Grant Application FAQs
How to apply
Any open grant calls will be displayed on our Apply for Funding page.
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, Bowel Research UK:
- 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, Bowel Research UK:
- 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.
Bowel Research UK 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:
- 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
- Different research methodologies e.g.
- Qualitative or small sample hypothesis-generating investigations
- Emerging technologies or ideas e.g.
- New paradigms or technologies that do not have an existing body of research to support funding applications
- Long-term quality of life after treatment e.g.
- Living with a stoma after bowel cancer treatment
- Continence after bowel resection
- Under-represented populations e.g.
- Trials in patients of non-Caucasian descent
- Pregnancy outcomes in those living with a stoma
- Cross-disciplinary research e.g.
- Collaboration between engineering and clinical disciplines
Funding and ACPGBI membership
The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI) is a group of 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 awards at least 50% of funding to applications in which at least one of the applicants or co-applicants is a member of the ACPGBI.
The ACPGBI accepts members from many different disciplines who have a professional interest in coloproctology. For more information about membership categories, please visit:
https://www.acpgbi.org.uk/about/membership/categories.aspx.
To apply for membership, please visit: https://www.acpgbi.org.uk/about/membership/apply.aspx.
Pseudo-Obstruction Research Trust (PORT) Small Grants Round
Bowel Research UK is proud to support the Pseudo-Obstruction Research Trust (PORT) (https://www.port-charity.org.uk/) Small Grants Round.
PORT funds research into Chronic Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction (CIPO), severe dysmotility, gastroparesis and other rare gastrointestinal neuromuscular disorders.
Since 2017, Bowel Research UK has partnered with PORT to run a joint grant call. Through this collaboration, Bowel Research UK administers PORT’s grants, allowing researchers to apply using the same process as for Bowel Research UK’s own funding rounds.
Please note that PORT applications are not subject to the same ACPGBI funding stipulations as Bowel Research UK grants.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
We ask all applicants and co-applicants to complete a Equity, Diversity and Inclusion monitoring form. The information shared below helps us ensure our grant programmes are fair, accessible and inclusive. All questions are voluntary and confidential. Responses are used for monitoring purposes only and are not considered as part of the grants application process.
For any further questions about our grants procedures, please contact: research@bowelresearchuk.org.