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Funding Opportunities

Updated on 22nd February 2010

For general information on funding sources, go here.

Calls for Proposals currently open include :

Big Lottery Funding
Dunhill Medical Trust
Grants for ageing research in Ireland
NIHR Programme Grant for Applied Research - Competition 8
Industry Fellowships Scheme
EUREKA Eurostars Programme
Research Council Follow-on Fund - Call for Proposals
FP7-ICT call 6 for proposals
Parkinson's Disease Society Innovation Grants
SEHTA first call for proposals -- telecare in residential homes
NIHR Invention for Innovation (i4i) Programme: Stream 1 - i4i Feasibility studies
Communication Matters Small Grants 2010
Industrial CASE Studentships Awards

1. Big Lottery Funding

The Big Lottery Fund’s Research programme is making up to £25 million available for high quality social and medical research projects across the UK.

Third sector organisations are able to apply for grants for up to five years from the programme, which will be administered by Momenta and supported by Third Sector First.

Grants of between £10,000 and £ 500,000 are available, with up to £1 million for exceptional projects. Applicants who need extra support will be able to apply for development grants of up to £10,000 to help develop their research proposal.

Momenta have developed an online application process which can be accessed at http://www.bigresearchprogramme.org.uk Registered applicants will be able to access advice and support on the conception, design and management of research from Third Sector First. For further information call 08450 711 068 or email researchprogramme@aeat.co.uk

More details from this [external] link.

2. Dunhill Medical Trust

Funding available for research into rehabilitation and disabilities affecting older people, with an emphasis on areas which find it hard to attract funding from other sources (eg incontinence).

More details here: http://www.dunhillmedical.org.uk/researchgrants.html

3. Grants for ageing research in Ireland

The Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland (CARDI) has launched a grants programme which aims to help research play its role in planning for an ageing population.

It is inviting applications for grants to fund cross-border research or to create networks of academics and the public, private and voluntary sectors that will examine issues that arise out of an ageing society in Ireland, north and south to help improve policies and services for older people.

More information via this link: http://www.cardi.ie/grantprogramme

CARDI allocated €200,000 to the first call, which closed on 9th March 2009, and will be following up with two further calls in 2010.

4. NIHR Programme Grant for Applied Research - Competition 8

Applications are invited from leading research groups for an NIHR Programme Grant for Applied Research award, of up to £2m over a period of three to five years. Each programme grant funds a coherent series of related projects to tackle high priority health issues. Proposals should comprise health services research and/or innovation (e.g. introduction of new technologies), where there is potential gain for patients within the relatively near future, i.e. 'near market' research with application in the NHS within 3-5 years of the end of the funding period. Potential applicants are required to complete a stage 1 grant application form summarising their proposed research programme (in stage 2, full applications will be invited from those meeting the assessment criteria and shortlisted at stage 1).

The deadline for submission of stage 1 applications is 15th March 2010. More details via this link.

5. Industry Fellowships Scheme

These appointments are funded by the Royal Society, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Natural Environment Research Council, Rolls-Royce plc and Astra Zeneca.

The scheme aims to enhance knowledge transfer in science and technology between those in industry and those in academia. It provides opportunties for an academic scientist to work on a collaborative project with industry, or someone employed in industry to work on a collaborative project with a university department or a not-for-profit research organisation. It is anticipated that fellows will establish personal and corporate links between the two sectors in the UK as a foundation for their long-term future development.

Closing date for Round 2 is 24th March 2010. More details via this link.

6. EUREKA Eurostars Programme

A Eurostars project is a European research and development project. It can address any technological area, but must have a civilian purpose and be aimed at the development of a new product, process or service. A Eurostars project is collaborative, meaning it must involve at least two participants (legal entities) from two different Eurostars participating countries. In addition, at least 50% of the project’s core activity should be carried out by SMEs.

A Eurostars project should be market-driven: it must have a maximum duration of three years, and within two years of project completion, the product of the research should be ready for launch onto the market. The exception to this rule applies to biomedical or medical projects, where clinical trials must be started within two years of project completion.

EUREKA's Eurostars Programme is open for funding applications on a continuous basis, with an average of two application submission deadlines each year.

The next application submission deadline is 25th February 2010, Fifth Eurostars Cut-off: 30th September 2010.

To find out more, follow this link.

7. Research Council Follow-on Fund - Call for Proposals

The Follow-on Fund helps researchers to bridge the funding gap between traditional research grants and commercial funding by supporting the very early stage of turning research outputs into a commercial proposition.

