Apply for funding

You can check to see if we are open to applications here, as well as find detailed guidance on how to apply.

We know that there’s a huge amount to do, so we need to prioritise.  We will be focusing on some key themes for support for our current plan period (which you can find in our Strategic Framework 2025-2030). Our periodic detailed calls for proposals, which will focus on one or more of these themes, will be appearing in the Open calls and deadlines section below. Please check it regularly, or make sure you’re signed up to receive updates or following us on social media. The call information will detail the available funding mechanisms (e.g. project grants, studentships, fellowships).

Please check out our FAQs for general information, guidance and other information such as success rates from previously advertised schemes.

View FAQs

Open calls and deadlines

We publish our current funding opportunities and application deadlines here. Please note that we also leave details of calls where the deadline for application has passed here, so that you can check the timetable for decision and award.

Vivensa Academy Excellence Awards

If your browser doesn’t open the drop-down boxes below, you can view a PDF of the information here. You can also read the detailed call guidelines here.

The 2025/26 Excellence Awards are now open. Once you have read the guidelines for the awards, you can start your nomination on our online Grants Management Portal. The deadline for nominations is 5pm on 31st October 2025.

Building on the success of the Rising Star and Senior Leader awards, we are committed to further strengthening the key values of the Vivensa Foundation and the Academy by recognising and emphasising that ageing-related activities are a ‘multi-disciplinary team sport’. Therefore, we want to celebrate those working collaboratively in multidisciplinary and/or multi-professional teams from academia, health and care settings and/or the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector with a new ‘Team Achievement’ award.

Members of the Vivensa Academy may self-nominate or nominate another member, and explain in the nomination form how they have:

  • Demonstrated excellence in their ageing-related field.
  • Influenced ageing-related policy and/or practice at a local, regional, national and/or international level. In line with the Foundation’s other awards, no hierarchy is applied based on the geographic and/or systemic scale of the policy and/or activity.
  • Demonstrated a commitment to capacity building and/or mentoring in ageing-related field, and contributed to a positive working culture.
  • Promoted the meaningful involvement / engagement of older people.
  • Promoted equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in ageing-related work.
  • Demonstrated an understanding of the environmental impact of their work and ways in which this could be reduced.
  • Worked in multidisciplinary and/or multi-professional teams from academia, health and care settings and/or the VCSE sector to address the needs of older adults. This can include developing and nurturing working relationships, built on openness and shared learning between different disciplines, professions, sectors and/or organisations.

We recognise that some of the above criteria may be more challenging for some depending on the context and/or research area. What matters most is how nominations acknowledge and address any challenges, and how progress has been made by leveraging available resources and opportunities.

According to the Vivensa Foundation’s resubmission policy, an unsuccessful nomination from a previous award round can re-apply once to the same award, but must entirely amend any previously submitted unsuccessful nominations prior to submission (i.e. duplicate submissions, sections of the form and/or letters will not be eligible). Previous winners are not eligible to hold multiple awards concurrently and/or be nominated for the same award again.However, past ‘Rising Star’ awardees may be nominated for the ‘Senior Leader’ award if they subsequently fit the criteria for the award.

Current ‘Rising Star’ and ‘Senior Leader’ award-holders are not eligible to be nominated as the team lead / representative for the ‘Team Achievement’ award. However, they may be included as members of the wider team, provided their subsidiary role and/or contribution are clearly articulated in the nomination form. Past recipients of the ‘Rising Star’ or ‘Senior Leader’ awards are eligible to be nominated as a team lead / representative, provided their awards are no longer active and they meet all other eligibility criteria for the award.

For guidance on what made a good nomination you can read the previous years feedback, 2024 feedback and 2025 feedback.

Following each round of the Excellence Awards, the awardees are announced at the Foundation’s Annual Symposium. Learn more about our past award-winners by reading their spotlight stories linked below:

  • Rising Star Award:
    • 2024 winner – Dr Jenni Burton (University of Glasgow)
    • 2025 winner – Dr Toby Ellmers (Imperial College London)
  • Senior Leader Award:
    • 2024 winner – Professor Ilaria Bellantuono (University of Sheffield)
    • 2025 winner – Professor Vicki Goodwin (University of Exeter)

Three awards of £40k per year for three years (£120k in total per award) will be made to recognise:

  • An early to mid-career ‘Rising Star’ in ageing-related research.
  • A ‘Senior Leader’ in ageing-related research.
  • A significant ageing-related ‘Team Achievement’ accomplished for the first time within the last five years.

