Funding Opportunities – June 2022
A variety of funding programmes operate in Scotland, designed to support and inspire the development of high-quality research, innovation and collaboration.
Edinburgh BioQuarter has prepared an introduction to a selection of these programme to provide an easy access starting point for researchers.
This list is not exhaustive and if you are aware of health-related funding initiatives that would be of benefit to our research community, please contact us.
A strong infrastructure and ethos of partnership between NHS, academia and industry enhances world-class research, clinical and commercial opportunities in Scotland. Working together we can ensure that Scotland remains a leader in the life sciences and in addressing global health challenges.
HIGHLIGHTED CALLS
LIFEARC AND ACTION MEDICAL RESEARCH FUND
The LifeArc and Action Medical Research Fund is an annual joint funding round to support UK-based translational research projects that could lead to new interventions for children with rare diseases.
Closing date for outline application: 21 June, 2022
Find out more
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL EARLY CAREER RESEARCHER GRANTS
To help newly-established Early Career Researchers develop their own independent programme of research. They can be used for new research projects, critical pilot studies, critical replications, proof-of-concept work or to supplement other research programmes, whether funded by other grants or not.
Closing date: 7 July 2022, 12noon
Find out more
BARCLAYS VENTURES AND EAGLE LABS
Barclays Ventures and Eagle Labs partner with organisations who share belief in open collaboration. While there is no specific funding available through Barclays Eagle Labs at this time, the Eagle Labs Funding Readiness Programme, powered by Capital Enterprise, is open to all.
Closing date: unspecified
Find out more
SOURCES FOR FUNDING
NHS RESEARCH SCOTLAND
NHS Research Scotland is committed to strengthening the research culture in Scotland. Researchers can access a range of partner funding schemes, including those managed by the NIHR Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NETSCC) programmes.
Studies should follow the AcoRD Guidance on identifying and attributing costs.
NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH RESEARCH (NIHR)
The NIHR offers ten different research programmes that researchers can apply to, each of which funds different types of research.
These broad research areas are: Public Health, Health Services and Organisation, Clinical Evaluation and Translation, Technology development, Social Care. In addition, Themed Calls are funding opportunities focusing on a particular research area in which all NIHR programmes participate.
NIHR NICE ROLLING CALL (HSDR PROGRAMME)
The Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) Programme is accepting stage one applications to this funding opportunity. The programme is interested in receiving applications to meet recommendations in research identified in NICE guidance that has been published or updated since 2015.
Proposals must be within the remit of the HSDR Programme and the primary outcome measure must be health related. (This call is also open in the Public Health Research (PHR), Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME), and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programmes for proposals which fall within the remit of those programmes – applicants should apply directly to the relevant programme).
The programme aims to commission high quality, well designed research which will be carried out by effective and efficient research teams, providing findings which meet the needs of NHS and Social Care managers and leaders.
Closing date: 19 July 2022, 1pm
Find out more
NIHR NICE ROLLING CALL (PHR PROGRAMME)
The Public Health Research (PHR) Programme is accepting stage one applications to this funding opportunity. The programme is interested in receiving applications to meet recommendations in research identified in NICE guidance that has been published or updated since 2015.
Proposals must be within the remit of the PHR Programme and the primary outcome measure must be health related. (This call is also open in the the Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME), and Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programmes for proposals which fall within the remit of those programmes – applicants should apply directly to the relevant programme).
Closing date: 16 August 2022, 1pm
Find out more
NIHR RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS – LIVER DISEASE
The NIHR is keen to support the building of capacity and capability in liver disease research through the building of research partnerships.
The NIHR is accepting stage 2 applications to this funding opportunity. A webinar to support applicants will be held on Monday 27 June 2022, 13:00-14:00.
Closing date: 14 September 2022, 1pm
Find out more
CHIEF SCIENTIST OFFICE (CSO)
NHS Research Infrastructure Funding is provided by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health Directorates to Scottish NHS Boards to enable the provision of a robust research support infrastructure in order to successfully deliver trials and studies.
CSO work closely with NHS Research Scotland, and is in close contact with other health research funding organisations across the UK.
RESPONSE MODE RESEARCH GRANT SCHEMES
Response mode funding scheme , limit £300k. Applications to the Chief Scientist Office will be assessed by one of two research advisory committees:
- Translational Clinical Studies Research Committee
- Health Improvement, Protection and Services Research Committee
Closing date for outline applications: 24 June 2022, 5pm
Find out more
LIFEARC
LifeArc’s offices in Scotland are located at NINE, Edinburgh BioQuarter.
