Guidance for Applicants: Impact of Climate Change on Health
Research Grants Funding Opportunity
Summary
This page guides you through the preparation and submission of an application for the Impact of Climate Change on Health Research Grants for Mid-Career Researchers.
Deadline for Submission:
12:00BST Wednesday 25 September 2024
Applications must be submitted and approved by all signatories and the application received in its entirety by this deadline. All applications must be submitted via our online grants management system. Paper application forms will not be accepted.
We advise that you prepare your application in good time to allow for your Research Organisation’s checks and approvals to take place in accordance with its internal timelines. You will not be able to submit applications after this deadline. We recommend that you submit your application in advance of the deadline so that any technical issues can be resolved in good time.
The Medical Research Foundation is committed to making this application process accessible to all and will provide assistance where needed. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with our Research Team if you have any questions or concerns about the application process (email: research@medicalresearchfoundation.org.uk or phone: 020 4581 2401).
Overview
The Medical Research Foundation is inviting collaborative applications from pairs of mid-career researchers in countries of sub-Saharan Africa and the UK who are making the transition to research independence and seeking to progress in their field and are working on the impact of climate change on health. Projects should aim to develop a new collaboration or solidify an existing partnership between the two mid-career researchers, expanding their research networks and building their research profiles to develop emerging researchers in both countries.
The grants are intended to support equitable, sustainable, and mutually beneficial partnerships; one-sided collaborations will not be supported. The two Principal Investigators (PIs) are expected to equally contribute to the proposal design and equitably lead the proposed research.
The scheme will support research that will increase understanding of the mechanisms underpinning and processes involved in the impact of climate change on health, including infectious diseases and other non-infectious health outcomes that disproportionately affect sub-Saharan Africa.
Research proposals must have action and impact, with a clear proposal on how the research results could be taken forward for interventions and implementation in the future (if that is not the direct focus of the research itself). The grants can be used to conduct research studies, generate data and sustainable collaborations, and develop the basis for further research and competitive research proposals for larger funding. Transdisciplinary approaches are strongly encouraged to drive forward understanding of the factors involved in the impact of climate change on health. The proposed research should be predominantly based in a sub-Saharan African context.
Research proposals in the broad area of the impact of climate change on health could include, but are not limited to:
- understanding the biological mechanisms underpinning the impact on human health of climate change
- the development and implementation of treatments for climate-change related illnesses
- understanding and reducing the impact of climate change on health and well-being.
Research into climate change itself, that does not consider impacts on health outcomes is not within the scope of this funding call.
The Funder
The Medical Research Foundation is an independent charitable foundation. Formed by the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) over 100 years ago, we grow and nurture people and ideas wherever we see research opportunities with great potential.
The research supported in this funding call is possible thanks to the support of our generous donors.
The Funding
Applicants may apply for a research grant of up to £300,000 to support their collaborative project, over a maximum of a 3-year period. The Foundation has committed to making at least £1,700,000 available in this area.
Additional package of career-enhancing support
As well as funding innovative research projects, the Medical Research Foundation is committed to supporting its researchers’ career progression by providing access to a career-enhancing programme of support, networking events, and further funding only open to MRC and Foundation funded researchers.
Recipients of the Research Grants on the Impact of Climate Change on Health will also be given access to a bespoke programme of support that will aim to strengthen their skills and bring the climate change community together. Opportunities will include in-person training in the establishment of equitable partnerships (delivered prior to the start of the research projects), grant-writing workshops and networking events.
Who can apply
Applications should represent a collaborative project between a mid-career researcher who is a national of and based in a sub-Saharan African country, from an organisation with an established legal entity in sub-Saharan Africa, and a mid-career UK-based researcher at an eligible institution (UK HEIs, Research Council research institutes, hospitals, and other independent research organisations). Nationality and country of residence/employment may be different. The research organisation in sub-Saharan Africa must be equivalent to a recognised UK research organisation, such as a university, government-funded research institute, or not-for-profit research organisation.
