JDRF UK Small Grant Awards

The funding call for the Small Grant Awards is currently closed. Please read below for information regarding the previous funding call. This page will be updated when the next round of applications are open.

Introduction

JDRF UK Small Grant Awards offer competitive funding to support excellent proposals which meet the following:

• supports the development of early career researchers (basic scientists, clinicians or healthcare professionals including allied health professionals)
• supports new research or innovation with a clear impact pathway that has the potential to deliver significant contribution to the understanding or management of type 1 diabetes
• leads on to further research or clinical practice change
• gathers critical data and resources to make novel research ideas more competitive for larger follow-on funding in the field of type 1 diabetes
• takes into consideration the views and needs of individuals living with type 1 diabetes

JDRF UK Small Grant Awards are not intended to top-up an existing grant but sub-studies will be considered if strongly justified.

Call overview

Funder: JDRF UK

Previous deadline: 5pm on Wednesday 13 March 2024

Funding: up to £20,000 for basic research and £30,000 for clinical research

Project length: up to 12 months

Notification: Friday 7 June 2024 (subject to changes)

Eligibility criteria

JDRF UK Small Grant Awards are open to basic scientists, clinicians, healthcare professionals (including allied health professionals) at an early stage of their research career. Applicants may have received previous funding but must not have received any grant worth more than £100,000 as principal investigator, excluding personal fellowships. Allowance will be made for applicants whose career has been subject to mitigating circumstances or interruptions for family or personal reasons.

The principal investigator must be affiliated with UK academic or medical institutions and have a contract of employment which extends beyond the termination date of the award.

The research must be carried out in the UK.

These awards are open for clinical and basic research with equal priority. Preference will be given to collaborative research that can be shown to enhance the potential success of the proposed project.

How will the application be assessed?

The scheme involves a one-step assessment process. All applications will be assessed by the JDRF UK Scientific Advisory Council (SAC) to ascertain the merit and potential beneficial outcome of the projects. The SAC includes lived experience members with a connection to type 1 diabetes, healthcare professionals and researchers in equal numbers.

The SAC will consider the following criteria during the assessment of the applications:

• Relevance the project is to individuals living with type 1, their views and their needs
• The clarity of the project question and scientific merit
• The applicant’s suitability and track record
• The impact the project will have on the applicant’s career
• How the project will be taken forward?
• The project’s value for money

Output of the study

A written report will be requested three months after the end of the project including plans to seek further funding / develop the findings from the project. A follow up report will also be requested 18 months after the end of the project including final results, publication(s) resulting from the research and outcomes of applications for future funding or future development.

Patient and Public Involvement

We believe that involving people affected by medical conditions strengthens the quality and relevance of medical research and individuals living with type 1 diabetes are at the heart of what we do at JDRF UK. Therefore, the views and needs of individuals living with type 1 diabetes must be taken in to account as well as how the project may be of benefit to the widest range of people living with, or with a connection to, type 1 diabetes. Please also consider equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in your proposal including any limitations and how you would propose to address these. It is important to write a clear non-scientific summary because individuals with a personnel connection to type 1 diabetes are involved in the review process. There are helpful resources on JDRF’s participation, engagement and involvement page.

Please contact the JDRF UK Research Team early at grants@jdrf.org.uk if you need help with involvement.

JDRF is on the National Institute for Health Research Approved International Funders’ list which means that clinical studies that we fund may be eligible for inclusion in the NIHR Clinical Research Network Portfolio. This allows the study team to have access to clinical infrastructure/NHS Service Support through the NIHR Clinical Research Network.

What previous projects have been supported by small grant awards?

The latest three projects to receive our small grant awards range from targeting the immune attack causing type 1 through to growing new insulin-producing beta cells in the lab. Read about the latest three research projects awarded Small Grant Awards. You can also read about the first project that we awarded a Small Grant Award to back in 2021.

Success Rate

Currently 30 – 35%

Who can I contact if I have questions?

For any enquiries relating to your proposal please contact JDRF UK Research Team, at grants@jdrf.org.uk.