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.)