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Psychology Funding

 

Cancer Research UK

Population Science Grants

There are 3 types of grant

  • Project Grants
  • Programme Grants
  • Small Grants

The Population and Behavioural Sciences Committee considers programme grant applications in any area of population and behavioural sciences, including:

  • genetic, molecular, clinical and public health epidemiology (excluding primary and secondary prevention studies involving medical interventions, e.g. vaccines and chemoprevention)
  • educational, behavioural, non-therapeutic supportive and palliative care
  • and psychosocial research

 

BMA

Research Grants

Deadline: Annual

Around 10 research grants are administered under the auspices of the Board of Science, funded by past bequests to the BMA.

Grants totalling £500,000 are awarded annually. All grants are for research in progress or prospective research and cover research areas from heart disease to schizophrenia.

The aim of the grants is to fund high-quality, innovative research projects that are likely to benefit patients, population health and or healthcare.

 

National Institute for Health Research at the Department of Health

Programmes

The NIHR Central Commissioning Facility commissions research for a number of the NIHR and Department of Health's research programmes. The method of commissioning and the associated processes varies between programmes. The programmes are:

  • Research for Patient Benefit
  • Policy Research Programme
  • Programme Grants for Applied Research
  • Public Health Research
  • Research for Innovation, Speculation and Creativity (RISC)
  • Invention for Innovation

 

Medical Research Council (MRC)

Neurosciences and mental health research grants

These grants support short- and long-term projects and also broader-based programmes. They can also be used to support method development or development and continuation of research facilities, and collaborations of more than one group, or more than one institution. Eligible research areas are:

•basic neurobiology, for example, molecular and cell biology and developmental neurobiology;
•systems-based neuroscience research;
•senses and cognition and behavioural neuroscience;
•medically relevant psychology;
•neuroimaging;
•dementia, neurodegenerative disease, transmissible spongiform encephalopathies and other areas of neurology;
•mental health and psychiatry.

Grants are open to UK-based researchers. Applicants must be of postgraduate status and should normally have a PhD. Less experienced researchers should apply in collaboration with a more senior colleague.

Grants may last up to five years, but those of two years or less are for proof of principle or pilot work only. Funding at a rate of 80 per cent of full economic costs will be provided to cover a salary, consumables, equipment, travel and data costs.

Deadline: See website

Methodology research programme

This programme is run in partnership with the Dept of Health's National Institute for Health Research. The programme supports research on methods development to underpin the biomedical sciences, experimental medicine, clinical trials, population health sciences, health services research and health policy, including:

•methods for the design and analysis of primary descriptive and evaluative studies;
•methods for the design and analysis of secondary studies involving reviews and evidence synthesis of descriptive and evaluative studies;
•the design, process and analysis of clinical trials including improved methods for the assessment of risk, efficacy, safety and other issues related to regulatory approvals for new medicines, devices and diagnostics;
•methodologies in the applied disciplines underpinning research in the health science, for example, health economics, biostatistics and quantitative analysis, modelling, decision sciences, epidemiology, behavioural sciences and health psychology, qualitative analysis and mixed methods, medical sociology, organisational and management science and bioethics;
•the measurement and validation of health, health outcomes and satisfaction.

The remit of MRP does not include research projects aimed at technology development, but may support analytical approaches and research methods linked to new technology. MRP’s focus is on research with methods development as its primary purpose and methodological outputs that are applicable beyond a specific case-study.

Applicants should follow the normal process for MRC grants.

Commercial organisations and researchers from international institutions are welcome to apply as co-applicants; however the research should be carried out within the UK by a leading UK institution.

Deadline: See website

Population and Systems Medicine
Research Grants, Collaboration Grants, New Investigator Awards, Open-link Grants

Deadline: see website

Eligible research areas are:

•function and pathophysiology, and prevention or treatment of deterioration or illness, in all the major organ systems, except the brain;
•cardiovascular system;
•musculoskeletal system;
•gastrointestinal system;
•respiratory system;
•endocrine system;
•reproductive system;
•nutrition, energy metabolism, obesity;
•diabetes;
•ageing and lifelong health;
•maternal health and the early origins of health and disease;
•medical sociology;
•trauma, acute medicine and surgery;
•lifestyle, socio-economic and behavioural impacts on general health and health inequalities.

