Our EPSRC contact, Rachel Bishop, visited the University last week.

Please find the notes from her visit via the link below.

Notes from visit of Rachel Bishop Nov 2017

www.nc3rs.org.uk/skills-and-knowledge-transfergrants

Deadline: 24 November 2017 (outline)

Amount: Up to £75k (80% fEC), budget of £250k for 17/18

Duration: Up to 12 months

A skills and knowledge transfer grant supports the adoption of alternative, novel 3Rs models, tools and technologies within routine research practice, through the transfer of knowledge, skills and expertise.

Applications from any area of medical, biological or veterinary research are within remit; those that integrate a range of disciplines are particularly encouraged.

Scheme remit:

• The model/tool/technology, upon which the application is based, must be at a development stage ready for adoption by the end user(s) within only minor optimisation required. No further development work should be needed.
• All applications to this scheme must include both the ‘developer’ and ‘end-user(s)’ of the model/tool/technology. Either party may be identified as the primary investigator, and the other(s) must be co-investigator(s) or project partner(s).

Applicants are advised to read the NC3Rs Applicant and Grant Holder Handbook, which contains more detailed information about the application process.

Highlight notice for 2017/18

Across all funding schemes in 2017/18, applications incorporating systematic reviews within their proposed project plans/ programmes of work.

Potential applicants are advised to contact the NC3Rs funding team before submitting an application under this highlight notice.

Faculty PhD Studentships 2018: Application Process

Further to my recent notification of seven PhD studentship opportunities within this faculty, I am pleased to announce that a further studentship has been added to the competition. This studentship is funded by the Dr W. E. Harker Foundation and will support research in the field of surgical science. Assessment criteria for this additional studentship will be similar to those circulated previously.

This further studentship has been added to the application form, which can be found here:

https://forms.ncl.ac.uk/view.php?id=2279

Please note that all these studentships are only intended to support non-clinical PhD candidates with an RCUK-level stipend and bench fees of £5,000 per year. The payment of tuition fees is restricted to the home/EU student rate. The closing date for receipt of applications is 5 January 2018 at 5.00 pm.

Please contact me if you have any queries.

With best wishes

John

Professor John A Kirby

Dean of Postgraduate Studies

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Applications to Bridging Funding Scheme

Please note that the most up to date Bridging application form can be found here: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/medicalsciences/research/wellcome/#bridgingfundingscheme

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MRC-led DfID/ESRC/MRC/Wellcome Trust-funded

Health Systems Research Initiative (HSRI) Call 5

https://www.mrc.ac.uk/funding/browse/hsri-5/health-systems-research-initiative-call-5/

Health Systems Research Grants – Outline proposals & HSRI Foundation Grants

Timeline: Research Grants

Outline Grant call opens                                    8 November 2018

Outline Grant call deadline                               30 January 2018

Invitation to submit full proposal                    June 2018

PI response to reviewers’ comments              September 2018

Full stage panel meeting                                   October 2018

Timeline: Foundation Grants

Foundation call opens in Je-S                      7 March 2018

Foundation call deadline                              5 June 2018

Foundation call panel meeting                   October 2018

There will be an annual call under this initiative until 2021

This programme addresses key questions on strengthening and improving health systems in developing countries.

The programme’s aims are to fund methodologically rigorous, high quality research that will:

1. Generate evidence on how to strengthen and improve health systems for people living in low- and middle-income countries.
2. Use a health systems approach to inform the delivery of evidence-based interventions or structural changes. Proposals must demonstrate how interventions relate to and affect wider elements of a health system such as governance, financing, health workforce, information systems, service delivery etc.
3. Provide evidence that is of direct relevance to decision makers and practitioners in the field.

Proposals must situate this clearly-defined challenge within an understanding of the broader health system linkages and describe how and why findings from the project have the potential to improve the health of people living in low and middle-income countries.

Funding is available for research only; we will not fund the routine delivery of health services.

Projects with Principal Investigators (P-Is) from LMICs are strongly encouraged and all proposals must include Co-Investigators from the LMIC in which the research is taking place.

Principal investigators can be based in the UK or any LMIC.

it is not permitted for the same person to be PI on more than 2 proposals submitted to this call

Research Grants

£4m is available to fund between 5-10 projects of usually up to 3 years’ duration, with a maximum of 5 years’ duration.

