Retina UK Project Grants and PhD Studentship Open for Applications

Retina UK is inviting applications for the 2024/25 round of its Project Grants and PhD Studentship, to support reseachers in the UK working in the fields of retinal and inherited macular dystrophies.

The Project Grants are up to £300,000 over a maximum period of three years to support research aligned with the Retina UK objective of increasing scientific understanding of retinal dystrophies, including Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) and associated syndromes – prioritising research that shows promise for progressing the development of treatment strategies or slowing down the advancement of sight loss. Projects eligible for support include basic laboratory research to investigate disease mechanisms, preclinical studies in animal and cell models and genotyping and phenotypic investigation of patient populations as a prelude to clinical trials.

Applicants should be established researchers who have a track record of obtaining funding from other sources and are recognised amongst their peers for their research. Funding is generally for research based in the UK, however consideration will be given to projects based outside the UK if they are deemed exceptional and demonstrate meaningful collaboration with UK-based researchers.

Retina UK favours projects that address research questions identified by the ‘Sight Loss and Vision Priority Setting Partnership (SLVPSP) Priorities for Inherited Retinal Diseases’ and projects that attempt to stimulate and trigger new areas of work.

The Retina UK PhD Studentship, co-funded by the Macular Society, offers funding of up to £120,000 over three years to support a PhD research project on inherited macular dystrophies. The studentship will fund a stipend, tuition fees and research costs.

For the Project Grant, a preliminary application must be submitted by the deadline on 11 October 2024. A full application will be invited from selected applicants.

For the PhD Studentship, a full application (no preliminary application is required) must be submitted by the deadline on 6 January 2025.