Grants may last up to five years, but those of two years or less are for proof of principle or pilot work only. Funding at a rate of 80 per cent of full economic costs will be provided to cover a salary, consumables, equipment, travel and data costs.

MRC Presentation (1405.77KB - Requires Adobe Reader)

 

 

Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation

Butterfield awards

The awards are intended to encourage and facilitate exploratory exchanges and collaborations between professionally qualified researchers in Japan and the UK, and the investigation of both clinical and social aspects of medicine in which Japanese and British practitioners and policy makers may learn from each other. The grants may be used for travel and living expenses or to contribute to other costs as appropriate. Typically, an award might cover the cost of one exchange visit in each direction for up to a month. It is intended that, wherever possible, the project should involve partners in both the UK and Japan.

Applicants should normally be able to show an existing research record, but consideration will also be given to practitioners, managers, carers or others in health-related fields who intend to establish working links between organisations or produce a publishable comparative study. Preference will be given to those who have not previously been involved in UK-Japan collaboration, and applications from those in the early stages of their career are particularly welcomed. There are no restrictions on the field of research or collaboration, provided that it is one in which the UK and Japan have a mutual and beneficial interest. Areas currently of interest include, for example: health management; public health; health education; genetic aspects of ageing; palliative care; stem cell technology; community-based psychiatry; patient and carer involvement; drug testing; cancer; voluntary sector development; architecture and design for healthcare.

Awards have a value of up to £5,000 per annum. Proposals for continuous funding for a maximum of three years are acceptable.

Deadline: 31 October annually

Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation

Dissertation Fellowships

The foundation welcomes proposals from any of the natural and social sciences and the humanities that promise to increase understanding of the causes, manifestations, and control of violence, aggression, and dominance. Highest priority is given to research that can increase understanding and amelioration of urgent problems of violence, aggression, and dominance in the modern world.
In addition to our program of support for postdoctoral research, ten or more dissertation fellowships are awarded each year to individuals who will complete the writing of the dissertation within the award year. These fellowships of $15,000 each are designed to contribute to the support of the doctoral candidate to enable him or her to complete the thesis in a timely manner, and it is only appropriate to apply for support for the final year of Ph.D. work. Applications are evaluated in comparison with each other and not in competition with the postdoctoral research proposals. Applicants may be citizens of any country and studying at colleges or universities in any country.
Particular questions that interest the foundation concern violence, aggression, and dominance in relation to social change, the socialization of children, intergroup conflict, interstate warfare, crime, family relationships, and investigations of the control of aggression and violence. Research with no useful relevance to understanding and attempting to cope with problems of human violence and aggression will not be supported, nor will proposals to investigate urgent social problems where the foundation cannot be assured that useful, sound research can be done. Priority will also be given to areas and methodologies not receiving adequate attention and support from other funding sources.
Timing
Applications for dissertation fellowships must be received by February 1 for a decision in June. Applications are reviewed during the spring term and final decisions are made by the Board of Directors at its meeting in June. Applicants will be informed promptly by letter of the Board's decision. Awards ordinarily commence on September 1, but other starting dates (after July 1) may be requested if the nature of the project makes this appropriate.

 

NIH (US)

A large number of calls are put out by the various National Institutes of Health in the US. Their weekly funding bulletin is available at:

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/WeeklyIndex.cfm/02-01-2008/

 

 

British Ecological Society

Ecology into Policy Grants

Deadline: Annual

EIPGs are designed to support researchers to conduct a systematic review of the ecological science in an area of policy importance. The purpose of systematic reviews is to provide the best available evidence on the likely outcomes of various actions and, if the evidence is unavailable, to highlight areas where further original research is required. Awards of up to £5,000 are available to cover the cost of accessing information, travel, the employment of short-term assistance (at up to £1,500), training to conduct systematic reviews and purchasing statistical software. The grant is only open to current BES members

 

Society for Reproductive and Infant Psychology

Developmental grants

Deadline: None

Developmental grants are designed to support single occasion research workshops on any area of interest to the society. The society will provide up to £1,000 to cover travel and accommodation for participants and other small incidental costs. Costs will be reimbursed through a university or other appropriate organisation. Priority will be given to workshops:

•dealing with topics that are important both academically and clinically;
•involving a reasonable number of speakers and other participants and extend over more than one day;
•involving participants from a number of different universities, NHS trusts or other organisations with some regional geographical spread;
•which are multidisciplinary and involve clinical or other professional practitioners as well as academic participants.

