brain research uk project grant

Brain Research UK – Project grant call now open!

Our 2023 project grant call is now open!

Brain Research UK are pleased to invite preliminary project grant applications under the following three themes:

Headache and facial pain: research that aims to improve the management and treatment of headache or facial pain disorders. Within this remit, we will fund research that addresses the fundamental causes, mechanisms, diagnosis or treatment of headache and facial pain.

Neuro-oncology: research that aims to improve clinical outcomes for patients with primary tumours of the brain or spinal cord. Within this remit, we will fund research that addresses the fundamental causes, mechanisms, diagnosis or treatment of primary tumours of the brain or spinal cord, and associated neurological complications.

Acquired brain and spinal cord injury: research that aims to protect or restore function in patients following acute brain or spinal cord injury. Within this remit, we will fund research that addresses the mechanisms of the injury, the mechanisms of the recovery process, and determinants of outcome.

In addition, applications are invited for the development of models that enhance these three themes and facilitate translation.

Preliminary applications must be submitted via the online portal by the deadline of midday on Thursday 20th April 2023 .

Full details of the call and access to the portal are available via the following link: https://bit.ly/2023-project-grant-call

Posted on 06/02/2023

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Research Connect

Brain Research UK Project Grants For Neurological Research

Project grants up to £300,000 are available to researchers in the UK for clinical or non-clinical research projects that address unmet needs in the fields of headache and facial pain, neuro-oncology and acquired brain and spinal cord injury.

Brain Research UK funds neurological research to achieve the greatest impact and improve quality of life for people affected by neurological conditions, focusing on priority areas where there exists a particularly high, unmet level of patient need.

Applications are invited for the Brain Research UK Project Grants, which can award up to £300,000 over a maximum of three years for hypothesis-driven, pre-clinical or clinical research that addresses areas of large unmet need and demonstrates a clear pathway to clinical impact. Funding will support directly incurred research costs, including funds for the employment of suitably qualified research staff, the purchase of essential equipment (up to £20,000) and consumables.

Applications are accepted from PIs based at UK academic institutions, including universities, hospitals and research institutes. Applications from early career researchers and collaborative projects are encouraged, including international collaborations led by a UK team.

Projects must fit with one of the three Brain Research UK priority areas:

• Headache and facial pain – research addressing the fundamental causes, mechanisms, diagnosis or treatment of headache and facial pain.
• Neuro-oncology – research addressing the fundamental causes, mechanisms, diagnosis or treatment of primary tumours of the brain or spinal cord, and associated neurological complications.
• Acquired brain and spinal cord injury – research that aims to protect or restore function in patients following acute brain or spinal cord injury, including research that addresses the mechanisms of the injury, the mechanisms of the recovery process, and determinants of outcome.

Projects must have a mechanistic hypothesis and a clear pathway to translation. Applications for pilot studies will be considered, as will the development of models (in vivo or other 3D models) that enhance these three themes and support the future testing of a mechanistic hypothesis.

Preliminary applications for the 2024 application round must be submitted by the deadline on 10 January 2024.

(This report was the subject of a RESEARCHconnect Newsflash.)

Schools & departments

External Funding Opportunities

Heads-up: Wellcome Neuroscience of Mental Mental Health Award, launching in April 2024

Last year, Wellcome commissioned a report to explore how cellular, animal and computational neuroscience could best address mental health challenges. This found that to unlock the full potential of neuroscience in mental health, more collaboration is needed among neuroscientists, clinical researchers and people with lived experience.

To this end, Wellcome will be launching in mid-April 2024 a Mental Health Award call, which aims to fund projects that focus on understanding symptoms associated with anxiety, depression and/or psychosis.

This call invites researchers to be especially collaborative, so to facilitate finding new collaborators, Wellcome have partnered with the Neuromatch service, which specialises in connecting researchers through networking and matchmaking activities. There will be networking activities on the 25th and 30th of April.  

If you are interested in this call and looking for local collaborators, please don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or Edinburgh Mental Health at [email protected].

Academy of Medical Sciences Springboard Round 10 - internal triage involved

The prestigious Academy of Medical Sciences Springboard funding programme for 2024 (Round 10) is now open for applications by academic researchers who are in their first independent research position and have not yet obtained substantial research funding support from other sources, such as large grants or large fellowships.

• Because the University of Edinburgh is only allowed to make four nominations to this round, there will be an internal selection process. Please follow the link above to read more about the scheme and the process.
• The award provides funding of up to £125,000 over two years from March 2025 to support research costs (excluding applicant salary) and professional development, as well as access to the Academy’s mentoring and career development programme.
• Please ensure you have obtained approval from your line manager and Head of School/Centre/Institute before applying.
• Internal applications must be submitted to ERO via [email protected]  by 12 noon Friday 19th April 2024 .

Pre-announcement: UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships  

UKRI has now launched Round 9 of the Future Leaders Fellowships. This cross-UK Research and Innovation scheme supports early career researchers and innovators to tackle ambitious and challenging research and innovation and develop their own careers.

As before, UKRI has capped the number of applicants the University of Edinburgh is allowed to put forward at 10, so there will need to be a multi-step internal selection process.

• Please follow your local triage process and deadlines. If you are based in the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences or Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, details on the initial triage step will be circulated shortly, but in the meantime,  please let your Head of Centre know as soon as possible if you are interested in applying .
• Only applicants with full and explicitly stated backing of their Host Centre/Institute can be submitted to the College triage step, which has a deadline on the 11 am  on Monday 22nd April.
• For more information on how to apply, please visit the  UoE information site  and  UKRI’s webpage .
• ERO is putting together a webinar to outline the selection process as well as insights on what makes a successful application; the date of this is to be announced but will be listed on the UoE information site

Internal funding opportunity: The Big Ideas Fund 24/25

The Big Ideas Accelerator is a new University internal seed-funding scheme to support radically interdisciplinary ideas and collaborations that span Colleges. The team are looking for innovative and disruptive ideas that require further proof of concept or development, and which would not normally be covered by external funding or existing internal schemes.

• Grants will be typically in the range of £10k – £15k (exceptionally £20k if there is clear justification). The team anticipates funding around 15-20 projects.
• There will be an information webinar on the 12th of March: sign up here
• Deadline: Wednesday 24th April 2024

BBSRC Responsive Mode grants

This scheme supports excellent investigator-led research across the breadth of BBSRC's scientific remit. 

