Apply for and cost research grants

All research needs to be fully funded and peer-reviewed to ensure the study is high quality and value for money. There are various funding sources; for example the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), local and national charities, and UK research councils.

Please read our Developing and designing your study SOP, which includes details of what help and support is available to write grant applications. See also Methodological support and local collaborators.

In the NHS we encourage people to apply for NIHR funding when possible since these grants attract Research Capability Funding, which UHBW can use to re-invest in research. We recognise that less experienced researchers will need to apply for smaller grants first, such as national charities or local funding.

Read about priorities for supporting grants.

If you are new to research see our Guidance for new researchers

Costing research in the NHS

Before starting any research you need to check that you have sufficient funds to cover the work. Reviewers (internal or external) will evaluate the need for the research, its feasibility and methodology, and value for money. For research funded by the NIHR and larger charities this will be done externally.  For other funders, you sponsor will arrange for peer review.

Costing clinical research can be complex - there are different categories of cost: "research", "support", and "treatment". Advice on costing research is available from the R&D department grants team. Contact research.grants@uhbw.nhs.uk

Please make sure you contact us with plenty of notice so we can help you meet your deadlines. 

Process for costing and approving research grants at UHBW.