UK-based applicants must hold a PhD, DPhil or MD, are expected to have postdoctoral experience and be in the process of, or be ready for, transition to research independence.
Sub-Saharan Africa-based applicants must hold a PhD, DPhil or MD, have active research experience and be in the process of, or be ready for, transition to research independence.
The Foundation recognises that the definition of mid-career may vary from country to country. For the purposes of this grant, mid-career relates to the level of research experience rather than teaching experience. Researchers who hold a senior teaching position, but have not secured substantial personal research funding would likely be eligible. This may be of particular relevance to sub-Saharan African researchers.
These grants are not intended to support those who have already secured substantial research funds and/or have already established their own research group (e.g. UK Senior Lecturers/Readers, Professors, Senior Fellows). Applicants who have held an early-career fellowship may still be eligible.
Applicants will need to demonstrate productivity across past appointments, an upward career trajectory, and clear plans to establish their own research niche. Applicants might find it useful to compare their own skills to the skills and experience often needed to win support at this level; for example, using the UKRI experience guidance under the heading ‘Transition to Independence’.
In order for applications to be considered for this competition, applicants and Research Organisations must conform to the eligibility criteria. Applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria will not have their proposal assessed. Applicants who are unsure of their eligibility are encouraged to contact the Medical Research Foundation team.
Only one application will be accepted per applicant as a lead applicant, although you may participate in multiple grants as a collaborator. Individuals can hold more than one Medical Research Foundation grant at any one time.
Previous Applicants
If you have previously applied to the Impact of Climate Change on Health scheme in 2022 or 2023 and your application was shortlisted, you are welcome to re-apply if you are able to address the Panel feedback.
If you have previously applied to the Impact of Climate Change on Health scheme in 2022 or 2023 and your application was not shortlisted, you are welcome to re-apply, but only with a substantially different project proposal.
Please contact the Medical Research Foundation to discuss your application before applying.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
The Medical Research Foundation is committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all funding applicants and aims to create an inclusive environment that encourages excellence in research through good equalities practice. Diversity is important to the Medical Research Foundation, and we are working to ensure that the ways in which we fund research embraces a diversity of thought, people, geographical locations and ideas.
We strongly encourage applications from under-represented groups including female and ethnic minority researchers, and researchers with disabilities or long-term health conditions. We will support our researchers and their teams to work flexibly and in a way that meets their personal circumstances. Guidance on the Medical Research Foundation flexible working policies can be found in our Terms and Conditions. Please contact the Research Team if you have any questions about flexible working:
research@medicalresearchfoundation.org.uk.
The Medical Research Foundation encourages lead applicants to consider the diversity of the research team, as well as area of expertise, when inviting Co-Investigators and Collaborators to support their application.
Responsibilities of the Lead Research Organisations and the Principal Investigators
Lead Research Organisations
By submitting an application, a Lead Research Organisation (LRO) indicates their formal acceptance of the proposal, approval of the salaries and resources sought and, if the application is successful, acceptance of the terms and conditions of a Medical Research Foundation award.
Administrative authorities have responsibility for ensuring that salaries and resources cited in the proposal are sufficient to undertake the proposed research, attract sufficiently experienced and skilled staff and represent good value-for-money.
It is expected that there will be two Lead Research Organisations – one based in a country of sub-Saharan Africa, and one based in the UK.
Principal Investigators (PI)
The PIs are responsible for the intellectual leadership of the research project and for the overall management of the research. The two PIs will be jointly responsible for the project and will be leading in an equitable partnership. They will be the Medical Research Foundation’s main contact for the proposal. There should be one PI who is a national of and based in a sub-Saharan African country and one PI in the UK. These roles are titled “Principal Investigator” (UK) and “Co-Principal Investigator” (sub-Saharan Africa) in the application form; however, for administration of the grant, both lead applicants will be considered as joint PIs.