Foundation Grants These will typically be for between 12-18 months, with a maximum of 24 months and up to £200,000 fEC.

The purpose of a Foundation Grant is to conduct preliminary studies needed before a Research Grant proposal can be designed or to explore innovative health systems topics, under researched areas or creative approaches that have the potential to be developed further.

A list of example questions that could be addresses as Research Grants or Foundation Grants are on the call description web page

The funders welcome multidisciplinary applications with strong input from social scientists working in health policy, psychology, anthropology, geography, sociology, economics and/ or political economy and applicants should also ensure they embed research within relevant theoretical frameworks, as evidenced by references, to strengthen applications. Teams should also ensure engagement of researchers with strong health systems expertise and demonstrate knowledge of, and potential contribution to, relevant health systems empirical literature.

Recognising that health systems are complex and multidimensional, this scheme welcomes research that addresses a range of health systems topics including but not limited to questions of governance, institutions, health workforce; financing; private sector, civil society, information systems; products and technologies, service delivery and so on.

Research funded through this call can engage with the contextual dynamics that shape and/or undermine effective health systems in developing countries, but the research must offer practical solutions to implement health care improvements. Where appropriate, studies should illustrate how the findings of this study may contribute to further understanding for other health challenges.

Applicants must identify the potential impacts of their research on policy and practice and outline clear relevance to decision makers and practitioners. Projects should identify and address the key barriers to implementation and uptake of evidence-based interventions at local and national levels, paving the way for their successful adoption into routine practice with improved access and use by the populations in need. A central component of this research programme is to build evidence within health systems.

Solutions to strengthening health systems in developing countries must be rooted in, and acceptable to, the institutions, communities, and societies where they will operate. As such, non-academic stakeholders, including potential users of the research, are expected to be included and involved in the design and delivery of projects. Indeed, proposals should demonstrate strong engagement with in-country stakeholders and decision makers from the project inception stage and include appropriate budget for such activities.

Researchers are encouraged to be innovative in the kinds of user engagement, knowledge exchange, communications and research uptake activities they plan to undertake during and beyond the period of research funding. It is important that applicants appreciate that outreach and engagement activities in themselves do not constitute impact.

Priority will be given to research that benefits the most vulnerable populations and/or those in poorly resourced settings. Whilst the funders recognise that many of the world’s poor live in middle-income countries, it is a specific objective of this programme to increase the body of research that is specifically relevant to low-income countries, whether through research in those countries or the ability to demonstrate the relevance of experience from middle income countries to low income countries. Applicants must illustrate how the proposed study will strengthen local LMIC health systems.

The funders aim for a significant majority of research projects within the portfolio to focus on low-income countries.

See DAC List of ODA recipients.

The above description is a summary of the call literature, please consult the documentation including the list of awards previously made in this area.

Please note that all overseas Research Organisations and individual applicants are required to be registered on the Je-S system. They are encouraged to contact the Je-S helpdesk at least 2 weeks before the call deadline to ensure that they are correctly entered onto the Je-S system.

We will be very happy to assist you in applying to these LMICs calls.

If you are interested in applying to the Research or Foundation Grants please inform Gwen Averley gwen.averley@ncl.ac.uk

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GCRF New social and cultural insights into mental, neurological and substance use disorders in developing countries

http://www.esrc.ac.uk/funding/funding-opportunities/gcrf-new-social-and-cultural-insights-into-mental-neurological-and-substance-use-disorders-in-developing-countries/

Deadline: 11^th January 2018

Amount: £4m total budget, Max = £1.25m @ 100% fEC

Duration: Up to 30 months

Funding is available for applications which fall under the remit of ESRC, or as cross-disciplinary proposals across the remits of both participating research councils (ESRC & AHRC).

The councils expect to fund a balanced portfolio of proposals of varying sizes and ambitions, with a maximum grant value of £1.25 million at 100% full Economic Cost (fEC).

The research councils will contribute 80% fEC on successful proposals.

It is expected that the portfolio will include grants which are significantly smaller than the maximum value.

Proposals must be led by a researcher at an eligible UK research organisation and should be submitted through the research councils’ Joint Electronic Submission (Je-S) system.

Thematic focus

For this call, a wide definition of mental health is important; this will encompass mental, neurological, and substance use (MNS) disorders.

