People look for research funding opportunities for a variety of reasons and this page provides a list of opportunities from charities and UK Government agencies that are open to nurse or midwife researcher applications. You'll see awards to apply for a research project; attend a conference; and help with the cost of post-registration study, such as studentships and fellowships. The RCN Foundation has various scholarships, bursaries and grants, and should be your first port of call. It's fair to say that there will always be more people searching for research funding than there is research funding to give, so knowing where to look is an important first step.
Research funding opportunities
Finding research funding
Please note, closing dates and awards are subject to change, and particularly so at the present time.
March 2021
- 1 Mar. Healthcare infection Society - small research grants, Mike Emmerson young investigator award, Graham Ayliffe training fellowship
- 1 Mar. General Nursing Council for England and Wales Trust - grants
- 5 Mar. Burdett Trust for Nursing - nurse-led improvement projects in digital health
- 10 Mar. Society for Endocrinology - travel grant
- 11 Mar. Cancer Research UK - prevention and population research programme awards
- 18 Mar. Health Education England/NIHR - ICA pre-doctoral clinical academic fellowship (PCAF) - round 4
- 24 Mar. Tenovus Scotland - small pilot grants (Grampian)
- 24 Mar. Society for Endocrinology - public engagement grant
- 25 Mar. Cancer Research UK - pre-doctoral research bursary
- 26 Mar. British Lymphology Society - lymphoedema research grant
- TBC. Breast Cancer Now - project grants
- TBC. Diabetes UK - Harry Keen intermediate clinical fellowship
- TBC. Alzheimer's Society - project grants, implementation grants, fellowships, PhD studentships
- TBC. The Brain Tumour Charity - quality of life awards (2020 awards under review)
- TBC (2022). The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute - PhD fellowships
April 2021
- 7 Apr. Stroke Association/MRC - joint clinical research training fellowships (pre and post doctoral)
- 7 Apr. Parkinson's UK/MRC - joint clinical research training fellowships (pre and post doctoral)
- 7 Apr. Fight for Sight/MRC - joint clinical research training fellowships (pre and post doctoral)
- 7 Apr. Multiple Sclerosis Society/MRC - joint clinical research training fellowships (pre and post doctoral)
- 7 Apr. Medical Research Council - clinical research training fellowship (pre and post doctoral)
- 7 Apr. Medical Research Council - clinician scientist fellowship
- 12 Apr. Guts UK - Dr Falk awards
- 21 Apr. Medical Research Council - career development award
- 21 Apr. Parkinson's UK/MRC - joint career development award
- 21 Apr. Multiple Sclerosis Society/MRC - joint career development award
- 28 Apr. British Heart Foundation - research training fellowships
- 28 Apr. British Heart Foundation - career development research fellowships
- 30 Apr. Tenovus Scotland - small pilot grants (Edinburgh)
- TBC. Multiple Sclerosis Society - grants
- TBC. Tenovus Cancer Care - iGrants
Apply anytime
- Barts Charity - healthcare delivery improvement grants
- British Geriatrics Society - nurses study grant
- Burdett Trust for Nursing - small grants programme
- Crohn's in Childhood Research Association - small grants
- Healthcare Infection Society - travel grants, pilot project grants
- The Urology Foundation - travel grants for nurses
UK Government funding
- England: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)
- Northern Ireland: Health and Social Care Research and Development (HSC)
- Scotland: Chief Scientist Office (CSO)
- Wales: Health and Care Research Wales (HCRW)
UK research councils
The UK's research councils invest around £3 billion each year into research.
Research and innovation bulletin
Keep up to date with all the latest developments in nursing research by signing up to the RCN’s fortnightly research and innovation bulletin.