• The full economic cost  of your project can be up to £2 million. Funding is available for up to five years.
• Deadline  24th April 2024, 4 pm

MND Association funding schemes

MND Association opens many of its funding schemes in mid-March, including:

• Biomedical PhD studentships; deadline 26th April 2024
• Non-clinical research Fellowships (junior and senior); deadline 26th April 2024
• The Biomedical Project Grant scheme has been open since September and will close on 1st November 2024 .

BBSRC Fellowships

Fellowships aimed at postdocs/similar to carry out independent research within a host lab, and gain leadership skills.

You must provide strong evidence of working towards this goal, demonstrating an upward trajectory to pursuing independent work within a host organisation. You must show high potential to become future research leaders.

• Not eligible to apply if you hold/have held a position at lecturer level.
• No limit on the value of the grant. BBSRC will fund 80% of the full economic cost.
• Fellowship will last for three years if full time (pro-rata if part-time)
• Deadline 2nd May 2024, 4 pm

Medical Research Foundation: Launchpad Grants in Mental Health

The Medical Research Foundation is inviting mid-career researchers in the field of mental health to apply for funding to support their research. Funded research should increase understanding of mental health, and improve diagnosis, treatment and recovery. It will also act as a launchpad for further research suitable for larger funding opportunities.

• Applications within a broad field of mental health research are welcomed. However, applications from neglected areas of mental health, including suicide and self-harm, trauma-related mental health, borderline personality disorder and OCD, are particularly encouraged.
• Neurodevelopmental disorders are considered within the scope of this competition, and applications from researchers working in ADHD and Tourette’s are particularly encouraged.
• Up to £100,000 over 2 years available
• Deadline  Wednesday 8th May 2024, midday

College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine (CMVM) Impact Funding

This small-scale funding scheme as part of the University’s strategic investment into impact is to accelerate the impact of CMVM research. Stand-alone research-based proposals are not within the scope of this fund. There are two impact routes to apply for: Plant/Seed or Grow/Deliver, depending on the stage of your engagement and impact project. 

• Applications can be made for amounts from £500 to £2,500.
• Deadline  Monday 13th May 2024, 5pm
• If you have any problems accessing the documents, please email the CMVM Research Impact Manager Dr Lena Lorenz .

MRC New Investigator grants: Neurosciences and mental health

This scheme supports neuroscience and mental health researchers to take the next step towards becoming an independent researcher. Applicants must have the skills and experience to ‘transition to independence’the support of a host research organisation.

• There is no limit to the funding you can apply for, but the typical full economic cost of a project is under £1 million. 
• Deadline  15th May 2024, 4pm

MRC Partnership Awards

This opportunity provides funding to support new partnerships between diverse groups of researchers within MRC's remit. The grant will allow you to establish new, high-value collaborative activities or capabilities and add value to high-quality scientific programmes that are already supported by grants from MRC and other funders.

• Funding is available for between 1 and 5 years. There is no limit to the amount of funding you can apply for, however resource requests will vary between partnerships so you are strongly advised to discuss this with the relevant programme manager before applying.
• Deadline  Wednesday 15th May 2024, 4pm

MRC, NIHR and Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases: Management of multiple long-term conditions

Proposals should aim to improve the availability of effective, equitable, efficient, integrated, patient-centred, safe, and timely care for people living with MLTCs (including at least one non-communicable disease), in low- and middle-income countries or among disadvantaged populations in high-income countries.

• Funding available: total fund up to £5,000,000 (subject to quality)
• Duration: 3-5 years
• Deadlines: 15th May 2024 (first stage), 3rd October 2024 ( second stage)

My Name’5 Doddie Foundation: New opportunities following £6 million investment

My Name’5 Doddie Foundation was established with one clear goal: to expedite the development of new treatments for motor neuron disease (MND) and ultimately, a cure. Last week, they announced a new £6 million investment into research in 2024, beginning with the launch of the Discovery Network and the reopening of their flagship Advancing Treatments Award. 

1) Discovery Network

The Discovery Network is a new funding opportunity for multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional teams to apply for £1 million over 3 years. Teams will take on bold ideas and innovative approaches to better understand the biology of MND, with a focused goal of identifying new therapeutic targets. The Network will be underpinned by a culture of collaboration and open science.

• Deadline for Expressions of Interest:  Friday 17th May 2024, midday

2) The Advancing Treatments Award

The 2024 Advancing Treatments Award will support the early-stage development of new treatments to slow, stop or reverse MND disease progression, or to better manage the symptoms of MND, where they could transform the lives of people living with the condition. Applications are accepted across two strategic priorities: 1) Validate therapeutic target and 2) Accelerate new treatments (not including identifying novel targets).

3) Catalyst Award

This scheme will open in the autumn and will offer up to £100,000 for up to 1 year to support projects that aim to gather proof-of-principle data for innovative new approaches. 

Wellcome Early-Career Awards

This scheme provides funding for early-career researchers from any discipline who are ready to develop their research identity. Through innovative projects, they will deliver shifts in understanding related to human life, health and wellbeing. By the end of the award, they will be ready to lead their own independent research programme.

• Funding available: Your salary and up to £400,000 for research expense
• Three rounds a year: next deadline Tuesday 21st May , then Tuesday 1st October 2024

BBSRC Strategic Longer and Larger (sLoLa) Grants

The sLoLa grants are a key part of BBSRC's investment in Frontier Bioscience and provides large-scale funding to catalyse and convene the critical mass of research effort needed to address significant fundamental questions in bioscience. Funded projects will:

• Have the potential to lead to major breakthroughs in our fundamental understanding of living systems
• Clearly demonstrate the need for longer and larger scale funding
• Demonstrate a fully integrated team science approach
• Deadline-  21st May 2024 

NIHR Challenge - Maternity Inequalities research consortium  (internal demand management in place)

The first ever NIHR Challenge funding call, backed by £50 million, will task researchers and policymakers with finding new ways to tackle maternity disparities.

• Funding duration: 5 years
• Eligibility: applications to be led by a university, with ~1-3 other organisations e.g. industry, third sector, practice, etc.
• Internal selection process: Please fill out an Expression of interest form by 8th April 2024
• NIHR Stage 1: deadline 22nd May 2024 ; to select the organisations to be part of the consortium

Wellcome Trust targeted funding for researchers of Black, Bangladeshi and Pakistani heritage in the UK

Wellcome is launching £20 million in new funding to support researchers to stay in research and advance their careers.

Researchers at a UK higher education institution can apply at any stage of their career from postdoctorate onwards, up to but not including professorship. The awards cover any discipline, but the research area must align with Wellcome’s Discovery Research remit – encompassing research into life, health and well-being – or in their Climate and Health, Mental Health, or Infectious Disease research programmes.