The awards are intended to be flexible and can be used to support ageing-related research activities and/or career development – some examples of how the funds can be used are provided in Section 2.3 of the award guidelines.

The deadline for nominations is 5pm on 31st October 2025.

Following panel review and shortlisting, shortlisted nominees will be invited to attend an interview on 12th or 14th January 2026. See Section 3 of the award guidelines for full details of the nomination process and timeline.

If successful, award-holders will be invited to attend and speak at the formal announcement of the award at the Foundation’s 2026 Annual Symposium event. Award-holders will also be expected to participate, from time to time, in Academy training or other activities, for example panel review within their areas of expertise. Full details of the nomination process and timeline are provided in Section 3 of the award guidelines.

You can download the correct PDF template nomination form from our website:

Please note, however that these PDF versions are only provided for planning purposes – only nominations made before the deadline via the online Grants Management Portal will be accepted.

These awards are open exclusively to members of the Vivensa Academy and once you have read the guidelines for the awards, you can start your nomination on our online Grants Management Portal:

The deadline for nominations is 5pm on 31st October 2025.

If you wish to join the Vivensa Academy, you can apply here.

Academy Ignition Fund

If your browser doesn’t open the dropdown boxes below, you can view the detailed call guidelines here.

For our next round (September deadline) we would particularly welcome applications related to community engagement.

The available fund for financial year 2025/26 is £200k. UK members of the Vivensa Academy are able to apply for up to £5k for a clearly defined activity or series of activities which:

  • are linked to the aims of the Vivensa Academy and/or one or more of our key priorities for research, as set out in our strategic framework;
  • considers relevant aspects of our key principles for research which are:
    • involvement, engagement and creating real impact;
    • capacity building and career/professional development;
    • equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).

Community Organisations  – We welcome applications from community organisation working with older people. The Ignition Fund in conjunction with the Academy Capability Development resources for community organisations can be used to help you with the development of your organisation.  These resources help community organisations to develop capacity, resilience, effectiveness and strategy.   

The funds can be combined with other sources of funding or be used as seed funding.

If you are successful in receiving an Ignition Fund award, then we will ask that you contribute to the development of the Academy by providing a short article or other resource which will be helpful to other Academy members.

To be eligible to apply, you must meet the following criteria:

AND

  • You must also be based at a UK university or other eligible research organisation. The charity has no specific geographical link and will consider applications from anywhere within the UK.

OR

  • Represent a Community Organisation working with older people

Only one application for an Ignition Fund award can be made per financial year[1], regardless of the outcome of that application.

[1] April to March each year

Applicants are asked to define the proposed activity and briefly outline the costs (maximum £5,000) with appropriate justification. The award is intended to be flexible, and some examples of how the funds could be used include, but are not limited to, the following:

Clinical and academic researchers:

  • Developing initiatives that connect researchers and community organisations, such as pre-funding relationship development.
  • Carrying out patient, carer and/or public involvement and engagement (PPIE)-related activities in advance of developing a research funding application (i.e. to test a research question has validity in the community, gain feedback from relevant stakeholders etc.).
  • Seed funding to foster industry collaborations.
  • Bringing a range of stakeholders together through initiatives such as the development of communities of practice or place-based hubs to drive evidence-based good practice and/or policy change.
  • Establishing local networks to develop leaders in ageing research through capacity building.
  • A short secondment of a researcher to a community organisation or company to work on a question with them/learn more about the sector/share skills and knowledge etc.
  • Developing hubs to promote community cohesiveness to tackle an issue such as health inequalities in coastal, rural or other under-served communities.
  • Facilitating visits to other laboratories or institutions to learn new techniques or to host visiting researchers from other institutions.
  • Developing new skills and knowledge through courses, workshops and conferences.
  • Developing transferable skills such as writing, presentations, social media, leadership or management skills.

Once awarded, the grant will be paid in full in advance. We will, however, require you to contribute to the development of the Academy by providing a short article or other resource which is useful to other members of the Academy to show how the funds have been used.

This fund will not cover the cost of Open Access fees. If you are a current or previous Vivensa Foundation grant holder and need help with Open Access fees for publications directly related to your Vivensa Foundation award, please contact grants@vivensafoundation.org.uk as we have an alternative arrangement for meeting this expenditure.