May 2021
- 28 May. Barts Charity - seed grants for research
- 5 May. Society for Endocrinology - endocrine nurse grant
- 5 May. Society for Endocrinology - early career grant
- TBC. Prostate Cancer Research Centre - grant
- TBC. Dunhill Medical Trust - research project grants
- 26 May. Society for Endocrinology - meeting support grant
- TBC. Parkinson's UK - research involvement awards
- 31 May. The Urology Foundation - smaller research projects fund
- TBC. Resuscitation Council (UK) - research and development grants
- TBC. Alzheimer's Society - dissemination grants
- TBC. Cancer Research UK - Tobacco Advisory Group (TAG) project grants
- TBC. Yorkshire Cancer Research - research projects
June 2021
- TBC. Breast Cancer Now - PhD studentships
- TBC. Breast Cancer Now - project grants
- TBC. Healthcare Infection Society - career development bursary
- 1 Jun. Diabetes UK - early career small grants
- 1 Jun. Diabetes UK - project grants
- TBC. Versus Arthritis - foundation fellowships
- TBC. North West Cancer Research and Tenovus Cancer Care - PhD studentship
- 16 Jun. Wellcome - research fellowships for health professionals
- TBC. Tenovus Cancer Care - research strategy grants
- 30 Jun. The Dowager Countess Eleanor Peel Trust - Sir Robert Boyd fellowship
July 2021
- 2 Jul. Barts Charity - large project grants for research
- 19 Jul. UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network - themed research call (paediatric dermatology)
- 22 Jul. The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute - senior fellowships
- TBC. Health Education England/NIHR - integrated clinical academic (ICA) clinical lectureship (round 6)
- TBC. Health Education England/NIHR - integrated clinical academic (ICA) senior clinical lectureship (round 6)
- TBC. Health Education England/NIHR - integrated clinical academic (ICA) clinical doctoral research fellowship
- TBC. NIHR - advanced fellowships
- TBC. Cancer Research UK - prevention and population research project awards
August 2021
- 1 Aug. British Scoliosis Research Foundation - grants
- 11 Aug. Society for Endocrinology - travel grant
- TBC. NIHR - doctoral fellowship
- TBC. Wellbeing of Women/NIHR - joint doctoral fellowship
- TBC. British Lymphology Society - lymphoedema research grant
- TBC. Northern Ireland Chest, Heart & Stroke - scientific research grants
- TBC. Alzheimer's Society - dissemination grants
September 2021
- 1 Sep. Diabetes UK - PhD studentship
- 1 Sep. Healthcare Infection Society - career development bursary
- 1 Sep. Healthcare infection Society - major research grants, small research grants
- 1 Sep. Medical Research Council - clinical research training fellowships (pre and post doctoral)
- 1 Sep. Stroke Association/MRC - joint clinical research training fellowships (pre and post doctoral)
- 1 Sep. Parkinson's UK/MRC - joint clinical research training fellowships (pre and post doctoral)
- 1 Sep. Fight for Sight/MRC - joint clinical research training fellowships (pre and post doctoral)
- 1 Sep. Multiple Sclerosis Society/MRC - joint clinical research training fellowships (pre and post doctoral)
- 1 Sep. Medical Research Council - clinician scientist fellowships
- 1 Sep. Versus Arthritis/MRC - joint clinician scientist fellowships
- 12 Sep. Barts Charity - seed grants for research
- 15 Sep. Tenovus Scotland - small pilot grants (Strathclyde)
- 15 Sep. Medical Research Council - career development award
- 15 Sep. Parkinson's UK/MRC - joint career development award
- 15 Sep. Multiple Sclerosis Society/MRC - joint career development award
- TBC. Cancer Research UK - pre-doctoral research bursary
- 22 Sep. Society for Endocrinology - public engagement grant
- TBC. Parkinson's UK - research involvement awards
- TBC. Versus Arthritis - PhD scholarships
- TBC. Crohn's and Colitis UK - research awards
- TBC. Alzheimer's Society - multiple grants, fellowships and studentships
- TBC. The Brain Tumour Charity - quality of life awards
- TBC. Wellbeing of Women - entry-level research scholarships, research training fellowships, postdoctoral research fellowships