The PIs must be based at the LROs at which the award will be administered.
Key dates
- Deadline for application submission: 12:00 BST 25 September 2024
- Shortlisting notification – request for rebuttal: February 2025
- Deadline for rebuttal: February 2025
- Funding decision: March 2025
- Feedback on funding decision: March 2025
Review and selection
Review and selection process
Applications will be externally peer reviewed and then assessed by an Expert Review Panel, consisting of independent scientific experts on climate change and health from the UK and countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Applications will be assessed on their scientific quality and impact, potential for developing sustainable and equitable collaborations, and the contribution of the proposal to research network and capacity building. The Expert Review Panel will take into account career stage and contributions of the applicants (with all researchers expected to be mid-career, as detailed above) as well as the proposed use of funds. The Expert Review Panel will also consider the potential of the proposed research to lead to future research and funding, action on the impact of climate change on health, and scientific progress.
The Medical Research Foundation strongly encourages applications from researchers based in countries in sub-Saharan Africa under-represented in the research landscape. The Foundation will take action to ensure a fair and inclusive review process and will work to support research from a wide distribution of geographical locations.
Confidentiality
The proposal and any additional details submitted will be sent ‘in confidence’ to reviewers and the Expert Review Panel. While assessing proposals, our experts may sometimes need to consult with colleagues, in confidence, about individual applications.
Declarations of Interest
If a proposal presents a potential conflict of interest for any of the Expert Review Panel or the Medical Research Foundation Board of Trustees or team, the individual with a conflict will not be involved in the discussion of the application and in the decision-making process.
Terms and Conditions of Award
Awards made through this competition will follow standard Medical Research Foundation Terms and Conditions. The Medical Research Foundation Terms and Conditions spell out the responsibilities of the joint Principal Investigators and the Lead Research Organisations. The Principal Investigators and the Lead Research Organisations are required to indicate their formal acceptance of the application, their acceptance of the terms and conditions of a Medical Research Foundation award, and the approval of the salaries and resources sought in the application. The Medical Research Foundation may add additional conditions to an award to reflect the particular circumstances and requirements of the funding, or the nature of a particular award. Acceptance of an award constitutes acceptance of both the core conditions and any additional conditions. The Medical Research Foundation reserves the right to vary these Terms and Conditions.
Application guidance notes
The information provided in this section provides guidance on completing the application form online grants management system (https://medicalresearchfoundation.flexigrant.com/). Guidance is provided within the system itself and this additional guidance will also be available on our website.
Please clearly label all uploaded files and ensure that all relevant documents are suitable and present.
If you have any questions about any aspects of the application process, please contact a member of the Medical Research Foundation’s team (email: research@medicalresearchfoundation.org.uk or phone: 020 4581 2401).
Completing the online CV section
Both lead applicants (‘Principal Investigator’ [UK] and ‘Co-Principal Investigator’ [sub-Saharan Africa]) are required to submit a CV using the Medical Research Foundation Résumé for Researchers CV template. A word version of the template is available on our website and within the online application form.
The Résumé for Researchers is an open-source template which has been developed by The Royal Society as a tool to more broadly evaluate researchers, particularly at the early career stages. The template has been adopted and adapted by the Medical Research Foundation as it supports the Foundation’s approach of considering a wider view of contribution to the research landscape, at all career stages, not based solely on publication record.
Applicants are encouraged to provide examples of their impact outside of publications lists, although these should still be provided. Examples such as collaborative working, effective leadership, coaching and mentoring as well as inspiring others are welcomed.
Career progression disruptions and Impact of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant and variable impact on researchers’ careers across the world. The Foundation is committed to helping mitigate this is much as possible through our grantmaking policies and practices, we are pleased to support the UK Academy of Medical Sciences Cross-funder COVID-19 memory statement as co-signatories.