Up to 12 months support is available to develop the commercial potential of a concept and establish both commercial feasibility and scientific/technical merit through a complementary mix of both technical and business development activities. Proposals must demonstrate a strong commercial focus and not be predominantly concerned with overcoming technical obstacles or extending the original research.

The Follow-on Fund is supported by BBSRC, EPSRC, NERC and STFC. This call is for applications to EPSRC only, and is open to academics in UK research organisations to take forward ideas generated by EPSRC research grant funding.

Closing date for proposals: 25 February 2010

8. FP7-ICT call 6 for proposals

The European Commission's Directorate-General for Research has published a call for proposals under the 'Information and communication technology' (ICT) Theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). The research objectives called for are the following:

cognitive systems and robotics;
digital libraries and digital preservation;
virtual physiological human;
ICT for mobility of the future;
molecular scale devices and systems;
brain-inspired ICT;
coordinating communities, plans and actions in future and emerging technologies (FET) proactive initiatives;
identifying new research topics, assessing emerging global science and technology (S&T) trends in ICT for future FET proactive initiatives;
international cooperation;
supplements to support international cooperation between ongoing projects.

The total indicative budget amounts to EUR 286 million.To see the full details of the call, go here.

Deadline is 13th April 2010.

9. Parkinson's Disease Society Innovation Grants

The Parkinson's Disease Society (PDS) invests in bold new ideas that have the potential to transform the lives of people with Parkinson's. Innovation grants support exceptionally innovative research focused on the causes, treatment and cure for Parkinson's. Innovation grants are offered for up to £35,000 for a maximum of 12 months.

In 2010, there are 5 application deadlines: 29th January 2010; 26th March 2010; 7th May 2010; 18th June 2010; 17th September 2010. For more details go here.

10. SEHTA first call for proposals -- telecare in residential homes

Under its ICE-T initiative, SEHTA (South East Health Technologies Alliance) is putting out this call for new product and service development proposals from consortia which include at least one SME, to meet the needs of the private sector residential home operators. Funding of up to £50,000 is available to support pilot projects or schemes that will test the performance of new telecare products and services in a residential care home setting. Each project is required to work with one of the ICE-T showcase sites.

On project completion it is anticipated that a prototype will have been tested successfully in a care home environment and can then be commercialised within a period of 6-18 months. Funding will be awarded to those proposals that most closely fit the specification and demonstrate the potential for a sustainable business. Deadline is 2nd March 2010 and there is more information via this link.

11. NIHR Invention for Innovation (i4i) Programme: Stream 1 - i4i Feasibility studies

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is inviting project proposals of up to 12 months under its i4i Programme to determine first if prior basic research or an innovative use of an existing technology can be used to meet an existing or emerging healthcare need. There should be the potential for a device, based on the technology or technologies, to be developed through further applied R&D. The study must also identify the barriers that would need to be overcome before implementation. Funding to a total of £100K is available.

All applications must show innovation and must have relevance, impact and potential to contribute to future health gain for patients and the general population. This programme is open to all research providers in the UK academic and NHS communities.

Deadline for applications is 5th March 2010 and there is more information here.

12. Communication Matters Small Grants 2010

Communication Matters welcomes all applications for small grants (applicants must be resident in the UK). Consideration will be given to applications for ‘not-for-profit’ projects in the UK that further the aims of Communication Matters. This grant is not to provide funding for a communication aid, therapy, training and other provision that fall within the remit of the statutory agencies, or to provide for an organisation’s core funding. Examples of the kind of project that may be awarded a grant include organising an event for people who use AAC, publishing an information leaflet, or funding for the costs of a social research project.

Deadlines for applications this year are 1st March 2010 and 30th June 2010 and further details are available via this link.

13. Industrial CASE Studentships Awards

The HealthTech and Medicines KTN will be able to support five industrial CASE Studentships for awards that are due to start in the academic year 2010/2011. These CASE Studentships provide an excellent mechanism for engaging universities and industry in our Network through training and technology transfer.

We are looking for high quality Industrial Case Studentship proposals in line with the priority areas for health technologies and medicine sectors identified by the EPSRC and development of new generations of medical and implantable devices.

The technical scope is broad with the main emphasis on encouraging adventurous research for improved health technologies, whilst engaging with the industrial and clinical base to provide a route to the market.

Deadline is 11th March 2010 and more details are available here.