The organisers and participants of the workshop must include some members of SRIP.

 

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)

All open calls for proposals are listed at: http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/CallsForProposals/default.htm

 

BBSRC

All open calls for proposals are listed at: http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/funding/index.html

Food Standards Agency

Research Funding

The FSA carries out and commissions extensive scientific research and survey work to ensure that our advice to the public is based on the best and most up-to-date food science. The Agency does not commission research and survey work in isolation and will continue to work with stakeholders and others with interests in food safety research. As the Food Standards Agency does not have a monopoly on food safety research and surveys, it needs to take account of, and where appropriate build on, work carried out by others.

 

DEFRA

Research Funding

Defra lets a large number of research projects every year. This is done in a number of ways, including through competitions advertised on this site, either for individual projects or in the form of multiple project research requirements documents; non-competitive arrangements, mainly at our science Agencies and other major contractors where we need to maintain certain expertise and facilities; and in partnership with others, such as through LINK programmes

 

European Research Advisory Board

Research Grants

European Research Advisory Board (ERAB) provides funding for any aspect of biomedical or psychosocial research into beer or alcohol from researchers from an established European research institution or university.

 

 

European Association of Experimental Social Psychology

Postgraduate and Postdoctoral travel grants

Deadline: March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 30.

These bursaries are intended to support:
short visits of postgraduate or postdoctoral students to departments elsewhere in the world in order to conduct new research, complete ongoing projects, or undergo training in a particular methodology or technology;
participation of postgraduate or postdoctoral students in meetings, conferences or summer schools (co)sponsored by EAESP.
Eligibility
Postgraduate members of the Association currently registered for a PhD at a European university
Full members who have completed their PhD within 36 months prior to their application.
Any person may be awarded a maximum of one bursary during the duration of their doctoral studies and one bursary during the postdoctoral period.
Amount
The maximum grant to any one individual is not fixed but, in order to permit an equitable distribution of the funds, it is unlikely that any single award will exceed € 800.

Postdoctoral 'seedcorn' research grants

Deadlines: March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 30.

The aim of the 'seedcorn' research grants is to assist researchers in developing new research projects during the immediate postdoctoral period. In particular, ‘seedcorn’ grants intend to support preliminary research which may facilitate the holder to subsequently obtain larger scale funding from other sources.
Grants are restricted to full members of the Association who have completed their PhD within 36 months prior to the application deadline.
Amount
The maximum grant to any one individual is not fixed but ideally should not exceed € 2000.
Application Procedure
Applicants should submit:
a) A proposal (approximately 1500 words) outlining the nature, objectives and duration of research and its intended outcomes;
b) A letter from the head of the institute/department where the research is to be conducted confirming that access to the necessary facilities will be provided;
c) A justified budget, including the likelihood/availability of alternative sources of financial support.

Regional activity grants

Deadlines: March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 30.

The regional activity grants are intended to promote any initiative that specifically serves EAESP members from regions where access to scientific information, facilities and/or funding is scarce compared to European standards. Under this scheme, support may be granted for initiatives involving visits from either single researchers or groups. Funding would support the visit of the scholar(s), which would involve some form of teaching, interaction or development activities (e.g., lectures, workshops, skills training, consultation meetings) directed at local social psychologists at any career stage, but in which involvement of junior and postgraduate researchers would be encouraged where possible. Given the nature of this scheme, and the focus on teaching, training and development, the period of stay would be expected to run over several days (i.e. it would constitute more than a single colloquium on the visitors’ research, although this could form a welcome part of, or addition to the program for the visit).
Full members of the Association who are organizing the above initiatives aimed at social psychologists from specific regions.
Amount
The grant will vary according to the characteristics of the proposed initiative, but is unlikely to exceed € 3500.

 

Joseph Rowntree Foundation

Funding

JRF issues calls for proposals.  They will only accept applications to specific calls

Their aim is to:

"seek to understand the root causes of social problems, to identify ways of overcoming them, and to show how social needs can be met in practice"

 

Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research (Sempre) 

The Aubrey Hickman Award

The Aubrey Hickman Award is intended to promote original research from new workers in the field. £500 biennially.