There is a dedicated space within the CV template, to detail how your career progression has been impacted by COVID-19. Additionally, guidance will be given to our Expert Reviewers and Panel Members so that they are able to take these impacts on an applicant’s career into account when they are making funding recommendations.
Applicants are also provided with space to detail any other career disruptions (e.g. parental leave, ill health) that may have impacted their progression. Please only share details that you are comfortable with being shared with the Panel and do not include identifying information about third parties.
Contribution to knowledge generation
This section can be used to explain how you have contributed to the generation of new ideas and hypotheses and which key skills you have used to develop ideas and test hypotheses. It can be used to highlight how you have communicated your ideas and research results, both written and verbally. It can include a small selection of outputs, with a description of why they are of particular relevance and why they are considered in the context of knowledge generation. Outputs can include (but is not limited to) open data sets, software, commercial, entrepreneurial or industrial products, clinical practice developments, educational products, policy publications, evidence synthesis pieces and conference publications that you have generated. Where outputs have a digital object identifier (DOI) please only include this.
Contribution to the development of individuals
This section can be used to highlight expertise you provided which was critical to the success of a team or team members including project management, collaborative contributions, and team support. It can include your teaching activities, workshops or summer schools in which you were involved (for undergraduates and post-graduates as well as junior colleagues), and the supervision of students and colleagues. It can be used to mention mentoring of members in your field and support you provided to the advancement of colleagues, be it junior or senior. It can be used to highlight the establishment of collaborations, from institutional (maybe interdisciplinary) to international. It can be used to describe where you exerted strategic leadership, how you shaped the direction of a team, organisation, company or institution.
Contribution to the wider research community
This section can include various activities you have engaged in to progress the research community. It can be used to mention commitments including editing, reviewing, refereeing, committee work and your contributions to the evaluation of researchers and research projects. It can be used to mention the organisation of events that have benefited your research community. It can highlight contributions to increasing research integrity, and improving research culture (gender equality, diversity, mobility of researchers, reward and recognition of researchers’ various activities). It can be used to mention appointments to positions of responsibility such as committee membership and corporate roles within your department, institution or organisation, and recognition by invitation within your sector.
Contribution to broader society
This section can include examples of societal engagement and knowledge exchange. It can include engagement with industry and the private sector. It can be used to mention engagement with the public sector, clients and the broader public. It can be used to highlight positive stakeholder feedback, inclusion of patients in processes and clinical trials, and other impacts across research, policy, practice and business. It can be used to mention efforts to collaborate with particular societal or patient groups. It can be used to highlight efforts to advise policy-makers at local, national or international level and provide information through the press and on social media.
Application form question guidance
Section 1 and 2: Lead Applicant details
Every project must have two PIs (lead applicants); one in sub-Saharan Africa, and one in the UK. Due to the formatting of the online system, these roles are titled “Principal Investigator” (UK) and “Co-Principal Investigator” (sub-Saharan Africa); however, please note that for all other purposes, including the administration of the grant, both lead applicants will be considered joint PIs.
Additional project Co-Investigators can be included in the sections 3-6. A maximum of four Co-Investigators can be included.
Any other individuals involved in the application can be listed as collaborators in the following sections. unless they will be employed on the grant, in which case they should be named as staff members. Collaborators will need to provide a signed declaration on letter-headed paper confirming that they have consented to co-operate in the research project and explaining the role they will play.
Both lead applicants will need to identify a mentor to provide guidance and support throughout the course of the proposal. A signed letter of support on letter-headed paper will be required from the mentors, detailing what support will be available to the applicant and how this will be provided.
Section 3-6: Co-Investigator details and career summary
Please provide career history details of up to four Co-Investigators. A Co-Investigator is a person who assists the Principal Investigators in the management and leadership of the research and is named as such in the application. Co-Investigators will be required to submit a CV using the Medical Research Foundation Résumé for Researchers CV template. A word version of the template is available on our website and within the online application form.