Proposals should address one of the following themes:

• Socio-economic and cultural contexts of MNS disorders and people’s understanding of them
• Living with MNS disorders in developing countries
• Prevention, worsening of and resilience against MNS disorders.

This may include comparative, cross-regional and cross-sectoral research.

Methods should be interdisciplinary both within and beyond the social sciences, with specific funds available for those which fall in significant part within AHRC remit.

Partnerships, whether with academics, policymakers or stakeholders, are encouraged.

Please ensure to read the Call Specification document as well as the FAQ document, available through the link above.  

Rosetrees Interdisciplinary Prize 2018 to stimulate collaborative research between Medicine and either Chemistry or Physics

Rosetrees Trust Interdisciplinary Prize 2018 Call for Applications

ROSETREES TRUST ID_Application_2018

Dear All

The Rosetrees Interdisciplinary Prize is worth £250,000 over 3 years.

Newcastle may submit only one application to this interdisciplinary prize to support collaborative research between Medicine and either Chemistry or Physics.

Applications can relate to any disease or medical condition which affects a significant proportion of the population.

Therefore FMS and SAgE will be jointly holding an internal competition.

Internal competition

The following documents should be sent to gwen.averley@ncl.ac.uk by Friday 15 December 2017, 5pm

• A two-page project proposal suitable for a panel of academics (including any references and supporting figures)
• A CV for the two lead researchers – each CV must be no longer than 2 pages
• An email from the Institute Director and Head of School of the two leads expressing support for the application

Please note that any applications exceeding the specified limits will be rejected.

We will be looking for true and equal collaboration in our selected proposal.

Applicants will be informed of the outcome of this internal competition by Monday 15 January 2018.

The submission deadline to The Rosetrees Trust for the selected academic collaboration is 5pm on 28 February 2018.

NJRO DEADLINES – Christmas & New Year 2017/18

As there may be Funder grant deadlines for research applications falling around the Christmas and New Year period, please can you ask your research staff to submit their research grant applications and associated paperwork to the NJRO by Friday 8 December 2017 – for any deadlines which fall between 18 December 2017 and 5 January 2018 – this will allow for all approvals to be obtained.

The NJRO will have limited resources from pm 22 December 2017 until 2 January 2018.

Newcastle Joint Research Office Newcastle University & The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Fiona Airey

Grants & Contracts Manager

Newcastle University

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UK Prevention Research Partnership (UKPRP) – Consortium and Network Awards

https://www.mrc.ac.uk/funding/browse/ukprp/uk-prevention-research-partnership-ukprp-consortium-and-network-awards/

Timeline

Call opens: 30 October 2017

18 January 2018, 4pm     Closing date for Outline applications

26 April 2018                      Applications assessed by Panel

May 2018                             Outline proposal feedback

20 November 2018          Closing date for invited full applications

February 2019   Full applications assessed, including an interview

This call, representing an alliance of funders, will be led by MRC.

An alliance of research funders have agreed to commit £50m to support research into the primary prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The vision is to generate new insights into actionable, sustainable and cost-effective ways of preventing NCDs that will improve population health and reduce health inequalities in the UK. The research should address the ‘upstream’ determinants of NCDs and be co-produced with users (e.g. policy makers, practitioners, health providers, the third sector, the public etc.). The ‘upstream’ determinants include, but are not limited to, the built and natural environment; employment, education, welfare, transport, health and social care, and communication systems; and the policies of local and central government and of commercial enterprises.

See the report from the Workshop held 18 May 2017 here:

https://www.mrc.ac.uk/about/events/ukprp-information-and-networking-workshop/

Calls are now launched for Outline applications for Consortium and Network Awards. The applications are to be submitted by email.

A summary of each funding stream is supplied below but please read the full guidance documentation.

Please note that

• Whilst researchers from overseas institutions may be included in a proposal where this adds value to the research, this Initiative is focussed on research with UK application and is NOT to address the issue of NCDs in developing countries.
• Details of successful outline proposals (both funding streams) will be published on various websites to provide an opportunity for additional groups with complementary skills, expertise or resources to contact the Director/PI.