The Gerry Farrell Travelling Scholarships

The Gerry Farrell Scholarships are intended to support travel in pursuit of identified research objectives in the UK or abroad through the payment of or a contribution towards the costs of travel and subsistence. Eight scholarships totalling up to £3,700 per annum.

The Arnold Bentley New Initiatives Fund

The Arnold Bentley Fund exists to support new, interdisciplinary initiatives concerned with the advancement or promotion of research in the psychology of music or music education. Examples may include support towards a project, conference, seminar, workshop, exhibition or publication that is particularly innovative or pioneering. Up to five awards per annum totalling up to £2,500.

The SEMPRE Lifetime Achievement Award

The SEMPRE Lifetime Achievement Award is intended to enable the recipient to undertake or complete research of their choice, which may lead to its presentation at a SEMPRE conference or submission for publication in 'Psychology of Music' or both. Up to £1,000 per award.

The SEMPRE Conference Awards

The SEMPRE Conference Awards are intended to enable full-time students or part-timers who are non wage earners to attend one of the Society's conferences, particularly the biennial two-day conference, through meeting the fee and the costs of travel and subsistence. Awards totalling up to £1,000 biennially.

 

Experimental Psychology Society

Research Workshops

Deadline: 1 March, 1 June, 1 September and 1 December every year

The society will give preference to workshops: that could not normally be included in the format of regular EPS meetings and have not previously received an EPS grant; for which the EPS can be recognised as a major supporter; which are open to all EPS members and postgraduate students of experimental psychology. Up to £3,500 per grant are available to contribute towards travel and maintenance of workshop participants, and other basic costs, such as printing. Eligible applicants should be society members.

Grants for Postgraduate and Postdoctoral Workshops

Deadline: at least six months before the intended date

These wrkshops aim to bring together postgraduate students and/or junior postdoctoral researchers, within two years of their PhD, who are working on a particular topic or wish to learn about a particular technique. The maximum grant for a one-day meeting will normally be £1,200, and for a two-day workshop normally £2,500.

Grindley Grants

Deadline: at least four weeks before the date of a non-EPS conference or two weeks before an EPS meeting

The Experimental Psychology Society invites applications for its Grindley grants. These are to finance travel to academic conferences relevant to the applicant’s work and the society’s interests. Grants are limited to £500. Applicants must be registered for a higher degree and be within four years of initial registration, or postdoctoral workers within two years of having received their doctorate, or retired EPS members. Non-members should be sponsored by a member. Travel under this award must originate from, or be destined to, the UK.

 

NERC

Standard Research Grants

Deadline: 1 July and 1 December annually

This is an open competition for curiosity-motivated basic, strategic or applied research. Standard grants are for a minimum of £25,000 for directly incurred costs and usually provide funding for up to three years although applications for grants for longer periods will be accepted.The principal investigator must be resident in the UK and be employed at lecturer (or equivalent) level or above by an eligible UK research organisation.


Consortium Grants

Deadline: concept notes may be submitted at any time; invited full proposals , 1 July and 1 December annually

Consortium grants support focussed, co-ordinated, collaborative research into specific issues that cannot be addressed through other NERC funding modes.
To promote flexibility and collaboration, consortium grants will blur the boundaries between existing NERC funding modes and will reduce the number of small research programmes managed by NERC.

Partnership Grants

Deadline: 1 July and 1 December annually

The scheme aims to facilitate and promote joint activities between academic researchers and partners in public or private sector organisations. The research must fall within the NERC science remit.

Project partners may be:

•private sector companies (non-UK companies must be able to demonstrate a significant manufacturing and research base in the UK);
•public sector organisations including local, regional and national authorities, regulators, non-departmental public bodies, non-governmental organisations and charities.

Grants amount to a minimum of £25,000 for directly incurred costs and usually last for up to three years. NERC will pay the standard proportion of 80 per cent of full economic costing. The total project partner contribution must be a minimum of 25 per cent of the total full economic cost of the project.

 

Conservation, Food, & Health Foundation

Project grants

Deadline: Twice a year

These grants are intended to assist in the conservation of natural resources, the production and distribution of food, and the improvement and promotion of health in the developing world. The foundation is especially interested in supporting projects that lead to the transfer of responsibility to the citizens of developing countries for managing and solving their own problems and developing the capacity of local organizations.