Please change the Contact type of the SSA Co-PI to ‘Primary Investigator’ in the Contacts section of your application. This is to ensure that both Co-PI’s to appear alongside each other in the application form.
Section 7: Research Proposal
The scientific title and abstract should be written in a form understandable to an academic audience.
The lay title and summary abstract should be written in a form clearly understandable to members of the public (e.g. current or potential supporters) who are not specialists in the field of the impact of climate change on health research.
how to write a clear and informative lay summary please use the following resources:
Please indicate the key scientific objectives and challenges of the research and any potential medical, clinical or societal implications.
These abstracts will be used for external communications about the award and should therefore not contain specific details of any sensitive information, such as patient details or personal information.
Case for Support: proposed collaborative research project
Provide details of the proposed collaborative research project. References, diagrams, tables or charts, and justification of samples sizes (including sample size calculations, where appropriate, or a justification for why these have not been included) can be included within the text or as an appendix.
The Case for Support and appendices for applications should not exceed 8 A4 pages PDF format (size 12 Arial font, 2 cm margins).
The detailed Case for Support should include the following information:
- Background – provide relevant background information that is needed to understand the wider context of your application. Explain the need for research in this area and the rationale of the lines of research planned. Give sufficient details of other past and current research to show that the aims are scientifically justified and to show that the work will add distinct value to what is already known, or in progress. Justify the research either through its importance for human health, or its contribution to relevant areas of basic biomedical science.
- Hypothesis and objectives – describe the main hypotheses to be investigated, details of the objectives and how they will be achieved.
- Study design – describe the experimental approaches and methodology for the collaborative research project in detail (for example giving and explaining sample sizes, methods of recruitment and trial designs). It is not necessary to describe each experiment (if relevant), but sufficient detail is required to show why the research is likely to be competitive. Where human participants are involved, consideration should be given to how diversity factors such as sex, ethnicity and age are included and accounted for in the study design.
It is strongly encouraged that projects include opportunities for training and development of early-career researchers, such as new postdoctoral researchers.
Transdisciplinary approaches are strongly encouraged.
- Timelines and milestones – give timelines for the research with major milestones and deliverables.
- Potential problems and contingency plans – highlight any potential risks and identify procedures that can be put in place to deal with them.
- People – outline how each of the investigators named in the proposal will work together and outline other major collaborations important for the research. Explain how the award will contribute to the career development of both lead applicants (PIs). Detail productivity from previous appointments/research funding and demonstrate how the award will promote the applicants’ trajectories towards research independence. Both lead applicants should identify a senior mentor.
- Environment – describe how the scientific or clinical environment(s) in which the research will be conducted will promote the delivery of the proposed research. Explain how the research will benefit from facilities provided by the Research Organisations. Describe any clinical, commercial, or organisational dependencies necessary to support the research, or to help translate it into practice.
- Ethics & Research Governance - describe the ethical issues arising from any involvement of people, human samples or personal data in the research proposal. Give details of how any specific risks to human participants will be controlled, and of any new animal research the funding would be supporting. Describe the ethical review and research governance arrangements that would apply to the proposed research.
- Exploitation and Dissemination – describe plans to disseminate the findings of the research. Is the proposed research likely to generate commercially exploitable results? Other than publication in peer reviewed journals, indicate how any results arising from the research will be disseminated to promote or facilitate take-up by users in the health services.
Partnership working
The awards are intended to support equitable, sustainable and mutually beneficial partnerships and are not intended to support one-sided collaborations in which one partner uses the data or resources of the other. Please explain how the two PIs (lead applicants) have equally contributed to the proposal design and how the project will be equitably led by both.
The benefits of an award to both teams should be described, outlining the potential impact of the partnership and its future beyond the lifetime of an award. The Medical Research Foundation is interested in supporting collaborative activities that would lead to key career development opportunities.
The scheme is open to pairs of researchers who are part of a new, or already established partnership.