The fund cannot be used to fund or subsidise the costs of Masters or PhD degrees/projects/studentships.

Requests for conference costs will only be considered where you are presenting or contributing a poster. If you are a PhD student, you  may apply to cover such costs if you are in your final year of study.

If you are applying for seed funding  for a piece of research, please do  not include conference fees. There is a separate mechanism to support Vivensa Foundation awardees with such costs, details of which will be provided to you at the appropriate time.

Community Organisations:

Community Organisations:

  • Meeting with your local authority, commissioner or researchers to explain more about the work of your organisation;
  • Stakeholder engagement to demonstrate your impact or share best practice;
  • Focus groups with your beneficiaries to co-produce the services you offer;
  • Meetings to bring together other local organisations to collectively address a problem affecting older people.

Academy Capability Development resources for community organisations can be used to help you with the development of your organisation.  These resources help community organisations to develop capacity, resilience, effectiveness and strategy.

The application process will consist of the submission of an application form and review by the charity’s Grants Team.

Applications are open year-round and can be submitted at any time; however, completed and submitted applications will be considered by the assessment panel on the following dates:

DeadlinePanel assessment
5pm 6 June 2025Week commencing 23 June 2025
5pm 19 September 2025Week commencing 6 October 2025
5pm 5 December 2025Week commencing 15 December 2025
5pm 27 March 2026Week commencing 13 April 2026

We aim to advise you of the outcome within three weeks of the assessment panel meeting.

Only one application for an Ignition Fund award can be made per financial year, regardless of the outcome of that application

We will continue to advertise the call through our LinkedIn account and our Academy Newsletter. To join the Academy visit our website.

If you have any queries relating to the call, please email academy@vivensafoundation.org.uk and our Team will be able to assist you.

Once you have read our eligibility Q&A, the call guidelines and our Funding FAQs, you can start your application on our Grants Management Portal.

Public, Patient and Community Involvement and Engagement Awards

If your browser doesn’t open the drop-down boxes below, you can view the scheme details on the University of Exeter website.

Funded through the Vivensa Foundation Excellence Award for Senior Leadership, awarded to PenARC’s Professor Vicki Goodwin, this scheme supports early and mid-career researchers in the field of ageing or ageing-related diseases to develop inclusive and participatory research in the field of ageing.

Aims of the Scheme

  • Promote equity, diversity and inclusion through meaningful engagement with underrepresented or underserved groups.
  • Encourage early involvement of the public, patients and communities in shaping research ideas related to ageing and age-related conditions.

The proposed activity must:

  • Relate to public, patient or community engagement, or research inclusion.
  • Be connected to ageing or age-related diseases.
  • Have a clear purpose, e.g., informing a research grant or fellowship application
  • Funds cannot be used for research activities, training, or conference attendance.

Eligible costs include:

  • Payments to public contributors for their time
  • Venue hire and refreshments for engagement activities
  • Consumables for engagement events
  • Costs to support inclusion, such as interpreters, translation, carer support, internet or travel expenses
  • Dissemination activities focused on engaging under-served communities.

This is open exclusively to: 

  • Open to early and mid-career researchers who are members of the Vivensa Foundation Academy (membership is free – apply here).
  • Applicants must not have access to funding for engagement or inclusion through other grants or fellowships.
  • Researchers may be based in a university, NHS or local authority setting, anywhere in the UK.
  • Award amount: £500 per successful application
  • Application period: September 2025 – August 2026
  • Eligibility: Early and mid-career researchers in the field of ageing or age-related diseases
  • Applications open year-round, with review panels meeting quarterly.

Once awarded, the full £500 grant will be transferred to your host organisation in advance. You’ll need to provide finance contact details to facilitate this.

  • 30th September 2025 (5pm)
  • 9th January 2026 (5pm)
  • 31th March 2026 (5pm)
  • 30th June 2026 (5pm)


You’ll be notified of the outcome within one month of each deadline. Please note that successful applicants may not apply again.

For further information, guidance and to apply see the University of Exeter website.

For queries or further information, please contact: vivensa@exeter.ac.uk.

Conference Awards for Ageing Research

If your browser doesn’t open the drop-down boxes below, you can view the scheme details on the University of Exeter website.

