Funding opportunities

This page contains information on:

King’s Health Partners Diabetes, Endocrinology and Obesity (DEO): Seed Research Grant Scheme

The KHP DEO Seed Grant Scheme is now closed for applications.

The DEO Research Joint Advisory Group secured funding to offer four grants of up to £15,000 to fund projects from March 2023 to March 2024.

This opportunity was open to colleagues from across the partnership to pump-prime innovative research projects in the field of diabetes, obesity and endocrinology. Applications from early career researchers whose work involves clinical and basic science were welcome.

For information, please read the Seed Grant Scheme Guidance here and download the Grant Application Form here.

The deadline for applications was 5pm on Tuesday 31st January, 2023. Please contact deo@kcl.ac.uk if you have questions about this funding opportunity.

Research and Development Challenge Fund ‘Fast Track’ (Penelope and Eugene Rosenberg Awards)

The KHP R&D Challenge Fund and R&D Challenge Fund ‘Fast Track’ is now closed and is no longer accepting applications.

King’s College London (KCL) has secured funding from MRC and will be offering a replacement scheme called MRC Impact Acceleration Account (MRC IAA). This scheme will be offering proof of concept translational funding and fast track funding. 

It will be open to KCL members of staff (honorary staff and employees of NHS Trusts are not eligible to apply unless they have an adjunct position with KCL).

Further information will soon be available on the KCL webpages here.

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External funding

King’s Health Partners works with, and receives grant from, many funding bodies in the UK and internationally. The King’s College London website hosts information and guidance for researchers about the process for applying for funds. 

UK government departments

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) commissions and funds a wide range of health, social care and public health research, translating discoveries into practical products, treatments, devices and procedures.  Funding is provided through a range of research programmes that are co-ordinated and managed by the NIHR Central Commissioning Facility (CCF) and the NIHR Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NETSCC).  Training and career development awards, ranging from doctoral level through to opportunities for established investigators and research leaders, are co-ordinated through the NIHR Trainees Coordinating Centre (NIHR TCC)

More detailed information on the NIHR funding streams can be found at NIHR funding streams at a glance.

The NIHR also co-funds health research and research facilities with partners such as charities, industry, trust funds and public funding bodies in areas of strategic priority and where the scope of the partner’s research complements the NIHR funding streams. 

The Department of Health spends about £30 million per annum through research budgets held by Departmental policy branches and through research undertaken by arm's length bodies including Public Health England

Research Councils

The primary role of Research Councils UK (RCUK) is to fund research. Each year a total of around £3 billion is invested in research conducted at UK universities, Research Council Institutes, and in securing access to international facilities for UK researchers.  A diverse range of funding opportunities are offered that cover the full spectrum of academic disciplines from medical and biological sciences to astronomy, physics, chemistry and engineering, social sciences, economics, environmental sciences and the arts and humanities.  Each of the Research Councils funds research within a broad set of subject disciplines, and in collaboration with other Councils and partners. Detailed information about the areas of research each Council supports can be found on their individual websites. 

Alongside the NIHR, the Medical Research Council (MRC) is the second main route through which the Government funds health-related research in the UK.  The MRC focuses on fundamental research that makes a difference to human health, including broad initiatives such as speeding up the development of basic discoveries into new drugs and treatments.  A range of grants, calls, highlight notices, studentships and fellowships are available. 

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

Grant-making trusts and foundations

There are about 8,800 grant-making trusts and foundations in the UK, providing around £2.1 billion in grants to charities each year.  The Association of Medical Research Charities directory contains leading medical and health research charities in the UK and a useful resource for finding a suitable charity funding.

The Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) all host a range of funding schemes supporting individuals, teams, resources, seed ideas, places and major initiatives.

Find further funding opportunities, including a wider range of charities through ResearchProfessional.

The NIHR funding opportunities booklet provides information about their research funding and career development opportunities available for researchers based in the NHS, universities, industry and other organisations concerned with health, public health and social care.

The Medical Research Council (MRC) have produced the video below on generating ideas for your research, selecting the right funder and application process tips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGhOTTlXKyQ 

Research and Development Challenge Fund

The KHP R&D Challenge Fund and R&D Challenge Fund is now closed and is no longer accepting applications.

King’s College London (KCL) has secured funding from MRC and will be offering a replacement scheme called MRC Impact Acceleration Account (MRC IAA). This scheme will be offering proof of concept translational funding and fast track funding. 

It will be open to KCL members of staff (honorary staff and employees of NHS Trusts are not eligible to apply unless they have an adjunct position with KCL).

Further information will soon be available on the KCL webpages here.

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Multiple Long Term Conditions Challenge Fund

A £1+ million ‘Challenge Fund’ aims to fund research into Multiple Long Term Conditions (MLTC). The Fund is administered by King’s College London on behalf of Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity.

The Multiple Long Term Conditions Challenge Fund has held three calls for proposals. It is currently closed to new applications. You can find out more about the wider MLTC programme here.

Research into Multiple Long Term Conditions is an important priority area both within our local boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark, but also more widely across the UK and internationally. The call scope is available here and applicants are requested to read it carefully before submitting their application.

For further background please see the Charity’s report ‘From one to many: Exploring people’s progression to multiple long-term conditions in an urban environment’

The Fund is administered by King’s College London and in round 3 we will award projects of up to £175K lasting up to 24 months. We have £700K available to award in Round 3.

Criteria and eligibility for the fund

Funding is available to members of King’s Health Partner organisations, with collaborators from academic and non-academic organisations welcomed.

Eligibility criteria:

  • the principal investigator must be an employee of King’s Health Partner organisations (King’s College London, King’s College Hospital, South London and Maudsley and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trusts)
  • the PI should be a member of staff with a contract that outlasts the duration of the project. Externally funded research fellows may also apply as PI as long as their funding outlasts the project. Postdoctoral researchers employed on a grant may apply as co-investigator but not as PI.
  • applicants may be the principal investigator on one application per round of the MLTC Challenge Fund. They may be co-applicants on other applications.    
  • collaborators can be drawn from institutions that are not members of King’s Health Partners; collaborators from academic and non-academic organisations are welcomed.

How to apply

Applicants should complete the MLTC Challenge Fund application form and provide short (two page) CVs for the PI and co-applicants.  This should be submitted as a single PDF file to khpresearchoffice AT kcl.ac.uk . Read our applicant guidance document. Applicants should also read the additional document on key changes and learning points from round 1 & 2.

The composition of the MLTC Challenge Fund Assessment Panel will be made available before the deadline. Template staff costs are provided here to give an indication, however, see call guidance about using worktribe to develop a more accurate budge for the application. Please use the MLTC Report Form to complete the Final Project Report.

Approval from Head of School or Department (King's College London-led applications) or NHS Divisional Director (for trust-led applications) is required.