Gender dimension of research
The Medical Research Foundation expects that applicants will consider the gender dimension of their research proposal. Gender dimension in this instance refers not to the diversity of the research team (which should also be considered), but the sex and gender component of the experimental design that involves human participants, animal studies, human and animal tissues, and cell lines.
Sex refers to the biological attributes of humans and animals, such as genes, chromosomes, hormone levels and reproductive organs. Sex can be referred to as male, female and intersex in humans or hermaphrodite in animals.
Gender refers to the social and cultural attributes of human behaviour. How individuals refer to gender will vary depending on social and cultural context and this can also vary over time.
Applicants should include the following information:
- How the biological variable of sex will be taken into account in the experimental design with regards to research methods, data analysis and interpretation, and dissemination of findings.
- How the socio-cultural variable of gender will be taken into account in the experimental design with regards to research methods, data analysis and interpretation, and dissemination of findings.
- How the impact of the findings may affect different sex and genders differently.
If sex and or gender do not need to be taken into account, applicants will need justify why. For instance, the Medical Research Foundation expects that both sexes of animals will be used in animal experiments as the default, and that cost or previous published data are not sufficient justifications to use only one sex.
Please refer to the MRC guidance on sex and gender in experimental designs and embedding diversity into experimental design.
Collaborators
Please provide details of any additional collaborators on the project. This does not include individuals already identified as Co-Investigators. Collaborators are required to submit a letter of support detailing their involvement in the project.
Recommended and Excluded Reviewers
Please suggest up to three experts to review the application. These individuals should not be: i) closely associated with the proposed project or any related work; ii) collaborators/co-applicants on any active or recent grants; iii) have published with the lead applicant/s in the past five years; or, iv) previous mentors/supervisors of the lead applicant/s. We cannot guarantee that we will approach these experts for an assessment of the applications.
Please provide the names of up to three reviewers that you do not wish to review the application due to potential conflicts of interest.
Data Management Plan
The Medical Research Foundation is committed to ensuring that the knowledge and discoveries which result from our funded research are available freely and immediately to everyone. A Data Management Plan (DMP) is required to detail how you will collect, store, curate, and manage data, including how it will be shared and any open access requirements.
Where substantial data is generated from the research, the DMP will be more in depth and therefore likely to be up to 1000 words long, for studies generating smaller amounts of data, DMPs will be short i.e. 200-500 word in total.
The MRC Policy and Guidance on Sharing of Research Data from Population and Patient Studies is a useful reference for data relating to studies involving human participation.
Section 8: Use of Animals in Research
The Medical Research Foundation expects that before work commences on any research, the Principal Investigators will have ensured in collaboration with the Lead Research Organisations that all appropriate regulatory approvals are in place. These could include those relating to human participation, radiation, genetic manipulation, animals, stem cells, personal safety and health and safety.
The Medical Research Foundation expects that research involving animals will comply with UK regulations, regardless of which country the research is carried out in, and the research is planned and conducted according to the 3Rs.
If the project involves the use of animals in the UK, please provide confirmation of personal licences for all members of staff involved in the proposed animal research. In addition, please confirm the relevant project licence covers the proposed work. UK Home Office licences will only be required when research involving animals is being conducted within the UK. If your research involves animal use outside of the UK, complete the relevant questions regarding national and local ethical approval for animal research and describe how your research complies with UK animal procedure regulations.
Section 9: Human participation and ethical approval
If the project involves the use of human participants and/or organs, tissues or cells relevant to The Human Tissue Act 2004 (England, Wales and N. Ireland) and The Human Tissue (Scotland) Act 2006 in the UK, please detail the relevant ethical approvals.
If ethical approval is required for the research proposal, please provide details of the relevant approvals.
If your research involves the use of human participants and/or organs, tissues or cells outside the UK, please provide details in the relevant questions. Describe how your research complies with relevant UK regulations. Applications involving human participants in counties outside of the UK may be subject to additional ethical implications.