Preference will be given to projects, including research projects, in areas that tend to be underfunded. Areas of interest are:

  • Conservation
  • Food
  • Health

There is no policy concerning a minimum or maximum grant size; however, the average grant is approximately $15,000, and grants exceeding $25,000 are rarely awarded. Preference will be given to organizations located in developing countries or to developed country organizations whose activities are of direct and immediate benefit to developing countries.

 

Wellcome Trust

Public Engagement

Biomedical science is part of every day life. The Wellcome Trust wants to encourage people of all ages and from all walks of life to consider, question and debate the key issues of now and the future.

The Engaging Science grants programme offers over £3 million per year to support projects that aim to inform and inspire the public about biomedical science and its social contexts.

The funded activities also include directly-commissioned work and partnerships with other organisations to reach broader audiences and support innovative practice.

 

 

NESTA

Research

NESTA, The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, aims to pioneer ways of supporting and promoting talent, innovation and creativity in science, technology and the arts. They invest in a diverse range of people, including scientists, engineers, medical practitioners, educators, artists, writers, film-makers and musicians.

NESTA believes that by harnessing original and innovative ideas, the UK's economy can gain a greater competitive edge. But, as an investor, NESTA is not only commercial but also creative in its focus. For them, the cultural and social benefits of a project can be just as important as the financial.

Calls are for specific areas of research

 

CRUE ERA-Net

The CRUE network has been set up to consolidate existing European flood research programmes, promote best practice and identify gaps and opportunities for collaboration on future programme content.

Its 13 partners come from most European countries that have been particularly badly affected by flooding. By supporting best practice and the spread of knowledge, they expect to improve flood management in their own countries and the rest of Europe.

They publish occasional Calls at: http://www.crue-eranet.net/calls.asp

 

  

European Society for Developmental Psychology

Awards

The William Thierry Preyer Award for Excellence in Research on Human Development 2009

The George Butterworth Young Scientist Award

Deadline: see website

 

BUPA

The Bupa Foundation funds a range of projects each year through:

 

European Society for Cognitive Psychology

Awards

  • ESCoP Early Career Publication Award
  • ESCoP Early Career Stimulus
  • ESCoP Summer School
  • ESCoP Activity Funding

 

Parkinson's UK

Research Grants

The Parkinson's UK funds high quality research projects related to the disease.  There are a number of different grants available.

 

 

Human Growth Foundation

Grants


Deadlines: annual

The Human Growth Foundation supports postdoctoral research relevant to human growth and development, including but not limited to areas of biology, psychosocial, and nutrition, with special consideration given for the chondrodystrophies.

 

Fyssen Foundation

Research Grants

Deadline: Annual

The aim of the Fyssen Foundation is to "encourage all forms of scientific inquiry into cognitive mechanisms, including thought and reasoning, which underlie animal and human behavior; their biological and cultural bases, and phylogenetic and ontogenetic development".
The Foundation supports research in ethology, psychology, neurobiology, anthropology, ethnology, human paleontology and archaeology.
Research grants are intended to support post-doctoral researchers who are under 35 years of age in the biological sciences and under 40 years of age in the human sciences and already have a post

 

 

Stroke Association

Research Grants


The Stroke Association’s priorities for funding include research into the prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and long-term care of stroke patients. The majority of funded projects are patient orientated.
Grants are limited to a maximum of £70,000 per annum for up to three years (up to a maximum of £210,000). The Stroke Association is currently only able to fund research conducted within the United Kingdom.

 

The Dunhill Medical Trust

Grants

The Trust are interested in Ageing. As well as clinical areas, the Trust will also consider applications related to the more qualitative end of the research spectrum, such as research related to modifiable risk factors for well-being and health (e.g. environmental factors, diet, stress, exercise, social participation, recreation etc.).

Grants are in the region of £10K to £500K

 

Diet and Health Research Industry Club (DRINC)

Calls

A £10M, 5-year partnership between BBSRC and a consortium of leading companies (£1M), aimed at helping the food industry develop products that deliver enhanced health benefits for consumers. Its themes are:
Improved understanding of healthier diets - includes effect of food components on energy intake, and how foods might be designed to have precise nutritional properties
Bioactives in foods - includes understanding of how beneficial compounds work and how health claims may be verified

DRINC will operate for 5 years from 2007 to 2012, supporting research applications through 3 rounds of funding.