Funded through the Vivensa Foundation Excellence Award for Senior Leadership, awarded to PenARC’s Professor Vicki Goodwin, this scheme supports Allied Health Professionals, nurses and pharmacists who are actively involved in ageing-related research and wish to disseminate their findings at national or international conferences.

Aims of the Scheme

  • to support early career researchers who do not have access to conference funds through existing grants or fellowships.

Eligible costs and activities

  • Conference fee
  • Travel to and from the conference including standard class public transport, economy flights or mileage
  • Accommodation at the conference

Funding can only be used for attending the specific conference outlined in your application, and not for other dissemination activities.

This is open exclusively to: 

  • The award is open exclusively to early career Allied Health Professionals, nurses and pharmacists working in the field of ageing or age-related diseases and who are members of
    the Vivensa Foundation Academy. You can easily apply to become a member at no cost (see here for details on applying).
  • Applicants must be early career researchers who do not have access to conference funds through existing grants or fellowships.
  • Applicants can be based at a university, in the NHS, local authority or social care organisation anywhere within the UK.
  • Applicants must have submitted a research abstract to a conference as the lead/first author. Service evaluation and quality improvement project abstracts are not eligible.
  • Up to £1,000 for UK conferences
  • Up to £3,000 for international conferences

Funding can be used to cover conference registration fees, travel (standard class/economy), and accommodation specifically related to the conference.

  • You may submit your funding application at the same time as your abstract submission. A provisional decision will normally be provided within approximately six weeks.


There is approximately £10,000 available for conference awards until June 2026. Once this money has been allocated, the call will be closed for further applications. However, it is likely that there will be further awards available in 2026-27 and 2027-28.

For the full call details including the call guidelines and links to the application form please visit the University of Exeter website.

For further information, guidance and to apply see the University of Exeter website.

For queries or further information, please contact: vivensa@exeter.ac.uk.

UKAgeNet Discipline Hopping Awards 2025

If your browser doesn’t open the drop-down boxes below, you can view the scheme details on the UKAgeNet website.

Now open to PhD & Post Doctoral Researchers!

Are you a PhD student or Post Doctoral Researcher who works in the field of ageing or age related diseases?

Would you like to enhance your career with an interdisciplinary research project in a new discipline and at a new Institution?

If you are, we would be very interested in hearing from you. This funding call could be for you!

Bursaries of up to £5,000 each for PhD and £10,000 for Post doctoral researchers to support them in the field of ageing and age-related diseases to train in a new discipline and promote interdisciplinarity across researchers based in institutions who are part of UKAgeNet (see list of Institutions) or are members of the Vivensa Foundation (you can become an academy member of the Vivensa Foundation, by registering here).

The proposed project can be an extension of an existing project of work, a new interdisciplinary angle or a new project. Involvement of the supervisors/line manager is an advantage, but not essential, provided there is a letter of support.

Discipline hopping is defined as traversing the Biological/Biomedical to the Social Sciences, or vice versa, or hopping from academia to policy making institutions (see eligibility criteria below). 

Example of a recent successful Discipline Hopping Award can be found here.

This is open exclusively to: 

PhD students or Post Doctoral Researchers who works in the field of ageing or age related diseases and are based in a founding member institution  of UKAgeNet OR are a Vivensa Foundation Academy member. We have approx 70 Institutions across the country that are members of UKAgeNet. To check if your institute is a member of UKAgeNet and to see which other institutes are UKAgeNet members (and therefore you could potentially ‘hop’ to!) have a look at this list.

The proposed project can be an extension of an existing project of work, a new interdisciplinary angle or a new project. Involvement of the supervisors/line manager is an advantage, but not essential, provided there is a letter of support.

Discipline hopping is defined as traversing the Biological/Biomedical to the Social Sciences, or vice versa, or hopping from academia to policy making institutions (see eligibility criteria below). 

If you would like to discuss your project Prof Ilaria Bellantuono is holding open door sessions on 16th September and 14th October 2025. To book a slot in, please book here.

Professor Ilaria Bellantuono and the successful applicant from the last Discipline Hopping Award will be holding a webinar on 21st July ‘25, 14:00 – 15:00 to provide support with the application process and to answer any questions. If you would like to join the webinar, please email ukagenet@sheffield.ac.uk to register your interest.

Bursaries of up to £5,000 each for PhD and £10,000 for Post doctoral researchers.