• Award cycle: once per year, for an initial four years, with an allocation of ~£4.5 million per year
• Award amount: up to £200,000 per researcher in up to two years
• The funding will open in spring 2024.
• Sign up to the newsletter by CMVM Research Office to stay informed.

Mental Health Research UK - PhD Scholarship Competition 2025

Mental Health Research UK (incorporating the Schizophrenia Research Fund) has announced a competition for two PhD Scholarships, beginning September 2025. They will fund two scholarships.

• The John Grace QC scholarship should focus on psychotic disorders, including puerperal psychosis​
• Topics such as post-natal depression, developing post-natal family mental health interventions, factors influencing maternal mental health.
• Deadline:  27th May 2024

MRC Better Methods, Better Research

This scheme  funds the development or improvement of generalisable methods underpinning biomedical and health research.

Applicability of methods must extend, without significant modification, beyond a single case study or research question. Methodology research should be developed with end-user engagement. Applications must also include a dissemination plan that outlines the activities to support uptake, implementation and best use of methods by others beyond the project team.

• Project costs can be up to £625,000
• The start application link will be available to select from 10th April 2024, at 9am UK time.
• Deadline  Wednesday 12th June 2024, 4pm

Understanding public involvement in non-clinical research

Funding is available to improve the understanding, design and practice of public involvement in non-clinical health and biomedical research. Applications should address gaps in public involvement, build on existing good practice and deliver generalisable learning to be used by others. Multidisciplinary approaches are welcomed.

• You can read more about the thinking behind this scheme on this blog post
• Applicant teams must include public contributors. The lead applicant must be a researcher employed by an eligible research organisation.
• Your project can be up to £625,000
• Deadline Wednesday 12th June 2024

MS Society Catalyst Awards

Catalyst Awards provide support for short-term, small-scale pilot or proof-of-concept research projects. These may be “high risk, high reward” type projects and must be hypothesis-driven. Two Catalyst rounds are run each year. Researchers from within and outside the MS field can use these Awards to explore innovative ideas in MS research.

• Both junior and established researchers are eligible to apply
• Projects can last up to 12 months.
• Deadlines in 2024: 23rd January and 18th June , both 12 noon

Enhancing equality, diversity and inclusion in BBSRC-funded networks

Funds are available to provide peer support, networking and related activities for your members who identify as being part of a group currently under-represented within your network.

• Total fund: £400,000
• Collaboration and partnership between networks, communities and other organisations, such as the learned societies, is encouraged.
• Deadline-  25th June 2024

Chief Scientist Office (CSO) Response Mode schemes

All applications to the this scheme are assessed by one of two research advisory committees:

Translational Clinical Studies Research Committee

The Committee considers applications for research aimed at improving treatments and / or diagnostic approaches for conditions of clinical importance to the population of Scotland.

Health Improvement, Protection and Services Research Committee

The Committee considers applications for research aimed at improving or protecting population health or improving the quality, safety and/or effectiveness of healthcare in Scotland.

Deadline:  28th June 2024

Una Europa Seed Funding Call 2024

Una Europa Seed Funding aims to kick-start collaboration between alliance partner universities and 'plant a seed' that can eventually attract external funding. Open to all disciplines, the 2024 Call emphasises the empowerment of early-career researchers. 

• Seed Funding project teams must involve academics from at least four Una Europa universities.
• The value of funding available varies according to how many universities are involved; a team of 4 partners can apply for up to 18,000 euros.
• Deadline:  28th June 2024 , 5pm (Central European summer time)

IBRO meeting support

The IBRO Meetings Support program supports funding requests from symposia, short courses, workshops, and meeting organizers on important topics in neuroscience.

• Application dates: 1st July – 31st August, 2024
• For eligibility and application requirements, please visit the website.

Medical Research Scotland Early Career Researchers Awards

These grants are available to help recently appointed Early Career Researchers further develop their own independent programme of research. They can be used for new research projects, critical pilot studies, critical replications, proof-of-concept work or to supplement other research programmes, whether funded by other grants or not.

• Eligibility: Early Career Researchers who have started a recently-awarded independent research position and have received other funding, as principal investigator, to start their own independent research programme. Please review further eligibility details on the website.
• The maximum value of each award is 20,000
• Deadline:  4th July 2024, 12 noon

Brain Research UK Fellowship schemes

Applications are invited for Post-doctoral fellowships and Clinical PhD fellowships from candidates seeking to conduct their own independent research, focused on on one of Brain Research UK's three research themes: headache and facial pain, neuro-oncology, and acquired brain and spinal cord injury.

• Research proposals must be based on either: 1) Pre-clinical or clinical research driven by a mechanistic hypothesis and demonstrating a clear pathway to translation; or 2) The development of a biological model of disease that enhances one of the three research themes and facilitates translation. 
• Post-doctoral fellowships will be for three-years, or part-time equivalent, with a maximum value of £300,000, including salary and research costs.
• Clinical PhD fellowships will be for a minimum of two and maximum of four years, with a maximum value of £300,000, including salary, fees and research costs.  
• Deadline:  Tuesday 10th September 2024

MRC Career Development Awards

This scheme supports talented researchers to become an independent researcher in a medical research field. To be eligible, applicants must have a PhD or equivalent, show evidence of career progression, and show clear plans for developing as a leader in your area of research

• MRC will fund the lead applicant's salary and project costs for up to five years.  
• Next round will open in July 2024 and close on 11th September 2024
• Please ensure you have discussed your plans with the the Head of the host department (Centre or School) as early as possible.

Pre-announcement: Faraday Discovery Fellowships, Royal Society

These Fellowships, supported through a £250m fund from the Department of Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT), are large, investigator-led grants awarded to a single Principal Investigator to enable them to establish an outstanding team of researchers to address challenging research questions. Applicants can apply for up to a maximum of £8 million over ten years, with the aim of providing long-term, stable funding to give the most talented “mid-career researchers” the time and freedom to tackle “difficult and intractable research problems”.   

The Faraday Discovery Fellowships does not operate thematic priorities, and will consider applications from all areas of the Royal Society remit .

• The scheme is scheduled to open on 14th August and the outline application deadline will be 2nd October 2024.
• Given the scale and length of this support, and the relatively small number to be awarded across the UK, it is likely this will be highly competitive. 
• There will be an internal selection process prior to the two-stage application to the Royal Society. Please look out for information about this if you are interested in applying.