LifeArc is a charity helping turn promising science into benefits for patients and fund collaborations and science projects directly to support the early translation of biomedical innovations.
LifeArc Ventures aims to drive positive impact for patients and deliver financial returns to sustain LifeArc’s charitable activities. This strategy encourages early-stage investment into innovative therapeutics, medical devices, healthtech and diagnostics companies. LifeArc invest in Seed and Series A investment rounds, with significant follow-on investment reserved for successful portfolio companies.
The Philanthropic Fund awards grants to academics who have promising projects focused on research into therapeutics, devices or diagnostics that could support people who are living with a rare disease. As of August 2021, the LifeArc Philanthropic Fund has awarded £9.3 million to 30 research projects since 2017.
The Development Gap Fund (DGF) is an MRC Fund administered by LifeArc which supports small-scale studies, building upon research undertaken in MRC Units and Institutes, to provide proof of concept for translational projects. Projects from MRC University Units may be considered on a case by case basis.
SCOTTISH HEALTH INNOVATIONS LTD (SHIL)
SHIL fund innovation through the process of research, development and commercialisation on meeting established criteria and have strong links with academia and with investors and funders of health and medical technology innovation.
FRAILTY INNOVATION CALL
SUSTAINABILITY INNOVATION CALL
- up to £25,000 of initial funding
- regulatory support
- project management
- extensive innovation expertise
RESEARCH INNOVATION SCOTLAND (RIS)
The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) Scottish Research Pools are collectively coming together with SFC-funded partners, Innovation Centres and Interface, to intensify efforts around interdisciplinary research and innovation to support economic recovery and societal change.
Scottish Research Pools facilitate collaborative research and development working across sectors and provide various opportunities for funding awards for academic and research staff, and students within their member Universities, to promote and encourage networking, collaboration and knowledge exchange within Scotland and beyond.
SCOUT PROJECT
For Scottish SME’s, operating in high-value chemical or biochemical supply chains, looking for support to overcome innovation challenges, strengthening their business as we start to emerge from the current pandemic crisis.
CPI, CMAC and IBioIC jointly bring their strong technical expertise and facilities to support SMEs progress with their innovation challenges, generating new ideas, partnerships and revenues, helping to accelerate the delivery of disruptive technology to the market and ultimately to deliver economic growth.
Funding available from: European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), managed by Scottish Enterprise, along with the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), CMAC Future Manufacturing Research Hub (CMAC) and the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC).
Closing date: December 2022
Find out more
INNOVATION VOUCHER PROGRAMME
The Scottish Funding Council offer a number of funding programmes for Scottish SME’s and academic partners, which are administered by Interface, to offset the cost for businesses collaborating with Scotland’s universities or further education colleges to support innovation to develop a new product, process or service for the company or to develop the company’s workforce.
Funding available from: Interface
Closing date: Ongoing
Find out more
SINAPSE: ONLINE TRAINING BURSARY FUND
In response to the present ubiquity of online delivery for researcher training and development opportunities, and the widespread disruption to imaging research activity caused by COVID-19, SINAPSE have introduce a bursary scheme for online training costs. This is available to SINAPSE members who belong to one of the seven partner Universities: Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, St. Andrews, Stirling, and Strathclyde.
Applicants without recourse to other sources of funding for such expenses may request financial support to register for fee-charging online courses or conferences that will enhance their training and/or skills development related to imaging research. Priority will be given to early career researchers and to individuals whose research plans have been significantly disrupted and/or redirected due to COVID-19.
Closing date: Ongoing
Find out more
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (MRC)
The Medical Research Council (MRC) works to improve the health of people in the UK – and around the world – by supporting excellent science and in co-coordinating and funding medical research in the UK.
WELLCOME TRUST
The Wellcome Trust believe in the power of ideas to improve health and offer funding schemes supporting thousands of scientists and researchers in more than 70 countries.
Funding schemes support individuals, teams, resources, seed ideas, places and major initiatives in the following areas:
- biomedical science
- population health
- product development and applied research
- humanities and social science
- public engagement and creative industries
WELLCOME CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARDS
This scheme provides funding for mid-career researchers from any discipline who have the potential to be international research leaders to develop research capabilities, drive innovative programmes of work and deliver significant shifts in understanding that could improve human life, health and wellbeing.