Funding covers only directly incurred costs and may be requested to support the following types of activities:

  • Extension to PhD studentship  or Post doctoral researcher salary for the specific purpose of completing the project output;
  • Travel and subsistence costs for the ECR discipline hopper
  • Consumables

UKAgeNet will help you access the funding.

  • 1st July 2025 – Call opens / Launch to UKAgeNet Membership
  • 21st July 2025 – Webinar for applicants
  • 16th Sept & 14th Oct – ‘Open Door’ Sessions with Professor Ilaria Bellantuono
  • 3rd Nov 2025 – Call closes 
  • 14th Nov 2025 – Outcome to applicants 
  • 19th Jan 2026 – Exchanges can begin
  • 19th Jan 2027 – Exchanges must end
  • End of Jan 2027 – Report to share outcomes

Successful applicants will be informed by 14th November 2025 of the outcome of the applications.

Exchanges can begin from 19th Jan 2026, and so early conversations with the institution regarding the placement and potential contract extensions are essential.

All funds must be spent by 19th Jan 2027 – there are no opportunities for extensions. All successful applicants agree to participate in a concluding workshop and complete a case study report about their experiences.

For further information, guidance and to apply see the UKAgeNet website.

Feel free to email ukagenet@sheffield.ac.uk if you have any queries.

Starter Grants for Clinical Lecturers with the Academy of Medical Sciences

If your browser doesn’t open the drop-down boxes below, you can view the scheme details on the Academy of Medical Sciences website.

Clinical Lecturer posts provide a salary but often do not come with the funding to support the costs of research. This scheme is designed to help bridge this gap by providing Clinical Lecturers with access to research funds for up to two years.

As one of the supporters of the scheme, we’re looking for health and social care professionals to apply their knowledge and skills to improve the quality of life, functional capacity and well-being for older people now, or create the context for change to prevent, delay or reduce health and social care requirements for older people in the future.

The grants are intended as start-up funding and as such are not intended for applicants who have already obtained substantial funding through, for example, Clinician Scientist Fellowships, New Investigator Awards or large project grants.

The maximum grant available is £30,000. This can be spread over one to two years to contribute towards directly incurred research costs, including (but not limited to) consumables, access charges, access to data sets, essential software and licences, and equipment.

Grants cannot be used to pay for your personal salary costs or to employ research assistants, PhD students or postdoctoral staff. 

This scheme is targeted at those who are in the earlier years of their Clinical Lecturer appointment. You should not already have obtained substantial funding from other sources, for example a Clinician Scientist Fellowship, New Investigator Award or large project grant.

All eligible applicants must:

1.   Have a PhD or MD.

2.   Hold a medical, dental or veterinary undergraduate degree and be registered with the General Medical Council, General Dental Council or Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

3.   Hold a clinical contract at a UK institution.

If you are a clinician in human or dental medicine, you must also:

1.   Be a research-active Clinical Lecturer

2.   Hold a National Training Number (NTN) or NTN(A)

3.   Be within higher specialty training.

4.   Have undertaken a substantial period of research equivalent to a PhD or research MD, if you have qualified abroad with an MD.

5.   Note the following eligibility criteria relating to the timing of your Certificate of Completion (CCT):

  • Your CCT date must fall after your proposed project start date. The earliest possible project start date will be September of the same year (for rounds closing to applications in March) or March of the following year (for rounds closing to applications in September).
  • Clinical Lectureships in Primary Care and Dentistry are primarily awarded post-CCT and we welcome applications from these groups. However, for all other specialities candidates are not eligible to apply if they have already attained their CCT. 

Senior Clinical Lecturers and Clinical Psychologists are not eligible for this scheme.

The eligibility criteria for dentistry applicants are currently being reviewed. We would encourage you to get in contact with clinicallecturers@acmedsci.ac.uk if you would like to discuss your eligibility to the scheme.

If you are a clinician in veterinary medicine, you must be either:

1.   A research-active Veterinary Specialist in Training (Resident/Senior Clinical Training Scholar) within an approved Specialist Training Programme with secured and protected research time throughout the proposed project.

Or:

2.   A research-active Veterinary Clinician or Veterinary Pathologist with Veterinary Specialist Board qualification or eligibility and within the three-year (probationary) period of your first University appointment and with secured and protected research time throughout the proposed project. If your position is that of a Senior Lecturer but are still within the three-year probationary period then you are still eligible for this scheme.

