Parkinson’s UK is a charitable organisation that provides a range of support measures and research funding to achieve its aim of finding a cure and improving the quality of life for everyone affected by Parkinson’s disease.

The charity has provided advance information regarding the 2026 application opening and deadline dates for four of its grant programmes. For all schemes, there is a two-stage application process consisting of a mandatory pre-proposal followed by an invited full application.

The Drug Accelerator Awards aim to accelerate and drive forward the development of novel drugs for the treatment of Parkinson’s. It is hoped that the initiative will provide researchers with the opportunity to generate essential data and help bridge the gaps needed to get their projects/compounds ready to enter full scale drug discovery with an industry partner or the Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech (the drug discovery and development arm of Parkinson’s UK).

Application is open to academics based at UK universities, NHS trusts, other UK research institutions and small biotech companies (the latter may be based outside the UK). The principal applicant must have a permanent contract (honorary contract for clinicians) within their institution or must hold a senior position in a biotech company.

The maximum award amount is £150,000 for a duration of 12 to 18 months. For projects involving in vivo work, an award amount of up to £200,000 will be considered.

Pre-proposals must be submitted by the deadlines of 13 January 2026 (16:00) and 3 September 2026 (16:00). The pre-proposal form is available on the online application system three months prior to the deadline.

Funding is provided through the Grants for Non-Drug Approaches scheme to support research into non-drug approaches (eg physiotherapy, aids/devices and lifestyle changes) that will play a vital part in helping people living with Parkinson’s manage their daily challenges. There are numerous methods, including non-drug approaches, to manage the ongoing issues and challenges of life with Parkinson’s. At some stages of the condition, non-drug approaches are of equal or greater importance than pharmacological treatment.

Application is open to UK universities, NHS trusts, statutory social care organisations and other research institutions. Principal applicants should hold employment or honorary (if a clinical academic) contracts with the UK host institution that extend beyond the period of the grant.

Grants of up to £200,000 are available for up to two years.

A virtual Zoom workshop will take place on 30 January 2026 (10:00 to 12:00) to provide further information for potential applicants and give them the opportunity to hear from people living with Parkinson’s about their daily challenges. Prior registration is required to attend.

Pre-proposal applications must be submitted by the deadline of 5 May 2026 (16:00). The pre-proposal form is available on the online application system three months prior to the deadline.

Project Grants aim to help tackle major Parkinson’s research challenges with groundbreaking studies that investigate complex problems. The grants support research projects aiming to answer a single question or small group of related questions, focused on finding new and better treatments for Parkinson’s. Applications are welcomed from researchers working across all fields of Parkinson’s research.

The scheme is open to UK universities, NHS trusts, statutory social care organisations and other research institutions. Principal applicants should hold employment or honorary (if a clinical academic) contracts with the host institution that extend beyond the period of the grant.

There is no fixed minimum or maximum value for project grants, however, the cost of applications is usually up to £400,000 and the average amount awarded is £260,000. Funding can last for a maximum of three years.

A Zoom workshop will take place on 16 October 2025 (10:00 to 11:30) to enable applicants to learn more about how to apply for a grant. Advance registration is required to attend.

Pre-proposal applications must be submitted by the deadline of 7 January 2026 (16:00). The pre-proposal form will be available on the online application system from October 2025.

Funding is provided through the Senior Research Fellowships scheme to support outstanding scientists who wish to specialise in Parkinson’s research by establishing their own independent research group.

The scheme is open to researchers who possess a strong track record of original and productive research in their area, which demonstrates impact across past appointments (typically at least one previous postdoctoral appointment). They should be based at a UK university, NHS Trust, statutory social care organisation or other UK research institution.

Grants of up to £300,000 are available for up to three years.

Slides and a recording of a previous online workshop are available via email.