Resources for type 1 diabetes researchers

Data for your research

How can I access data from people with type 1 diabetes?

Address 2 is an organisation that collects and stores data and blood samples from people with type 1 diabetes. It also holds contact details of people interested in taking part in research. Address 2 provides a link between researchers and volunteers that supports you to access participants with type 1 diabetes as well as their data.

How can I access NHS health data?

NHS England has data stores available to health and social care professionals and researchers aiming to improve healthcare outcomes.

Health Data Access Toolkit helps researchers navigate the processes required to gain access to routinely collected NHS health data. The toolkit tells you the approvals you need to have in place and explores the issues that need to be considered during the application process.

Curated datasets

Pancreatlas is a resource of curated dataset showing how the human pancreas changes through life, in health and disease.

PANC-DB is the data portal of The Human Pancreas Analysis Program containing open-source data of the cellular and molecular datasets. These data on genomic and islet function are accessible to all diabetes researchers.

Biological samples for your research

Where can I access tissue samples?

The UKCRC Tissue Directory allows you to search their extensive directory by sample type, condition (such as type 1 diabetes), age, and gender to find exactly what you need for your research project.

How can I access samples from organ donations?

The Quality in Organ Donation (QUOD) allows researchers to access biological samples (such as blood, urine and tissue) and clinical data from organ donors.

How can I access human pancreatic islets?

The Oxford JDRF Human Islet Resource Centre is a centre established and funded by JDRF that provides islets for researchers. If you would like to access this resource, please contact paul.johnson@nds.ox.ac.uk

KCL Human Islet Research Tissue Bank isolates human pancreatic islets at King’s College Hospital and stores them fresh and frozen at King’s College London (KCL) to be used in research. To access pancreatic islets from KCL, please email paul.w.caton@kcl.ac.uk

Integrated Islet Distribution Program distribute human islets to diabetes. Apply for access via their website.

How can I access organ donations from people with diabetes?

The Network for Pancreatic Organ Donors with Diabetes (nPOD) is an organisation that helps researchers access pancreatic tissue from people with type 1 diabetes and people who are islet autoantibody positive. nPOD recovers the donated tissue and shares it with approved researchers trying to prevent, treat and cure type 1 diabetes.

The network collects pancreatic tissue as well as related organs including the spleen, lymph nodes, pancreatic lymph nodes, peripheral blood, thymus and bone marrow. You can apply to access nPOD’s samples via their website. If you need any support, please contact nPOD@pathology.ufl.edu

Resources for JDRF-funded researchers

This section contains information to help you make the most of your JDRF funding, including additional funding opportunities to support communicating your research and guidance on how to report on your project using the JDRF Grant Center.

Extra funding to communicate your JDRF-funded research

If you are a UK-based researcher who holds a JDRF Postdoctoral Fellowship, you can apply for our Postdoctoral Fellowship Research Communication stipend. This award is intended to provide our UK-based researchers with additional research communication opportunities and a competitive salary rate based on the standard university salary bands in the UK.

The extra funding is for up to £15,000 per year of your Postdoctoral Fellowship. This stipend is not detailed in your award letter from JDRF.

Please note this funding is not guaranteed. It is dependent on your participation in research communication events and on-going communication with our UK research team. We will consider your skill level and particular areas of interest and offer you specific opportunities, including appropriate training and mentoring.

It may be useful to contact our UK research team to discuss your intention to apply for a Postdoctoral Fellowship and JDRF UK Postdoctoral Fellowship Research Communication Stipend ahead of submitting your application. The budget narrative in your application needs to include the full salary and on-costs as well as details of any shortfall. If there was a shortfall it would be helpful to indicate that you discussed with us your intention to apply for the JDRF UK Postdoctoral Fellowship Research Communication Stipend.

Please contact our UK research team by emailing researchcommunications@jdrf.org.uk as soon as you receive your award letter if you wish to be considered for this additional funding.

How to access and update your grant records

We use the JDRF Grant Center and our research management system RMS360 for all JDRF-funded grants except our JDRF UK Small Grant Awards. Once your application for funding has been awarded, you will need to continue to use RMS360 to report on your research project.

If you encounter any difficulties, please read our FAQs about how to use RMS360 or visit our information for awardees page Information for Awardees – JDRF Grant Center.

For queries relating to the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge calls and awards, please contact smfgrandchallenge@jdrf.org.uk

Advice for repurposing existing drugs

The Repurposing Medicines Toolkit is a guide to help researchers who are planning projects to repurpose drugs for use as a treatment for a different condition. The toolkit takes you clearly and concisely through common issues that arise in repurposing drugs and considerations you can take at each stage to ensure the best possible chance of life-changing medicines reaching patients.

It was co-developed by LifeArc and the Medical Research Council with input from many organisations and individuals with expertise and experience of drug repurposing.

How can I involve people with type 1 diabetes in my research?

The JDRF Insight and Experience Panel is formed of people with lived experience of type 1 diabetes and can help you when preparing or conducting a project related to type 1 diabetes. The Panel can provide you with feedback, ensuring your work remains relevant to the people it matters most for.

We can also help you to reach out to our audience of people affected by type 1 diabetes through our website and social media channels.

If you would like to access our volunteers or audience members, please contact researchcommunications@jdrf.org.uk. We also have lots of advice and information about involving people with type 1 in your research on our participation, engagement and involvement page.