The eligibility criteria for veterinary applicants are currently being reviewed. We would encourage you to get in contact with clinicallecturers@acmedsci.ac.uk if you would like to discuss your eligibility to the scheme.

Additional information:

The Academy recognises the challenges clinicians face when managing a clinical and a research career with family and caring commitments. During the review process, prior career breaks will be taken into account when evaluating a candidate’s research output and progress.

However, please note successful applicants cannot reapply and unsuccessful applicants are limited to one resubmission.

Please review the scheme FAQ document on the Academy’s webpage for full details on eligibility. Alternatively, please contact the grants team if you have any other queries about the scheme at clinicallecturers@acmedsci.ac.uk

The maximum grant available is £30,000. Starter Grant holders are also eligible for the Academy’s one-to-one mentoring scheme and are encouraged to contact the Academy regarding this.

The deadline for applications to round 34 of the scheme is 4 September 16.00 GMT. Application outcomes will be communicated by the Academy of Medical Sciences in late February 2026.

Round 35 is due to open to applications in January 2026 with a deadline for submission in March 2026.

We will provide any further information regarding the call on this webpage, as well as through our LinkedIn and Bluesky accounts and to our mailing list subscribers. To subscribe to receive news and updates from us, please add your details to the ‘Join our community’ section of our “Contact us” page. 

Please also feel free to email any queries relating to the call to clinicallecturers@acmedsci.ac.uk

Joint British Geriatrics Society / Vivensa Foundation Undergraduate Research Placement Scheme

If your browser doesn’t open the drop-down boxes below, you can view a PDF of the information here. You can also read the detailed call guidelines here.

We are delighted to be partnering with the British Geriatrics Society (BGS) on a new scheme which aims to increase opportunities for undergraduate students, from any discipline, to undertake ageing-related research.

The need for undergraduate students to engage in research has been highlighted by both the BGS, through its internal review of research capacity development, and our own analysis of a number of recently-published national reports* focused on the UK research and ageing landscape. We therefore hope that this Joint Undergraduate Research Placement Scheme will enable students to test and develop their interest in research at an early stage, and make them more competitive for future opportunities for a career in research.

* Academy of Medical Sciences: Future-proofing UK Health Research: a people-centred, coordinated approach
Nuffield Council on Bioethics: The future of ageing

Up to four centres / departments / institutes will be awarded funding to enable each to provide three undergraduate research placements. The placements will be a maximum duration of six weeks and can be structured flexibly – i.e. in a single block (full-time), or spread out over a longer period of time (part-time).

Within the application form, the applying centre / department / institute will be asked to asked to outline the broad topics of research for the placements. These must address at least one of the priority research themes highlighted on page 22 of the Vivensa Foundation’s 2025-2030 Strategic Framework. The placements could constitute a standalone research project, or form a distinct element of a wider / larger project.

Applications must demonstrate the host centre’s strategic commitment – either long-standing or emerging – to ageing-related research, as well as the active support / supervision, training and/or development opportunities that will be provided to the students. We are particularly keen to support proposals that can build capacity within under-served locations, centres, disciplines and/or student demographics.

Applications are welcomed from prospective supervisors within centres / departments / institutes at any UK university, or other eligible research organisation, with a strategic commitment to ageing-related research (this could either be an established or new / emerging strategic commitment).

Only one application will be accepted per centre / department / institute.

If successful, the lead applicant will become the lead for the research placement cohort and the main point-of-contact for the grant. Named supervisors must be prepared to commit sufficient time to ensure that the students supported via this scheme receive an appropriate grounding in the relevant research methods, as well as wider support / supervision.

Host centres / departments / institutes must have the appropriate capacity, research record and governance arrangements to ensure that the research placements will be carried out in an appropriate manner and in a supportive environment.

It will be the responsibility of host centres / departments / institutes to recruit students to the research placements, and applicants will be asked to describe how the students will be recruited within the application form. The students can come from any discipline – the scheme is not solely for undergraduate medical students and those completing healthcare-related degrees – and must be undertaking their undergraduate degrees for the duration of the placements.

The scheme will fund the full salaries / stipends / bursaries of the students, at the real Living Wage (£13.85 per hour within London; £12.60 per hour outside of London), for up to six weeks.

In addition, centres can apply for up to £1K per student (i.e. up to £3K in total) to be spent on other relevant costs to support the placements.