For further funding opportunities, please explore the ERO Funding Calendar . ERO have also put together a new SharePoint page on major funding bids and a toolkit for targeting these.

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Register of Charities - The Charity Commission BRAIN RESEARCH TRUST

Activities - how the charity spends its money

Brain Research UK (the working name of Brain Research Trust) promotes and supports basic and clinical research into neurological disease which affects one in five people in the UK. We fund ground-breaking research at UK-wide centres of excellence for scientific research into neurological diseases and conditions. The financial information below reflects 18 month activity.

Income and expenditure

Data for financial year ending 31 March 2023

Total income: £3,197,000

Total expenditure: £3,005,000.

£109,000 investments gains (losses)

Total income includes £682,000 from 2 government grant(s)

Charitable expenditure

Charitable expenditure with investment gains.

Some charities generate all, or a substantial part, of their income from investments which may have been donated to the charity as endowment or set aside by the charity from its own resources in the past. Such investments usually take the form of stocks and shares but may include other assets, such as property, that are capable of generating income and/or capital growth.

In managing their spending and investments charities need to strike a balance between the needs of future and current beneficiaries. They also need to take account of spending commitments that may stretch over a number of future years. To do this, charities will normally adopt an investment strategy designed to generate both income and capital growth. To maximise returns trustees may commit to investment strategies for several years.

Investments can experience large swings in value so trustees may, in a particular year, decide to realise and spend part of their charity’s capital or to invest part of its income.

By clicking the investment gains checkbox the charitable spending bar is adjusted to take account of capital growth as well as income. This shows the balance the charity is striking, between spending on current beneficiaries and retaining resources for future beneficiaries.

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8 Trustee(s)

Employees with total benefits over £60,000

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Stroke Helpline

Monday to Friday: 9 am to 5 pm

Saturday: 10 am to 1 pm

Sunday: Closed

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• Professionals

Stroke Association Project Grant

Applications must be submitted to our online award management system.

The Stroke Association wishes to fund project grants which clearly address priorities for stroke research within the top ten topics from the James Lind Alliance (JLA) 2021 Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) for either prevention and acute care, or rehabilitation and long-term care. We are also looking for applications in childhood stroke that fall under the priorities of the Childhood Neurological Disabilities PSP Top 10 . We seek applications for projects costing up to £270,000 which can be completed over an approximately three-year period.

Stroke Priority Setting Partnership: Shaping stroke research to rebuild lives

2. background.

There has been encouraging progress in stroke care driven by research over the last three decades, yet stroke remains a leading cause of death and complex disability. Through research, we can improve treatment and care where people affected by stroke need it most. It will also tackle the need to reduce the impact of stroke on health and social services, and wider society. We know that uncertainties within the evidence base act as a roadblock to reducing the devastating effects of stroke. In order to prioritise these research uncertainties, The JLA PSP for stroke, led by the Stroke Association, brought stroke survivors and carers together with professionals across the stroke pathway, including GPs, neurologists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists. Together, they submitted and prioritised almost 4,000 questions about stroke in adults. This process has given us two lists of 10 priority areas: the first in prevention and acute care, and the second in rehabilitation and long-term care, ranked in order of importance.

The scope of the Stroke PSP only included adults and not paediatric stroke. However, in 2022 the British Paediatric Neurology Association completed a JLA Childhood Neurological Disabilities PSP. This set the Top Ten UK research priorities in childhood neurological disorders, including stroke. There is only a limited amount of childhood stroke research underway, therefore we wish to promote research in paediatric stroke in this call.

Stroke Association/Health and Care Research Wales Partnership Award

While all applications from Wales are encouraged and will be assessed on their own merits, under our partnership with Health and Care Research Wales, we expect to jointly fund at least one application from Wales through this call, subject to the quality threshold for funding being met.

3. Scope of Funding

We wish to fund research with a clear pathway to impact and focus on benefits to people affected by stroke for up to three years in duration. In order to be eligible, the pathway leading to impact upon one or more of the Top 10 PSP priorities (either Stroke or Childhood Neurological Disabilities) must be clearly and specifically demonstrated. In most cases, we expect a clear plan for further funding from national research funding bodies to build the evidence base following this research leading to effective implementation into the healthcare system to benefit stroke survivors.

We are seeking robustly designed projects which have been developed by a multi-disciplinary team consisting of relevant expertise and informed by people affected by stroke. Applications from teams who do not have the full range of relevant multidisciplinary expertise are unlikely to be competitive. We expect applicants who are developing or testing complex interventions, such as those used for rehabilitation, to closely follow the MRC and NIHR framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions.

The project may or may not include a clinical trial, depending upon the research question being addressed. The types of research we a looking to fund in this call can be found in Appendix A of the project grant guidance document. It is expected that applicants will consider value for money when considering the costs of the research in relation to the methods, and request funding up to £270,000 accordingly.

4. Proposed areas of interest

Read about the 2021 JLA PSP for Stroke topic areas .

Read about the 2022 JLA PSP for Childhood Neurological Disorders . Any applications addressing one or more of these priorities must have a clear link to stroke prevention, treatment or care.

5. Award amount and duration

These awards are for up to £270,000, over a period of up to 3 years.

6. Deadline

Project Grant applications will be adjudicated using a two-stage process.

Deadline for applications

Stage 1: 21 August 2023

Stage 2: 8 December 2023

• Project Grant Guidance Document
• Project Grant Conditions of Award

7. Patient and Public Involvement (PPI)

We define involvement according to NIHR , "as an active partnership between patients, carers and members of the public with researchers that influences and shapes research."

We expect that all applicants will have involved people affected by stroke in the planning and development stages of their funding application and explain how they will embed involvement in their work going forward, should the application be successful.

This involvement should be meaningful, and people affected by stroke should have a real opportunity to contribute to research. We expect stage one applications to clearly explain the purpose of involvement related to the research proposal, who will be involved and at what stages of the research. Find out more about how we can help you to involve people affected by stroke in your work or contact Dan Taylor, Research Involvement Lead at [email protected].

8. Eligibility

- Primary organisation:

Stroke Association Awards must be carried out at Universities, NHS Trusts, Statutory Social Care Organisations or other Research Institutions within Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Your application's primary organisation should be the place where the award will be based. Usually, this refers to the organisation which holds the Lead applicant's employment contract and will administer invoicing for the award.

- Lead Applicant:

The Lead applicant must be a senior researcher holding a PhD (or equivalent) with a track record of managing grants, delivering research studies and a strong publication record. Peer reviewers will judge the expertise and suitability of the applicant and co-applicant team.