Consortium Awards

https://www.mrc.ac.uk/funding/browse/ukprp/uk-prevention-research-partnership-ukprp-consortium-and-network-awards/ukprp-consortium/

UKPRP Consortia are large research collaborations undertaking non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention research, targeted at complex adaptive systems, and aligned to the objectives of the UKPRP. Consortia should foster interdisciplinarity (ensuring the mix of disciplines engaged are appropriate to the research questions being addressed) and translation, building on strong links to research users (e.g. policy makers, practitioners, the third sector, the public etc.) and providers. Industry partner(s) could also be involved in the consortium depending on the nature of the research being undertaken. Each consortium will need strong leadership, have a governance structure for decision making, be well managed, and have mechanisms in place to foster linkages between components of the consortium, including users, and facilitate the transfer of research-generated evidence into policy and practice.

• Two calls for consortia are planned (the second call in 2019). They envisage supporting 2 or 3 consortia in the first round.
• Consortium Awards will be for £4-7m for 5 years.
• It is expected that applications will be made in collaboration with research users and providers.
• Applications from academic-industry partnerships that are led by an academic are encouraged by the UKPRP where these add value to a project. Please note that, commercial exploitation may be an outcome of a successful partnership but the creation of the partnership will never have that as its primary aim.
• Applicants may be the Research Director on only one consortium award application but can act as co-investigator on any number of applications depending on their ability to deliver this level of commitment.
• A Letter of Support from the host institution indicating its approval should be included as part of the outline application.  Note that Letters of support from each consortium collaborator will be required at the full application stage.
• The UKPRP will be funded at 68% fEC.
• Applicants whose outline application is selected for progressing towards the full application stage will receive a Consortium Development Grant (CDG). This is a fixed-term, 6 month award of up to £50k towards preparing the full application. They anticipate funding 4 to 6 CDGs in each call.

Network Awards

https://www.mrc.ac.uk/funding/browse/ukprp/uk-prevention-research-partnership-ukprp-consortium-and-network-awards/ukprp-network/

Researchers are invited to submit outline proposals for funding for the UK Prevention Research Partnership Network Awards (UKPRP Networks). These will support interdisciplinary networking activity around a broad challenge in primary prevention research on non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Networking will enable a common language and understanding to be developed between diverse disciplines, enabling them to work productively together to address challenges in preventing NCDs that require new insights and new research communities to be built around them. These awards will provide up to four years support. Each award will fund the operating and supporting costs of the network, as well as some limited funding for some feasibility work to pump prime a new research collaboration.

A core part of these networks will be visionary leadership at the outset and a strong drive to build a diverse community with a broad range of research expertise, drawn from across numerous, and relevant disciplines, and from non-academic sectors, e.g. entrepreneurs or social enterprises. This can also include those working in the prevention arena that do not primarily have a health focus. The aim of networks is to draw together expertise from various sectors to generate new insights to address challenges in the primary prevention of NCDs.

• They hope to establish 4 to 6 UKPRP networks.
• Network Awards will be for £100k per annum for up to 4 years.
• These will develop future capacity in the UK to address NCD prevention challenges.
• Applicants may be PI on only one application for a network award but can act as co-investigator on any number of applications depending on their ability to deliver this level of commitment.

If you are intending to apply to either of these calls as lead PI or anticipate being a Co-Investigator on an application led by another Research Organisation please contact Dr Gwen Averley gwen.averley@ncl.ac.uk.

Dr Gwen Averley

Research Funding Development Manager

Joint Research Office

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The Dunhilll Medical Trust: applications invited for Research Project Grant Scheme

The Dunhill Medical Trust outline applications stage for a research project opened today.

The deadline for receipt of applications is 5pm on 5^th January 2018.

The Dunhill Medical Trust aims to improve the understanding of the mechanisms of ageing, the treatment of age-related disease and frailty or identifying and developing new and effective ways to improve the lives of older people.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Dunhill Medical Trust is pleased to announce the latest call for applications to its popular Research Project Grant Scheme

Applications are invited from academics and clinicians from all health professions (including allied health professionals) who wish to undertake a research proposal aimed at improving the understanding of the mechanisms of ageing, the treatment of age-related disease and frailty or identifying and developing new and effective ways to improve the lives of older people.

Applications should be made by the Principal Investigator – PI – (Lead Applicant), as the person responsible for the research. As part of the application process, the PI will be expected to demonstrate that he/she is based in a strong research environment with a suitable skill mix in the research team (with other members of the team being named as Co-Investigators). The Trust does not consider single applicant proposals.