Please see the MRC guidance related to Using human samples in research and Human Participants in Research for further direction on research involving human participants in countries outside of the UK.
Section 10: Intellectual property
Please detail any intellectual property that this project will generate, either during or beyond the lifetime of the award. Please include details of any existing background intellectual property that will need to be used and/or modified and plans for ownership of this intellectual property.
If intellectual property is likely to be generated, a letter of support will be required from your departmental IP Manager/Head of Technology Transfer Unit.
Section 11: Funding Requested
The Medical Research Foundation will meet the full direct costs of research. Direct costs are those that will arise from the conduct of the research project and can be charged as the cash value spent and can be supported by an auditable record. Like all UK medical research charities, the Medical Research Foundation does not meet the indirect costs of research in the UK; we will however meet the indirect costs (overheads) of the research in the sub-Saharan African Research Organisation (to be costed within the budget) to a maximum of 15% of the sub-Saharan Africa budget.
Applications should be costed at today’s prices and inflation should not be included.
PIs on the project may include salary support to protect their time whilst working on the grant. Please clearly show a detailed breakdown of all salaried posts to be funded under this grant.
Applications can include requests for the costs of:
- Salary support for the lead applicants
- Research staff (who will directly support the research proposal) including annual pay-scale increments but excluding annual pay awards and employment overheads i.e. the UK apprenticeship levy
- Research consumables and minor equipment
- Access charges for specialist equipment or services
- Travel costs of the PI or members of staff travelling between multi-centre research sites or for scheduled collaborator meetings relating to the project.
- Animals and animal husbandry
- Conference travel and subsistence
- Open access publishing costs (up to £6,000 for grant durations of a three-year minimum)
- Research equipment
- Any other direct costs of the proposed research
- Overhead costs at the sub-Saharan Africa Research Organisation such as estates costs for buildings and premises, non-project administrative costs such as protected time of finance and admin support staff
Medical Research Foundation grants will not fund:
- Any directly allocated costs i.e. estate costs and costs of shared resources such as staff and equipment in the UK Research Organisation
- Any indirect costs necessary for underpinning research in the UK Research Organisation but which cannot be allocated to individual projects (including but not limited to bench fees, computing and information support, general maintenance and other infrastructure costs, HR and recruitment costs etc.).
- PhD studentships
- Collaborators’ salaries
- Patient care, UK NHS treatment or UK NHS support costs associated with clinical research, which are met through other sources of funding.
- Cost of public engagement in science work
- Other costs associated with dissemination of research findings
Justify the budget requested and provide details of any costs to be met through other funding sources.
Subcontractors
A subcontractor is a third-party organisation, or person, not employed on the grant who is subcontracted by the lead research organisation(s) to deliver a specific piece of work. Subcontracted work will be subject to the procurement rules of the research organisation.
Carbon Offsetting
The Foundation supports reducing the carbon footprint of Research where possible. This includes the carbon footprint of travel necessary for carrying out the Research funded by the Grant. The Principal Investigators must ensure that:
- Investigators follow the LRO carbon offsetting policy, where applicable
- Where the LRO does not have a carbon offsetting policy, Investigators must calculate the carbon footprint of their travel (for example using the International Civil Aviation Organization Carbon Emissions Calculator) and select a carbon offset provider.
If an Investigator chooses to travel by a low-carbon option which is more expensive (for example a train journey rather than airplane), the Foundation will meet these costs where costs are Reasonable: i.e, justifiable, proportional and documented, and a reasonable use of the charitable funds supporting the Grant.
Sections 12-17: Authorisation and Declarations
Authorisations and/or declarations are needed from the following application participants:
- UK Principal Investigator
- Co-Principal Investigator (sub-Saharan Africa)
- UK Research Administrator
- UK Head of Department
- Sub-Saharan Africa Research Administrator
- Sub-Saharan Africa Head of Department
Participants should be invited to complete their sections of the application by following the instructions under the participants tab on the Application Summary page. Please check which email address they would like to use, as they may already be registered on Flexi-Grant and mistakes may lead to a delay in processing the application.