The salary of the Lead applicant has to be guaranteed for the duration of the proposed programme. Therefore, the Lead applicant's salary cannot be requested in the budget.

- Co-Lead Applicant:

A Co-Lead applicant option is available, although not compulsory. A Co-lead is someone with the research knowledge/experience to lead a grant, but with limited or no experience of leading a research team. The Co-lead will have managed their own research awards, and have a minimum of five years' research experience post-PhD.

For the full eligibility criteria, please see the guidance document.

9. Adjudication

The application process is in two stages, and will be administered via our online grant management system. For more details on the application and adjudication process, please see the guidance document.

Applications must be submitted to our online award management system .

To begin an application, please create an account. If you have previously interacted with us, then your email address may already be in the system. If you find that this is the case and you cannot remember your password, please click on 'Login' and 'Forgot password?' The system will then email you instructions to set yourself a password.

After you have logged in, please click on 'Application Portal' at the top of the page, then select which award you would like to start an application for, from the 'Click here to start an application' search bar in the blue panel on this page.

Our online award management system should work on all major browsers, such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge, but we would not recommend using Internet Explorer below version 9.

If you have any issues with the system or have any feedback, please email us at [email protected] or call 020 7566 1543.

Please note: The Project Grant Stage 1 Application form will only become available on the opening date.

11. Our Adjudication

Members of the Research Awards Pool will be chosen based on the expertise required on adjudication panels. To avoid conflicts of interest, any RAP member applying for funding in any of our funding rounds will take no part in the adjudication of that round. All RAP members sign up to our RAP Code of Practice. All applications are sent out for external peer review, and all reviewers sign our Confidentiality and Conflicts of Interest Policy.

Please find below the members of the adjudication panels for our Project Grants:

Project Grant Panel Members 2022/23

Prevention and Acute Care Panel:

Adrian Parry-Jones Elizabeth Warburton John Potter Chris Price Tim England Arshad Majid Else Charlotte Sandset Bruno Frenguelli Will Whiteley Derrick Bennett Stephen Morris

Rehabilitation and Long-term care panel:

Catherine Sackley Jacqui Morris Rachel Stockley Unni Sveen Stephanie Rossit Heidi Feld Clare Gordon Angie Logan Amanda Farrin Jenny Hewison Andy Vail

If you are a stroke research expert and would like to register your interest in becoming a member of our Research Awards Pool, please email us at [email protected].

12. Success rates for Project Grants

Details on the number of applications received and the number funded for this funding stream in previous rounds:

- Project Grants Success Rates

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Research opportunities in brain cancers

Brain tumour survival remains low, and has changed little in over a generation. That's why we've made brain tumours a strategic priority as one of our four "cancers of unmet need".

We're boosting our investment into brain tumours, and we expect to spend around £25 million over the next five years on ring-fenced, targeted initiatives. We aim to expand our research portfolio across the research pipeline, and in all types of brain tumours, whether paediatric or adult.

Our strategy and priorities

We want to support the research that will make a real difference to people with brain tumours.

To achieve our ambitions, we’re building a dynamic, multidisciplinary research community through training, recruitment and by helping people shift their focus to brain tumour research. We’re also developing infrastructure to support hubs of expertise and innovation.

We’ve identified six big themes in brain tumour research which, if addressed, could significantly accelerate progress for patients. If you have ideas for tackling these challenges, we’d love to talk to you about making them a reality.

Funding opportunities

We have a broad portfolio of funding schemes to cater for research across the pipeline and researchers at all career levels. Brain tumours are a priority for all our funding committees, and our Research Funding Managers can help you identify funding that meets your needs and guide you through your application.

View all funding opportunities

Our infrastructure

Our extensive network of infrastructure provides state-of-the-art facilities, resources and platforms to support your research.

Brain Tumour Centres of Excellence

We've established two new Brain Tumour Centres of Excellence to build capacity and create hubs of expertise that can drive progress in this hard-to-treat area.

The CRUK Children's Brain Tumour Centre of Excellence  will create a hub of expertise and drive progress in paediatric brain cancers. Led by Professor Richard Gilbertson at the University of Cambridge and Professor Paul Workman at The Institute of Cancer Research in London, the centre is uniting teams across the research pipeline at the two locations. It has a particular focus on drug discovery for paediatric tumours, drawing on the strengths of the CRUK Cancer Therapeutics Unit at the ICR.

A second Brain Tumour Centre of Excellence has now been confirmed, bringing together researchers from the University of Edinburgh and University College London, led by Professors Margaret Frame and Tariq Enver respectively. The new centre will tackle both childhood and adult brain tumours.

Discovery research institutes

Our four research institutes provide an exceptional environment for discovery research. They include London's Francis Crick Institute, where cancer researchers collaborate with basic scientists in a variety of fields, including neuroscience and developmental biology.

Translational research centres

Our centres drive translational research collaborations at 14 locations. Our centres in Cambridge, Edinburgh, The Institute of Cancer Research and University College London have particular strengths in brain tumour research.

Clinical research

Our Experimental Cancer Medicines Centres provide a unique service supporting drug development and early-phase clinical research.

Our Clinical Trials Units are experts in designing and managing innovative and complex studies across all treatment modalities and trial phases.

We also embrace the opportunities created by working closely with the UK's National Health Service, including access to cutting-edge clinical facilities such as proton beam.

Our portfolio

We fund the best research from the best researchers, across the translational pipeline and the breadth of brain tumour types. The case studies below provide a taste of the kinds of projects and programmes that we currently support.

Building a career in brain tumour research: Dr Noor Gammoh

Noor talked to us about moving to the UK, developing her research on brain tumours, and building her research group with a CRUK Career Development Fellowship.

Building new models to study glioblastoma: Prof Steven Pollard

Steve tells us how his interest in stem cells led him into cancer research, and how a CRUK Senior Cancer Research Fellowship and the environment created by the CRUK Edinburgh Centre are helping him realise his research ambitions.

Finding the genes that drive childhood brain tumours: Prof Chris Jones

Chris tells us why he's passionate that paediatric brain tumour research is ripe with new opportunities, and the progress that his group at The Institute of Cancer Research is making with CRUK Programme funding.

Richard Gilbertson: Coming home to the UK

In 2015, Richard Gilbertson returned to the UK to lead the CRUK Major Centre at Cambridge after 15 years at St Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis.

Simona Parrinello: making a career in brain tumour research

Simona talked to us about how her Programme Foundation Award is helping her realise her ambitions for brain tumour research.