- TBC. Winston Churchill Memorial Trust - travelling fellowships
- TBC. Action Medical Research for Children - research training fellowship
- TBC. Versus Arthritis - senior research fellowships and career development fellowships
October 2021
- TBC. Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Research and Development - doctoral fellowship award
- TBC. RCN Foundation - education grants
- TBC. British Heart Foundation - research training fellowships
- TBC. British Heart Foundation - career development research fellowships
- 27 Oct. Society for Endocrinology - meeting support grant
- 30 Oct. Diabetes UK- Sir George Alberti research training fellowship
- 30 Oct. Diabetes UK- RD Lawrence fellowship
- TBC. The Urology Foundation- smaller research projects fund
- TBC. Tenovus Scotland - small research grants (Tayside)
- TBC. Stroke Association - lectureships
- TBC. UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network - nurse fellowship
November 2021
- 2 Nov. Barts Charity - seed grants for research
- TBC. Fulbright Commission - postgraduate student awards
- 10 Nov. Society for Endocrinology - endocrine nurse grant
- 10 Nov. Society for Endocrinology - early career grant
- TBC. NIHR - research professorships
- TBC. Stroke Association - postgraduate fellowships
- TBC. Stroke Association - postdoctoral fellowships
- TBC. Commonwealth Fund - Harkness fellowships in health care policy and practice (postponed)
- TBC. Cancer Research UK - population research postdoctoral fellowship
- TBC. Kidney Research UK - allied health professional fellowship (open to nurses)
- TBC. Action Medical Research for Children - project grant
- TBC. Health and Care Research Wales - health research fellowship award
- TBC. Alzheimer's Society - dissemination grants (postponed)
December 2021
- 1 Dec. Diabetes UK - project grants
- 1 Dec. Diabetes UK - early career small grants
- 1 Dec. Society for Endocrinology - travel grant
- TBC. Psoriasis Association - PhD studentship, small grants
- TBC. The Novo Nordisk UK Research Foundation - grant (diabetes)
- TBC. The Novo Nordisk UK Research Foundation - research fellowship in clinical diabetes
- TBC. Parkinson's UK - research involvement awards
- TBC. Sands (Stillbirth and neonatal death charity) - research funding (postponed)
- TBC. Marie Curie - research grants (on hold)
January 2022
- TBC. Florence Nightingale Foundation - scholarships
- TBC. Wellcome - research fellowships for health professionals
- TBC. Medical Research Council - clinical research training fellowship (pre and post doctoral)
- TBC. Stroke Association/MRC - joint clinical research training fellowships (pre and post doctoral)
- TBC. Parkinson's UK/MRC - joint clinical research training fellowships (pre and post doctoral)
- TBC. Fight for Sight/MRC - joint clinical research training fellowships (pre and post doctoral)
- TBC. Multiple Sclerosis Society/MRC - joint clinical research training fellowships (pre and post doctoral)
- TBC. Medical Research Council - clinician scientist fellowship
- TBC. NIHR - doctoral fellowship (round 5)
- TBC. British Scoliosis Research Foundation - grants
- TBC. Healthcare Infection Society - early career award
- TBC. Dunhill Medical Trust - research project grants
- TBC. Abbeyfield Research Foundation - PhD studentships, small project grants, pump-priming grants
- TBC. Health and Care Research Wales - health PhD studentship
February 2022
- TBC. Healthcare Infection Society - career development bursary
- TBC. The Novo Nordisk UK Research Foundation - Fund (diabetes)
- TBC. Parkinson's UK - project grants
- TBC. Barts Charity - large project grants for research
- TBC. Versus Arthritis - clinical research fellowship
- TBC. Barts Charity - seed grants for research
- TBC. Tenovus Scotland - small pilot grants (Strathclyde)
- TBC. Stroke Association - project grants
- TBC. Versus Arthritis - nurse and allied health professional internship scheme
- TBC. Wellbeing of Women - research grants
- TBC. Dunhill Medical Trust - research training fellowship
- TBC. Alzheimer's Society - dissemination grants
