time.

Find out more about submitting an application .

Sensitive information

If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, please contact [email protected]

Include in the subject line: [the funding opportunity title; sensitive information; your Funding Service application number, if applicable].

Typical examples of confidential information include:

• individual is unavailable until a certain date (for example due to parental leave)
• declaration of interest
• additional information about eligibility to apply that would not be appropriately shared in the ‘Applicant and team capability’ section
• conflict of interest for UKRI to consider in reviewer or panel participant selection
• the application is an invited resubmission

For information about how UKRI handles personal data, read UKRI’s privacy notice .

Additional info

This funding opportunity aligns to the net zero priorities of EPSRC, UK Research and Innovation and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

The goal of EPSRC’s Engineering Net Zero strategy is to invest in research and innovation critical to the discovery, development and deployment of technologies and solutions to increase the speed of the deliverability of net zero and to shift us away from environmentally detrimental industries and processes to more sustainable and circular alternatives. This includes pioneering new technologies and the rapid scaling and evolution of current technologies. This funding opportunity delivers against the ‘tackling the biggest emitters’ strand of this strategy and will span Energy & Decarbonisation as well as Manufacturing and the Circular Economy and other theme interests.

This funding opportunity delivers to  UKRI’s Strategy 2022 to 2027: Transforming Tomorrow Together , to support world-class ideas, advancing the frontiers of human knowledge and innovation by enabling the UK to seize opportunities from emerging research trends, transdisciplinary approaches and new concepts and markets.

Research disruption due to COVID-19

We recognise that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused major interruptions and disruptions across our communities. We are committed to ensuring that individual applicants and their wider team, including partners and networks, are not penalised for any disruption to their career, such as:

• breaks and delays
• disruptive working patterns and conditions
• the loss of ongoing work
• role changes that may have been caused by the pandemic

Reviewers and panel members will be advised to consider the unequal impacts that COVID-19 related disruption might have had on the capability to deliver and career development of those individuals included in the application. They will be asked to consider the capability of the applicant and their wider team to deliver the research they are proposing.

Where disruptions have occurred, you can highlight this within your application if you wish, but there is no requirement to detail the specific circumstances that caused the disruption.

This is the website for UKRI: our seven research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Let us know if you have feedback or would like to help improve our online products and services .