Improving radiotherapy for brain cancers

A Q&A with Dr Ross Carruthers on DNA damage response mechanisms in glioblastoma, and why these cancers are particularly resistant to radiotherapy.

Revealing brain tumours’ secret ally

Dr Dirk Sieger's team at the University of Edinburgh use a zebrafish live imaging model to reveal how glioblastoma cells interact with their environment.

Creating the molecular catalogue of glioma

Dr Steven Pollard's team at the CRUK Edinburgh Centre is using funding from our Accelerator Award to catalogue patient samples and reveal the genetic and molecular diversity of glioma.

Using gene editing to study brain tumour development

Dr Steven Pollard's team at the University of Edinburgh is using CRISPR to reveal how glioblastomas grow, and look for potential targets for new therapies.

Our Research Funding teams are here to advise on how we can help you advance your research, whether you're looking for grant funding, an expert collaborator, commercialisation opportunities or other support.

The Centres and Institutes Team

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Durham research project could find better treatments for depression and anxiety

• Research news

Dr Marco Bocchio, from our Department of Psychology, has received a funding award of £124,000 as part of a new project aiming to uncover new insights into the human brain.

The research could lead to better treatments for conditions such as depression and anxiety.

The funding, given by the Academy of Medical Sciences, will allow Marco to begin to explore how serotonin, the hormone that controls a person’s mood, can affect the brain’s ability to change and adapt.

This process, known as neuroplasticity, is what helps support some of the brain’s vital functions such as learning and memory as well as helping with the recovery from psychiatric conditions .

Releasing serotonin and measuring neuroplasticity

A technique known as optogenetics will be used where the neurons can be controlled with light to trigger a release of serotonin.

Electrical activity will also be used in two parts of the brain to assess if this release causes neuroplasticity.

Supporting recovery from psychiatric conditions

If this proves to be the case, then it could lead to more selective treatments being used for psychiatric conditions.

Marco’s funding success is a part of the Academy of Medical Sciences Springboard scheme with 54 researchers from 37 institutions receiving a share of £6.6 million.

All recipients will benefit from the Academy’s mentoring opportunities and career development programmes. 

Find out more:

• Find out more about the work of Dr Marco Bocchio .
• Read more about the Academy of Medical Sciences Springboard scheme .

Our Department of Psychology prides itself on being a collegiate and welcoming department, committed to success for all who work here. Through dedicated teaching sessions, an optional placement module, external speakers and even an employability retreat – we actively prepare students for working life.  

We are proud to be ranked in the Top 10 Psychology departments in the UK by The Complete University Guide 2022 and in the World Top 100 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023.    

Feeling inspired? Visit our Psychology webpage s to learn more about our postgraduate and undergraduate programmes.  

Durham University is a top 100 world university. In the QS World University Rankings 2024, we were ranked 78th globally.  

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Expression of interest: UK Gut-Immunology-Brain Axis Network+: Stage 1, leadership team (Grant)

Apply to lead or co-lead an interdisciplinary gut-immunology-brain axis research and innovation network+ You must: • be based at a research organisation eligible for BBSRC funding • meet individual eligibility requirements Funding of up to £5 million across four years will support one network

• Opening date : 23 April 2024, 9:00am
• Closing date : 14 May 2024, 4:00pm

Get updates about this grant

Eligibility, how to apply, supporting information.

Apply to express an interest to either lead or be part of the leadership team of a network+ to support an interdisciplinary gut-immunology-brain axis (GIBA) research and innovation community in the UK.

As a member of the network leadership team, you are expected to:

submit a network proposal to Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) in consultation with the wider GIBA research community

take responsibility for setting direction, maintaining focus and momentum of the network

have the appropriate leadership and management skills (appropriate to career stage) to deliver the network, drive interdisciplinary inclusion and develop others

BBSRC will fund one interdisciplinary GIBA research and innovation Network+ and is seeking to establish a leadership team to lead this network.

The leadership team will consist of a maximum of five people and will include:

one UK project lead, who will act as the network director

maximum of four UK-based project co-leads, one of whom will act as co-director to assist the network director in the leadership of the network, and at least one of whom should be an early-career researcher

Before submitting an expression of interest for the GIBA network leadership team, check the  Eligibility of your organisation .

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has introduced new role types for funding opportunities being run on the new UKRI Funding Service.

For full details, visit  Eligibility as an individual .

Who is eligible to apply

To be eligible to apply to lead or co-lead this network you must:

be UK based and be a researcher employed by an eligible research organisation

submit an expression of interest to be involved in the network leadership team (see ‘How to apply’ section below)

demonstrate that they will direct and manage the network effectively and be actively engaged in the work

Early career researchers, researcher co-leads, facility managers and research technical professionals who will play a significant role in technical or intellectual direction of the network are encouraged to apply to be project co-leads as long as they meet the eligibility criteria.

Early career researchers

For the purposes of this funding opportunity, an academic early career researcher is an individual who has yet to achieve independence, having not established their own research group. Non-academic early career researchers are those who consider themselves early career and occupy a non-senior role.

There are no eligibility rules based on years of postdoctoral experience. Early career researchers can hold a lecturer appointment, a junior fellowship, or be in another research staff position.

Email  [email protected]  for eligibility queries.

Who is not eligible to apply

project co-leads (international)

project co-leads from business or the third sector

Applicants who are not based at eligible UK institutions are not eligible to apply for this funding opportunity but can be project partners in the network.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers.

We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes:

career breaks

support for people with caring responsibilities

flexible working

alternative working patterns

Find out more about  equality, diversity and inclusion at UKRI .

The aim of this funding opportunity is to establish a single interdisciplinary network to bring the UK research and innovation community together to:

advance the understanding of the mechanisms of the gut-immunology-brain axis (GIBA) across the life course

convene and create networking and other collaborative opportunities and facilitate a range of activities in support of this goal

This funding opportunity will be a two-stage process:

stage one aims to establish a leadership team to lead the GIBA network+

stage two aims to provide funding to the GIBA leadership team to develop and lead the GIBA network+ and associated activities

The gut-immunology-brain axis (GIBA) is a complex network of direct and indirect bidirectional communication routes involving multiple biological systems and signalling pathways such as neural, endocrine, metabolic and immune pathways.The GIBA is an emerging area of research with potential to improve physical, cognitive and mental health across the life course. However, many of the biological mechanisms underpinning the GIBA, and how it is modulated by lifestyle and other factors, are not well understood.In March 2023, BBSRC held a community building workshop to explore the opportunities, challenges and the research and innovation needs to advance understanding of the GIBA and to inform future activities. The recommendations from this workshop have helped to inform this network opportunity.  Read the workshop report (PDF, 2MB) .Through this network+ investment we expect the network to:

facilitate networking, new collaborations and knowledge exchange across disciplines and sectors

generate mechanistic understanding of the bi-directional communication pathways within the GIBA to improve health across the life course

build research capacity and interdisciplinary capability

deliver tangible outputs (for example, publications synthesising existing evidence, framework for future activity, mapping the UK landscape in GIBA, research and innovation gap analysis, stakeholder engagement plan and novel research proposals)

have a diverse and inclusive membership across disciplines, sectors and career stages and be geographically distributed across the UK

What we will fund

Leadership team.