Applicants can keep track of the progress of submission completion status on the Application Summary page. Applicants can issue a reminder email to the invited participants through the participants tab on the Application Summary page. If the instruction email from the Medical Research Foundation has not been received please: a) double check the accuracy of the email address supplied on the application form; b) advise the intended recipient to check their spam filters/junk folders; c) contact the Medical Research Foundation with an alternative email address for the recipient. The Medical Research Foundation is happy to help where possible but cannot be held responsible for automated emails that are not received due to address errors or spam filters.
All declarations must be signed by the appropriate persons prior to the submission of the application. It is the applicants’ responsibility to ensure that approval of the application by the Lead Research Organisations is completed before the closing date.
Applicants
Lead applicants are required to report any conflicts of interest. Each lead applicant is required to declare that they will abide by the Medical Research Foundation’s Terms and Conditions and will be actively engaged in the proposed research.
Head of Departments
The Heads of Department of both lead applicants (sub-Saharan Africa and UK) must provide a statement of support and authorise the application confirming that the potential award can be hosted within their organisation and that there is the capacity to deliver the proposed research. The relevant Head of Department should state how the applicant will be supported to focus on their proposed research, for example by being released from competing duties such as teaching or administrative commitments. Additionally, they should provide details of the resources that the department will commit to the applicant should the application be successful.
Before inviting the Heads of Department to participate in completion of the application form, applicants are advised to ensure that their Head of Department is willing and available to provide a confirmation of support prior to the deadline. Incomplete confirmations will mean that an application cannot be submitted and will be deemed to be ineligible.
It is the responsibility of the lead applicants to inform the Head of Department of the deadline and liaise with them to ensure that they have received their invitation with instructions to participate in completion of the application.
Research Administrators
Research Administrators at the sub-Saharan Africa and UK Lead Research Organisations should be invited to approve the application (“Administrative Authority”). They must be someone with delegated authority at the Lead Research Organisations, where the award will be held. This may be someone within the research office, Faculty administration, or other administrative or management role. The approver must be someone with the authority to confirm that the potential award can be hosted within their organisation and assure the proposed budget is appropriate and eligible for the scheme.
This section should be completed by individuals at the Lead Research Organisations responsible for the administration of funds. They will be contacted regarding financial arrangements and other contractual agreements, if your application is successful.
Appendices
Scoring Range for Reviewers
Score Indicators |
Score |
Exceptional – Top international programme, or of exceptional strategic importance |
|
|
6 |
Excellent – Internationally competitive and leading edge, or of strategic importance |
|
|
5 |
Very High Quality – Internationally competitive in parts |
|
|
4 |
High Quality |
|
|
3 |
Good Quality |
|
|
2 |
Poor Quality |
|
|
1 |
Ineligible for funding |
0 |
Scoring Range for Expert Review Panel
Score Indicators |
Fundable |
10. Exceptional – Top international programme, or of exceptional strategic importance |
|
|
Fundable |
9. Excellent – Research and partnership internationally competitive and leading edge in most areas |
|
|
Fundable |
8. Very High Quality – Internationally competitive research and partnership |
|
|
Fundable |
7. High Quality – Leading edge and internationally competitive in parts |
|
|
Fundable |
6. High Quality – Potential for leading edge, competitive research and partnership |
|
|
Fundable |
5. Good Quality – Nationally competitive |
|
|
Not fundable |
4. Potentially Useful – With significant weaknesses |
|
Other: Ethical and/or governance issues are not adequately considered |
Not fundable |
3. Potentially Useful – With major weaknesses |
|
|
Not fundable |
2. Poor quality science, bordering on unacceptable |
Not fundable |
1. Unacceptable quality or has serious ethical concerns |
Not fundable |
0. Ineligible for funding |
Not fundable |