In This Section..

Funding Opportunities

Updated on 18th August 2010

For general information on funding sources, go here.

Calls for Proposals currently open include :

Big Lottery Funding
Dunhill Medical Trust
EUREKA Eurostars Programme
Parkinson's Disease Society Innovation Grants
HTA Clinical Evaluation and Trials
Assisted Living: Economic and Business Models and Social and Behavioural Studies
ICE-T sponsored PhD studentships in Telecare/Telehealth at the University of Oxford
SBRI competition - Living Well with Dementia
SBRI competition - Reduction in hospital admissions
Wellcome Trust Translation Awards
NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research Competition 9
NIHR Programme Development Grants Competition 4
Major UK healthcare company seeks innovative products

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. 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.

Fifth Eurostars Cut-off: 30th September 2010.

To find out more, follow this link.

4. 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.

2010 application deadlines: 7th May 2010; 18th June 2010; 17th September 2010. For more details go here.

5. HTA Clinical Evaluation and Trials

HTA Clinical Trials has expanded its remit to become the HTA Clinical Evaluation and Trials funding stream and grants are now available for evaluation studies falling within the remit of the HTA programme, as well as normal clinical trials.

Outline proposals for the HTA Clinical Evaluation and Trials workstream to assess the effectiveness of treatments and tests within the NHS are accepted on an ongoing basis, but there are dedicated calls this year with deadlines as follows:

Thursday 7 October 2010 with a topic focus on learning disabilities

For more details contact the HTA Clinical Evaluation and Trials Team on Tel: 023 8059 6974 (24 hour answer phone), Fax: 023 8059 5639, Email: htacet@soton.ac.uk

6. Assisted Living: Economic and Business Models and Social and Behavioural Studies

Technology Strategy Board call designed to address needs identified in the areas of Economic and Business Models and Social and Behavioural Studies. The Economic and Business Modelling theme will aim to provide improved evidence to underpin industry and social enterprise, to encourage investment in and implementation of assisted living services and technology. The Social and Behavioural Studies theme will aim to better understand the interactions between Assisted Living technologies and services and individuals, families and communities.

There is up to £10 million to invest. Nearer market collaborative research projects will be funded at 50%. Basic research projects, with direct industry participation will be funded at 75%. Funding anticipated to be between £250,000 and £2 million in each project.

Competition opens 21 June 2010 and deadline for expression of interest is 29th July 2010. Deadline for full applications 14th October 2010.
Networking event 10th June 2010 and optional briefing 30th June 2010.

Email: support@innovateuk.org, phone: 0300 321 4357. More details via this link.

7. ICE-T sponsored PhD studentships in Telecare/Telehealth at the University of Oxford

ICE-T is sponsoring 3 PhD positions focusing on telecare and telehealth or a related subject, based at the Industrial Doctorate Centre (IDC) at the University of Oxford.

IDC offers companies in the pharmaceutical, biomedical, imaging, biotechnology, and health related IT sectors an opportunity to engage with Oxford University DPhil students by proposing and supervising research projects which address problems relevant to their business.

During the first year, the programme provides comprehensive training over two terms to graduates from both the physical and life sciences. Students then select two short ten-week research projects, before choosing to continue one project as their doctoral research at the start of the second year. All projects are proposed by industry and have an academic and an industrial supervisor; the research can take place at whatever location is most suitable.

Companies can either encourage employees to study at IDC, or suggest research proposals which students will take on.

Deadline for student applications is 4th June 2010; call for project proposals opens October 2010; deadline for submission of project proposals is December 2010.

More information from Lisa Bligh on 01865 610651 or via this link.

8. SBRI competition - Living Well with Dementia

NHS South East Coast is seeking new innovations to enable people with dementia to live more independently. The desired outcomes of the proposed technology development must cover at least one or more of the following areas:

Ensuring people with dementia are able to maintain independence
Supporting carers by reducing the burden of care placed upon them
Ensuring equality of healthcare and access to healthcare for people with dementia

Deadline for applications is 9th September 2010 and there is more information here.

9. SBRI competition - Reduction in hospital admissions

This challenge is being launched by South Central SHA. It is looking to all sectors - both within and outside the NHS and including industry to bring new technologies and new practice to bear on the achievement of an ambitious target of a 20% reduction in admissions to hospital within the next 2 years.

Responses to the challenge are likely to include proposals to increase the scale and pace of uptake of current technologies and innovative practice and also proposals for new technologies and practice.

Deadline for applications is 23rd August 2010 and there is more information here.

10. NIHR Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) Competition 13

The NIHR RfPB Programme invites applications for applied research projects to provide benefit for NHS patients and other users of health and social care services. RfPB is a nationally co-ordinated funding stream for regionally commissioned research. Projects are funded up to 36 months in duration to a maximum of £250k.

Deadline is 24th September 2010 and there is more detail here.

11. NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research Competition 9

The NIHR Programme Grant for Applied Research Applications invites research proposals from leading research groups for a coherent series of related projects to tackle high priority health issues. Proposals should provide evidence to improve health outcomes in England through promotion of health, prevention of ill health, and optimal disease management (including safety and quality), with particular emphasis on conditions causing significant disease burden. Funding of up to £2m is available over a period of three to five years.

The deadline for applications is 11th October 2010 and there is more information here.

12. NIHR Programme Development Grants Competition 4

The NIHR Programme Development Grants invites proposals from research teams to undertake preparatory work that will position them to submit a successful Programme Grant for Applied Research application in a subsequent funding competition. Funding of between £20k and £100k is available over a period of 6-18 months. The closing date for applications is 25 October 2010.

Deadline is 25th October 2010 and there is more information via this link.

13. Major UK healthcare company seeks innovative products

The HealthTech and Medicines KTN is working with a major UK healthcare company who is seeking innovative products in specific healthcare and wellness markets. The areas of interest include new products which treat all aspects of health problems associated with footcare such as blilsters, bunions, calluses, corns, warts, verrucas, foot skincare problems and problems of comfort when standing, walking or running. Applicants should provide a short outline directly relevant to these topics, for submission into evaluations by the company on two key dates: 27 August and 24 September. The KTN would need to receive your outlines by 25 August and 22 September respectively.

Applications should be sent to sarah.forson@twi.co.uk, and there is more information via the KTN portal here.