We are seeking to establish a leadership team for the network to:

submit a network proposal to BBSRC in consultation with the wider GIBA research community

have the appropriate leadership and management skills (appropriate to career stage) to deliver the network and to drive interdisciplinary inclusion and develop others

contribute to developing a positive research environment and wider community

develop a baseline understanding of the relevant GIBA research base in the UK

take the lead in generating and identifying opportunities for coordination of GIBA activities and outputs to ensure overall delivery of the network vision and dissemination of emerging knowledge and best practice

ensure maximum impact of the network through developing a clear and effective proactive framework for engagement with stakeholders, other networks and strategic investments

be fully accountable for effective use of own time and network resources

ensure that targets and objectives are met and the outputs are communicated to BBSRC, key stakeholders, committees, advisory groups and researchers

be responsible for monitoring and evaluating network activities including annual and mid-term reporting to BBSRC

The network leadership team will be supported by a network manager (full or part-time) who will be responsible for activities such as:

the day-to-day network management

event coordination

website development for the network

Network events

Costs for supporting and facilitating network meetings and events, mobility funding and pump priming activities can be requested. Further details will be provided when the full network application funding opportunity opens.

The duration of the network is four years.

Eligible Costs

Salaries and support costs.

The project lead (director of the network) and project co-leads will be able to request funds to cover their salary costs at 80% of full economic cost (FEC) for the time spent directing and managing the network. However, it is envisaged that staff costs will not form the majority of costs of the proposal and be reasonable.Salary costs for a network manager (full or part-time) will also be supported.Further details will be provided when the full network application funding opportunity opens.

Assessment process

The funding opportunity is a two-stage process:

Stage one: expression of interest for the GIBA network+ leadership team

this is aimed to identify the network lead (director) and co-leads

Stage two: GIBA network+ full proposal (invite only)

this will be a closed opportunity, only the successful lead (director) will be eligible to apply to develop and lead the GIBA network+ with the leadership team. The application deadline will be 17 September 2024. If successful, the network grant will start in January 2025

Expression of interests for the network leadership team will be assessed via panel only assessment.

We will invite an interdisciplinary panel of experts to use the evidence provided to assess the quality of your expression of interest for the network leadership team and score it against the specified scoring criteria for this opportunity. The panel will also:

shortlist and conduct interviews for the project lead (network director) applicants only (we anticipate interviews to be held the weeks commencing 24 June 2024)

following the interview stage for the network director, make a leadership team recommendation to BBSRC

BBSRC will make the final decision on the network leadership team appointments in consultation with the successful network director and the chair of the panel. Where appropriate, BBSRC expects multiple research organisations and regional diversity will be represented within the network leadership team, as well as diversity across skills, expertise and career stage to deliver a successful network.

Applications that do not clearly address the assessment criteria will be rejected.

BBSRC reserves the right to modify the assessment process as needed.

Principles of assessment

We support the San Francisco  declaration on research assessment  and recognise the relationship between research assessment and research integrity.

Find out about the  UKRI principles of assessment and decision making .

Assessment areas

The assessment areas we will use are:

project lead (director) applicants only: demonstrate a clear vision, leadership qualities and approach for the network and how it will help to advance understanding and grow interdisciplinary capability in GIBA research in the UK

co-lead applicants only: demonstrate clear aims and ambitions for the network and evidence of collaboratively working to support the network director and the delivery the network to advance understanding and grow interdisciplinary capability in GIBA research in the UK

For all applicants:

relevant experience in leading or being involved in a network, networking activities or interdisciplinary research consortia

understanding or experience of working at the interface between academia, industry and other relevant BBSRC stakeholders, as well as awareness of end user and developer perspectives

knowledge of equality, diversity and inclusion activities being undertaken in research and innovation across the UK and internationally, and a demonstrated commitment to making progress on equality, diversity and inclusion issues, with experience of improving outcomes

be able to commit the necessary time and attention to the network and to have the full support or the necessary permission of your employer

Webinar for potential applicants

We will hold a webinar on 2 May 2024 at 10:30am UK time. This will provide more information about the opportunity and a chance to ask questions.

Register in advance for the webinar.

Click here to start application on the UKRI Funding Service https://engagementhub.ukri.org/bbsrc-bioscienceintegratedunderstandingofhealth/giba-expression-of-interest

The expression of interest to either lead the network or be part of the leadership team is mandatory. Only the successful leadership team will be invited to develop the Network+ bid.

You must submit an expression of interest to BBSRC via  the UK Research and Innovation Engagement Hub .

The closing date is 14 May 2024 at 4.00pm

You will not be able to apply after this time.

To ask any questions you may have about the role, email  [email protected]

The expression of interest form for the network leadership team contains the following sections:

personal information (for example, name, organisation and contact details)

free text sections, including:

 personal statement: why you wish to be on the network leadership team, what you bring to the network (maximum 500 words)

for the project lead only:

 vision for the GIBA network+ and approach for successful delivery including what qualities you anticipate in your leadership team (experts and experience)

(maximum 750 words)

for the co-leads only:

how you will work in the co-lead role to support the network director’s vision and successful delivery of the network

what you would want this network to achieve

in addition, the following information is requested from all applicants:

short description of your research expertise and how this knowledge applies to GIBA research (maximum 300 words)

knowledge or experience of working at the interface between academia, industry, government and other relevant BBSRC stakeholders (maximum 300 words)

knowledge or experience of improving equality, diversity and inclusion outcomes (maximum 250 words)

level of commitment to the network and potential in-kind contributions (maximum 250 words)

If you have any queries or additional needs to enable you to complete the application form, email  [email protected]

Full network application stage (invitation only)

Following successful completion of the leadership application process, the project lead (network director) will be invited to submit a full network application. Full details on how to apply will be published when the full application funding opportunity opens. We will run this funding opportunity on the new UKRI Funding Service. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system.