Wellcome Career Development Award provides a salary for the grantholder (if required) and research expenses. The award usually lasts for 8 years, but may be less for some disciplines, such as humanities and social science. The award may be held on a part-time basis and the duration of the award will be extended to reflect this.
Closing date: 21 July 2022, 5pm
Find out more
WELLCOME DISCOVERY AWARDS
This scheme provides funding for established researchers and teams from any discipline who want to pursue bold and creative research ideas to deliver significant shifts in understanding that could improve human life, health and wellbeing.
A Wellcome Discovery Award provides funding for research expenses. The award usually lasts for 8 years, but may be less for some disciplines, such as humanities and social science. The award may be held on a part-time basis and the duration of the award will be extended to reflect this.
Closing date: 21 July 2022, 5pm
Find out more
UK RESEARCH AND INNOVATION (UKRI)
UKRI is funding and support across all academic disciplines and industrial areas including the medical and biological sciences.
FUNDING FOR COVID-19 RESEARCH
Funding to research COVID-19 as part of normal UKRI funding streams and opportunities. UKRI is currently interested in funding research and innovation that:
- has a clear impact pathway with the potential to deliver a significant contribution to the understanding of, and response to, the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts
- supports the manufacture or wide-scale adoption of an intervention with significant potential for COVID-19
gathers time-critical data and resources related to COVID-19 quickly and secures them for future research use - builds capability in areas that will be necessary to deliver a significant contribution to the understanding of, and response to, the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts in the future.
DEVELOPMENTAL PATHWAY FUNDING SCHEME
- early development and design
- pre-clinical testing
- early-phase clinical studies and trials (up to phase 2a)
APPLIED GLOBAL HEALTH RESEARCH
- Global South
- UK, working in partnership with Global South investigators.
CLINICAL ACADEMIC RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS
- be a registered healthcare professional
- have a PhD, MD or equivalent
- be working at a senior level with specialised knowledge and demonstrable capacity for professional independence and leadership
- have a research partner based at an eligible research organisation
Find out more
INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY CHALLENGE FUND
The Government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund brings together leading research and business to tackle the big societal and industrial challenges today.
The UKRI Ageing Society challenges aim to support innovation in technologies and services for an ageing population, and improved therapies and treatments to keep them healthy in later life.
Accelerating detection of disease challenge
Building a national resource of volunteers to support the development of new diagnostic tools and technologies. This challenge will recruit up to five million volunteers who have agreed to help in a new health project that will track their health records and potentially invite them to join further research studies.
Healthy ageing
Developing products and services that help people remain independent and active into older age. This challenge is to develop products and services to help people remain independent, productive, active and socially connected for longer.
From data to early diagnosis and precision medicine
Supporting the development of precision medicine for improved early diagnosis and treatment. This challenge is for the application of existing health data to improve early diagnosis and precision treatment of disease.
Leading-edge healthcare
Accelerating the development and manufacture of new medicines and treatments. The challenge is to develop and manufacture new medicines and digital health products and technologies.
MEDICAL RESEARCH CHARITIES
Funding opportunities also regularly become available via Medical Research Charities.
MEDICAL RESEARCH SCOTLAND
Medical Research Scotland is an independent medical research charity which provides funding for research which aims to improve the diagnosis, treatment or prevention of any disease; to understand basic disease processes; or to develop medical technology.
MND SCOTLAND
MND Scotland is a Scottish charity providing care and support to people affected by Motor Neurone Disease (MND), as well as funding ground-breaking MND research in Scotland and across the UK, into finding a cure.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANT
The purpose of this grant is to enable Health and Social Care professionals and researchers, with an interest in MND, to attend conferences and training courses which, for financial reasons, they would not otherwise be able to attend.
This grant may award up to £3,000, over three years, to help MND professionals meet the costs of attending training courses or conferences. It may only be used to cover conference registration/course fees, travel and accommodation costs and may also be used to assist in covering some of the costs of hosting training sessions, including the dissemination of information and cascading of training that furthers the aim of improving MND care.
Individuals can apply for up to £1,500 in any one year and a maximum of £3,000 in any three year period. The grant does not cover subsistence costs and cannot be awarded retrospectively, this includes costs that have been incurred prior to MND Scotland approving a grant application.
Closing date: Ongoing
Find out more