Lead applicants for whom this is a first grant as Principal Investigator will not be precluded, indeed, the Trust wishes to encourage the development of research capacity by providing opportunities for career development. The Trust would, however, expect to see a more experienced researcher as a Co-Investigator with a clear plan for mentoring and support.

Research Project Grants should be completed in a maximum period of three years. The minimum grant available is £25k and the maximum is £300k.

Host institutions for the research project grant should be a recognised university department, teaching hospital or other recognised research centre within the UK.

Scheme guidelines and details of how to apply via our online Grants Management Portal are available at:  http://dunhillmedical.org.uk/research-project-grants/

Dr Gwen Averley

Research Funding Development Manager

Joint Research Office

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Faculty PhD Studentships 2018: application process

I am pleased to announce that this faculty has secured sufficient funding to support up to seven PhD studentships to start in September, 2018. Each of these studentships is fully-funded for 3-years and will provide the following support:

• Fees at the Home/EU student rate
• Non-clinical stipend at the RCUK rate
• £5,000 per year bench fees.

The following studentships are available:

• 1 x JW Luccock and E Jeffcock studentship in any research area within FMS
• 5 x Barbour Foundation studentships in dementia, adult cancer, age-related chronic disease, or infection and immunology
• 1 x Alan Bremner Smith Legacy studentship in bone marrow transplantation (leukaemia research and clinical treatment).

In order to apply for one of these studentships, the Graduate School has devised a simple web-form. This can be accessed here:

http://forms.ncl.ac.uk/view.php?id=2279

The closing date for applications is Friday 5^th January, 2018.In addition to project alignment with the specific funders’ remit, key criteria for success will include:

• The potential to generate outputs for REF 2021
• Excellence of the supervisory team
• Excellence of the training opportunity for students
• Supervisory engagement with the Graduate School’s Skills Development Programme and e-portfolio.

We encourage applications from early career academics, including NURFs.

If you already have a student in mind for one of these studentships, please provide details in your application.

Please contact me if you require any further information.

Professor John Kirby DPhil

Dean of Postgraduate Studies

Applications to Bridging Funding Scheme

Please note that the most up to date Bridging application form can be found here:

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/medicalsciences/research/wellcome/#bridgingfundingscheme

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FMS launches fund to support ISCF applications

The Faculty of Medical Sciences has set aside £170,000 to help investigators to prepare for the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.

Please join us for lunch at our launch event on Tuesday 31 October at 12pm (for a 12.30pm start) in Room 2.4 of the Leech Building, where we will explain how the funds can be used to advance scientific and technical development of an idea to establish the scientific and/or commercial potential of a concept alongside an identified commercial partner, with a view to applying to the  Innovate UK and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy – Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.

Please see:  http://www.newcastleptd.com/iscf-pump-priming/   for full details of the scheme, and to register for the launch event.

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Faculty PhD Studentships 2018: application process

I am pleased to announce that this faculty has secured sufficient funding to support up to seven PhD studentships to start in September, 2018. Each of these studentships is fully-funded for 3-years and will provide the following support:

• Fees at the Home/EU student rate
• Non-clinical stipend at the RCUK rate
• £5,000 per year bench fees.

The following studentships are available:

• 1 x JW Luccock and E Jeffcock studentship in any research area within FMS
• 5 x Barbour Foundation studentships in dementia, adult cancer, age-related chronic disease, or infection and immunology
• 1 x Alan Bremner Smith Legacy studentship in bone marrow transplantation (leukaemia research and clinical treatment).

In order to apply for one of these studentships, the Graduate School has devised a simple web-form. This can be accessed here:

http://forms.ncl.ac.uk/view.php?id=2279

The closing date for applications is Friday 5^th January, 2018.

In addition to project alignment with the specific funders’ remit, key criteria for success will include:

• The potential to generate outputs for REF 2021
• Excellence of the supervisory team
• Excellence of the training opportunity for students
• Supervisory engagement with the Graduate School’s Skills Development Programme and e-portfolio.

We encourage applications from early career academics, including NURFs.

If you already have a student in mind for one of these studentships, please provide details in your application.

Please contact me if you require any further information.

Professor John Kirby DPhil

Dean of Postgraduate Studies