Personal data

Processing personal data.

BBSRC, as part of UKRI, will need to collect some personal information to manage your Funding Service account and the registration of your funding applications. We will handle personal data in line with UK data protection legislation and manage it securely. For more information, including how to exercise your rights, read our  privacy notice .

Supporting documents

Report of BBSRC GIBA Workshop March 2023 (PDF, 2MB)

Get help with your application

Contact details.

For help and advice on writing your expression of interest for the GIBA network+ leadership team please contact  [email protected]

Sensitive information

If you need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, please include information in the email to:  [email protected]

Include in the subject line: [GIBA network expression of interest; sensitive information]

Typical examples of confidential information include:

individual is unavailable until a certain date (for example due to parental leave)

declaration of interest

additional information about eligibility to apply that would not be appropriately shared in the expression of interest form

conflict of interest for UKRI to consider in reviewer or panel participant selection

For information about how UKRI handles personal data, read  UKRI’s privacy notice .

The Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies ® (BRAIN) Initiative

Funding Opportunities

Explore Our Research

Latest News

Latest from The BRAIN Blog

The BRAIN Blog covers updates and announcements on BRAIN Initiative research, events, and news. 

Hear from BRAIN Initiative trainees, learn about new scientific advancements, and find out about recent funding opportunities by visiting The BRAIN Blog.

Photo and Video Contest

The 2024 BRAIN Initiative Photo and Video contest is now open!

Show us your beautiful, creative, and inspiring brains.

10th Annual BRAIN Initiative Conference

June 16, 2024 : Early career investigator evening event

June 17 –18, 2024 : Plenary talks, posters, symposia sessions, and more

Location: Rockville, MD and online

Director's Corner

NIH BRAIN Initiative Director Dr. John Ngai discusses the impact of BRAIN-funded research and the importance of innovation and technology in revolutionizing our understanding of the human brain.  In his Director's Corner, you'll find insights on BRAIN-funded studies, news stories of interest, and multimedia highlights. 

Funding opportunity: Knowledge transfer partnerships (KTP): 2024 to 2025 round two

See the  full opportunity details on the Innovation Funding Service .

UK registered academic institutions, research and technology organisations (RTOs) or Catapults can apply for a share of up to £9 million to fund innovation projects with businesses or not for profits.

Eligibility summary

To lead a project your organisation must:

• be a UK registered higher education or further education institution, RTO or Catapult
• collaborate with a UK registered business, eligible public sector organisation, charity or charitable business with two or more full time employees

The business must contribute to the project’s costs.

This is the website for UKRI: our seven research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Let us know if you have feedback or would like to help improve our online products and services .

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Four talented Utrecht researchers go to foreign institutions with Rubicon grant

Laureates at the faculty of veterinary medicine, umc utrecht and hubrecht institute.

Four Utrecht-based researchers who have recently received their PhDs can do their research at institutes abroad thanks to a Rubicon grant from NWO. The grant is awarded to  Kyra Defourny (Faculty of Veterinary Medicine), D.S.H. Andel (UMC Utrecht), Jeroen Bugter (UMC Utrecht) and Antonio Tomasso (Hubrecht Institute).

For many researchers, experience abroad is an important step in their career. The Rubicon programme gives young, highly promising researchers the opportunity to gain international research experience at an institute that offers the best environment for their research. In total, seventeen Rubicon grants were awarded. 

Projects and laureates

A better understanding of the flu: how can influenza virus affect your brain, kyra defourny  (uu), 24 months to vib center for inflammation research.

Airway infections with viruses such as Influenza and SARS-CoV-2 can result in acute and chronic neurological symptoms and promote development of neurodegenerative disease. To explain these phenomena, this project will investigate if membrane vesicles produced by cells infected with Influenza enter the brain and affect both brain and lung function.

The cancer pedigree: unraveling how colorectal cancer spreads to the peritoneum

D.s.h. andel (umc utrecht), 12 months to harvard medical school.

Metastases to the peritoneum are associated with a poor prognosis, but the mechanisms by which peritoneal metastases arise are largely unknown. In this project, the researcher will reconstruct the life history of colorectal cancer cells that have spread to the peritoneum and identify the molecular characteristics of metastasizing cells.

Mapping determinants of phenotypic plasticity and diversity in colorectal cancer

Jeroen bugter (umc utrecht), 24 months to technische universität münchen.

Understanding shape-shifting cancer cells - Cancer cells possess the clever ability to change identity during metastasis to different organs or to evade therapy. The researcher aims to systematically disable tumour cell genes to identify those responsible for shape-shifting. Herein the researcher leverages unique genetic technologies that were developed in Munich. This study may reveal targets for novel therapies.

Molecular and cellular determinants of the perivascular niche-to-wound fibroblasts transition in skin fibrosis via multi-omics and spatial biology

Antonio tomasso (hubrecht institute), 24 months to stanford university.

Every wound leaves a mark, but why scars linger remains a mystery. In the exploration of the enigmatic world of fibroblasts – the cellular architects – the researchers are determined to unveil the secrets of organ fibrosis and rewrite the healing script by targeting specific fibroblast types to promote scarless tissue repair.

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Utrecht University Heidelberglaan 8 3584 CS Utrecht The Netherlands Tel. +31 (0)30 253 35 50

Our research projects

We fund research to reduce the impact of neurological conditions, to help people live better, longer. We fund projects and PhD studentships under our three priority themes: brain tumours, acquired brain and spinal cord injury, and headache and facial pain.

Delivering a new combination therapy for glioblastoma

Mitochondrial dna dysfunction in parkinson's disease, pain signalling in migraine, the role of the immune response in traumatic brain injury, can boosting brainwaves aid repair of neonatal brain injury, using immune cells to enhance brain repair after stroke, targeting the heat shock response in als, improving speech recovery after stroke, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, regeneration and recovery after spinal cord injury, understanding differences in recovery from stroke, a new approach to treatment of migraine, restoring function after spinal cord injury via axonal regeneration, overcoming treatment resistance in glioblastoma, a gene therapy approach to enhance recovery after stroke, targeting the cancer stem cells in glioblastoma, optimising brain stimulation to help recovery from stroke, understanding the genetics of cluster headache, motor neurone disease: understanding the mechanisms, tracking progression of dementia using brain imaging  , alzheimer's disease: interaction of genes and environment, brain research uk chair of neurosurgery, optimising deep brain stimulation using mri, the graeme watts laboratory for research in mnd.