The new “Hard to Fund” fund (HTFF) has been specially created to address the funding gap for ‘unfashionable’ or uncommon bowel diseases and conditions.
Bowel Research UK has identified six main criteria for assessing applications for HTFF projects, these are:
- Rarer conditions or diseases
- Diseases or conditions requiring different research methods
- Conditions with long term quality of life issues resulting from surgery or other treatments
- Diseases or conditions that need cross disciplinary research
- Emerging technologies or particularly ‘novel’ approaches; and
- Under-represented populations
Some bowel diseases or conditions needing HTFF support do not fall neatly into the usual research categories. For example, cross disciplinary studies involving colorectal surgeons, nurses and specialist medical researchers working in close collaboration with patients.
As part of the marketing of the new HTFF, the charity will be offering opportunities for individual donors or companies to fund specific HTFF projects, including projects addressing underrepresented populations such as hard to reach ethnic and cultural groups (such as those with disabilities or who are LGBTQ+) as well as those who are underrepresented or overlooked due to rarity and therefore low disease numbers.
The HTFF applications will be subject to same exacting scrutiny as other research grants awarded by the charity. Applicants for funding will be asked to submit relevant proposals to its existing grants system, and Bowel Research UK will decide which projects will be funded under the new HTFF arrangements.
Contact Us
For further information on our research programme and how you can be involved, please contact Georgia Sturt: