Pre-Application Support Fund
Aims and purpose of the call
The NIHR has provided funding to the Birmingham BRC to directly support applicants to prepare future applications for NIHR career development funding and other career development funding opportunities. NIHR outlines the funding awarded should be used to provide extra support to those who need it to enhance their chances of making a successful application. The funds should therefore be used by individuals for specific and future-focussed activities rather than to supplement existing funded investigations.
Scope
There are 4 schemes available to support researchers to prepare applications for funding in order to advance their research career. Please find details and application form for each of these schemes below.
How to apply
Applications are welcome from BRC-affiliated academics/researchers.
Applications should be submitted by email to the Academic Capacity Development lead Trish Lalor (p.f.lalor@bham.ac.uk) with BirminghamBRC@uhb.nhs.uk copied in.
Please note application deadlines vary by scheme.
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Support for Application Fund and Empowerment (SAFE) funding stream
The SAFE scheme funding can be used for additional salary support, to buy-out additional research time to develop a competitive funding application and/or to support training activities in grantsmanship or buy-in additional services such as statistical support. Please note this funding is not to be used for group activities/events, or as bridging funding.
There is limited funding available so it is expected that individual applications would not exceed £50K.
Timeline
Call launched 15th Jan 2025
Deadline 14th Feb 2025
How to apply
Applications are welcome from BRC-affiliated academics/researchers. If requesting salary costs, applicants should liaise with relevant teams within their organisations to provide accurate costs. If requesting costs for a service, please discuss with the team and obtain an accurate quote for this service. Please provide an answer to all questions outlined in the application form, add N/A if not applicable.
Applications will be reviewed by a diverse team including senior leadership of the Birmingham BRC.
To apply, please complete the application form below and submit it by email to the Academic Capacity Development lead Trish Lalor (p.f.lalor@bham.ac.uk) with BirminghamBRC@uhb.nhs.uk in cc by 5pm Friday 14th Feb 2025.
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Networking Exchange for Translational Understanding and Synergy (NEXUS) funding stream
The NEXUS scheme funding can be used for associated networking costs such as enabling attendance at a conference (including to cover costs to remove any barriers for attendance), or short placements at a collaborating lab/institution to develop a network/gather preliminary data to support an application for further funding. Costs can be used to cover conference registration, travel or back-fill your role for a short-time to facilitate attendance at training or networking events. This funding is aimed at individuals needing extra support to develop a network or collaboration to strengthen an application for further funding. Note all placements/conferences must have taken place/completed by March 2026.
There is limited funding available, so it is expected that individual applications would not exceed £2K, although higher costs will be considered if well justified and where impact is clear.
Timeline
Open call but would encourage applications by 28th February 2025 to secure funds in the first round of funding.
How to apply
Applications are welcome from BRC-affiliated academics/researchers. If requesting funds to backfill salary costs, applicants should liaise with relevant teams within their organisations to provide accurate costs. If requesting costs to attend a conference/networking event, then the applicant should outline what the funding will be used to cover and purpose of attending. If successful in securing NEXUS support for a conference, funding will only be released upon abstract acceptance. If costs are requested to cover a placement, evidence of support from the collaborating team is required.
Applications will be reviewed by a diverse team including senior leadership of the Birmingham BRC.
To apply, please complete the application form below and submit it by email to the Academic Capacity Development lead Trish Lalor (p.f.lalor@bham.ac.uk) with BirminghamBRC@uhb.nhs.uk in cc.
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Publication and Career Enhancement (PACE) funding stream
The PACE scheme funding can be used for associated publication costs to support submission to a higher impact journal or to cover instances where an audio or video output is required, or if the output needs any additional specialist support. Please note justification is required as to why additional support is needed, over and above the current BRC theme allocation.
There is limited funding available, so it is expected that individual applications would not exceed £2K, although higher costs will be considered if well justified and where impact is clear.
Timeline
Open call but would encourage applications by 28th February 2025 to secure funds in the first round of funding.
How to apply
Applications are welcome from BRC-affiliated academics/researchers. If requesting support for developing audio or video, then quotes should be obtained.
Applications will be reviewed by a diverse team including senior leadership of the Birmingham BRC.
To apply, please complete the application form below and submit it by email to the Academic Capacity Development lead Trish Lalor (p.f.lalor@bham.ac.uk) with BirminghamBRC@uhb.nhs.uk in cc.
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Patient Advocacy and Training for Health Success (PATHS) funding stream
The PATHS funding stream is to support researchers to deliver early public involvement and engagement activities during the development of grant applications and prior to grant funding being approved/available. The focus of this scheme is to support the involvement of patients and/or public to inform the design of research studies. However, this may also include activities to engage initially with public groups and communities to get to know them and build relationships to support their future involvement in the research funding applications (and during the study should the funding application be successful).
The PATHS scheme funding can be used for:
- reimbursing out-of-pocket expenses for members of the public (e.g. travel, subsistence, carer costs) – this will be paid in line with local policy
- offering payment for the time spent by members of the public (in line with NIHR payment policy)
- refreshments at meetings or events
- venue hire external to the researcher’s organisation, if this is fully justified (e.g. where an accessible room is not available or another venue is more appropriate)
- materials which the researcher would not normally have access to within their organisation (e.g. play materials for a session with children)
Funds cannot normally be used to:
- pay for the time or out of pocket expenses for research team
- pay for time of paid members of staff asked to be involved in developing research as contributors
- undertake research
- hire a venue within the researcher’s own organisation
- pay for materials which the researcher can reasonably gain access to with their organisation (e.g. printing costs)
*In exceptional circumstances researchers may be able to claim travel expenses (for example, when a researcher is travelling to see a member of the public and travel funds are not available from elsewhere). This must be fully justified and will be decided on a case-by-case basis by the Core BRC PPIE team.
There is limited funding available, with the first round of funding being available up until 31st March 2025, and individual applications not exceeding £2K. Further funding may be available after this date, but this is to be confirmed.
Timeline
Open call but would encourage applications by 28th February 2025 to secure funds in the first round of funding.
How to apply
Applications are welcome from BRC-affiliated academics/researchers.
Applications will be reviewed by a diverse team including our BRC public contributors.
To apply, please complete the application form below and submit it by email to the Academic Capacity Development lead Trish Lalor (p.f.lalor@bham.ac.uk) with BirminghamBRC@uhb.nhs.uk in cc.
