14 October 2020
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has announced “Programme Grants for Applied Research - Competition 34” and as part of this there is a highlight notice for brain tumour applications. For absolute clarity, below we quote directly from the NIHR website:
“This call supports the report of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Task and Finish Working Group on Brain Tumour Research. It encourages collaborative applications that demonstrate how they build on recent initiatives and investment in the area made by the NIHR, the Medical Research Council (MRC) and other research funders.
“Research could involve any aspect of the diagnosis, treatment, support or care of patients with brain tumours, including access to or the delivery of services. Research methods may involve primary research or evidence synthesis, including systematic reviews, modelling studies or the analysis of existing datasets.
“Proposals should clearly identify the research context of their proposal in terms of recent and currently funded UK and international research in the area and the potential impact of their proposed research for patients, carers and the NHS.”
The NIHR is a United Kingdom government agency which funds research into health and care. It is the largest national clinical research funder in Europe with a budget of over £1 billion in 2015-16.
In 2018, when the report of the DHSC Task and Finish Working Group on Brain Tumour Research was published and Dame Tessa Jowell sadly died from her brain tumour, the Government committed to £40 million investment into brain tumour research to be allocated through the NIHR.
At the July 2020 meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Brain Tumours (APPGBT) we learnt that, at best, only £6 million of the promised Government money had been allocated. We are nonetheless encouraged by this highlight notice demonstrating, as it does that brain tumours are an ongoing research priority.
To access the grant application, please follow this link: https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/programme-grants-for-applied-research-competition-34/25693
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