Grant Application FAQs

How to apply

Any open grant calls will be displayed on our Apply for Funding page, which links to our CC Grant Tracker management system. All application forms can be accessed through this portal.

 

Funding and ACPGBI membership

The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI) is a group of 1,000+ surgeons, nurses, and allied health professionals who advance the knowledge and treatment of bowel diseases in Britain and Ireland. Due to our longstanding relationship and memorandum of understanding with the ACPGBI, Bowel Research UK is obliged to award at least 50% of funding to applications in which at least one of the investigators is member of the ACPGBI.

The ACPGBI accepts members from many different disciplines who have a professional interest in coloproctology – for full details please see their website: https://www.acpgbi.org.uk/about/membership/categories.aspx. To apply for membership, visit this page: https://www.acpgbi.org.uk/about/membership/apply.aspx.

 

Application example

We provide a blank application form to allow prospective applicants to prepare ahead of time if they so choose. The example is a PhD application form so some upfront questions will be different for small grants. However, the main body of the form, including the research proposal section, is the same between rounds.

We administer a small grants round once a year on behalf of the Pseudo Obstruction Research Trust (https://www.port-charity.org.uk/), which also has the same question structure in the main body of the form. Please note that PORT applications are not subject to the same ACPGBI funding stipulations as Bowel Research UK grants.

Click here to download a blank copy of the form: Bowel Research UK Grants Example Application Form.

 

What are our timelines?

We typically hold two funding rounds per year – the first for PhDs and the second for small grants.

In our PhD round, BRUK:

• Accepts applications from May to July, with final funding decisions made in December
• Accepts proposals of up to £120,000 in value

In our small grants round, BRUK:

• Accepts applications from November to January, with final funding decisions made in June
• Accepts proposals of up to £60,000 in value

 

The “Hard to Fund” Fund

The “Hard to Fund” Fund (HTFF) is dedicated to supporting research into neglected topics in bowel disease that struggle for backing from conventional funding mechanisms. BRUK has identified six main criteria for assessing applications for HTFF projects, these are listed below. Please note that the examples for the categories are illustrative, and do not represent an exhaustive list of accepted topics:

1. Rare conditions or those that are common but under-researched due to their “unglamorous” nature e.g.
   • Rare cancer such as small bowel cancer
   • Incontinence, constipation or functional bowel disorders
2. Different research methodologies e.g.
   • Qualitative or small sample hypothesis-generating investigations
3. Emerging technologies or ideas e.g.
   • New paradigms or technologies that do not have an existing body of research to support funding applications
4. Long-term quality of life after treatment e.g.
   • Living with a stoma after bowel cancer treatment
   • Continence after bowel resection
5. Under-represented populations e.g.
   • Trials in patients of non-Caucasian descent
   • Pregnancy outcomes in those living with a stoma
6. Cross-disciplinary research e.g.
   • Collaboration between engineering and clinical disciplines

 

Other requirements

We require all applicants, co-applicants and review committee members to complete a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion reporting form (does not apply to peer reviewers). This allows us to monitor how our funding is distributed, and determine where we need to improve accessibility to different groups.

 

For any further questions about our grants procedures, please contact georgia.sturt@bowelresearchuk.org.