On this basis, the maximum amount* that can be applied for is as follows:

  • For centres / departments / institutes outside of London: £10,940
  • For centres / departments / institutes within London: £11,726

We welcome applications that can be part-funded by the host institution either financially** or in-kind through the provision of services, facilities etc.

Full details on eligible costs are provided in the call guidelines.

* Based on three students being funded for six weeks on a 35-hour working week.

** This may be internal funds, funding from industry or other charities etc.

  • Call open to applications: 27th May 2025
  • Deadline for applications: 24th July 2025 (5pm)
  • Eligibility checking and panel review: July – September 2025
  • Ratification of the panel’s funding recommendations: October 2025
  • Applicants informed of the outcome of their application: Late November 2025

Before applying, prospective applicants should complete the general eligibility Q&A on the Vivensa Foundation website. We also recommend that you read our general Funding FAQs.

To subscribe to receive news and updates from us, please add your details to the ‘Join our community’ section of our “Contact us” page. You can also follow us on LinkedIn and Bluesky.

If you have any queries relating to the call, please email grants@vivensafoundation.org.uk and our Grants Team will be able to assist you.

Applications are now closed.

Joint MRC / Vivensa Foundation predoctoral clinical research training fellowship

If your browser doesn’t open the drop-down boxes below, you can view the scheme details on the UKRI website.

We are collaborating with Medical Research Council (MRC) to jointly fund their predoctoral clinical research training fellowship scheme which provides registered healthcare professionals with funding to undertake a PhD.

Each year, up to one clinical research training fellowship will be awarded jointly by Vivensa Foundation and MRC.

You must:

  • be a registered healthcare professional
  • be at an appropriate point in your training to undertake a PhD
  • show plans to pursue a research career

The scheme will fund your salary and project costs for three years and will fund 100% of the justified costs.

This is an ongoing funding opportunity. Application rounds close every January, June and October.

The details above have been summarised from the guidance given to us by the MRC, so please do visit the UKRI website for the latest information regarding this opportunity.

In general, applications are welcomed from across all areas of MRC’s remit to improve human health.

This may range from basic studies with relevance to mechanisms of disease, to translational and developmental clinical research.

It is expected that your clinical work will help to inform and strengthen your research work.

MRC’s science areas include:

  • infections and immunity
  • molecular and cellular medicine
  • population and systems medicine
  • neurosciences and mental health
  • translation
  • global health
  • methodology
  • public health

Explore MRC’s areas of scientific remit.

To be considered for joint funding from Vivensa Foundation, applications must also address one or more of the priority research themes outlined on page 22 of our 2025-30 strategic framework.

Applications which include interdisciplinary approaches are welcomed.

You can apply if you’re a registered healthcare professional. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • nurses
  • midwives
  • allied health professionals
  • healthcare scientists
  • pharmacists
  • clinical psychologists
  • doctors
  • dentists
  • general practitioners
  • veterinarians

To be eligible for this funding opportunity you must:

  • be able to demonstrate ownership of your project and show ambition to follow a clinical academic career
  • be at an appropriate point in your clinical training to study for a PhD, with clear plans for completing your speciality training
  • want to request a minimum of 24 months funding full-time equivalent to complete your PhD
  • have the support of an eligible research organisation
  • intend to be clinically active during or after the award

You do not need to have registered for a PhD at the time of your fellowship application.
If you have spent more than one year on a PhD course in a full-time capacity, you must explain in your application why you are a suitable candidate.

If you have spent significantly more time than one year on your PhD course, your application will be considered only in exceptional circumstances.

You do not need to have held a position that includes formal research time, for example, an academic foundation or an academic clinical fellowship.

The details above have been summarised from the guidance given to us by the MRC, so please do visit the UKRI website for the latest information regarding eligibility.

This fellowship provides:

  • a salary appropriate to your level of training, up to but not including NHS consultant level
  • tuition fees at standard home student rate (set by the research organisation) or supervisors’ time
  • up to £25,000 each year to cover consumables, equipment and travel

Supervisor costs can only be requested if you are not requesting tuition fees, and are only supported in exceptional circumstances when well justified, the request should not exceed 5% of their time (or a total of 5% FTE across all supervisors if more than one).

Staff costs will only be funded in exceptional circumstances where the delivery of the project requires additional staff costs, these must be requested within the £25,000 each year limit.

You may be able to request extra funding for:

  • the cost of training at an overseas or second centre or industry placement
  • the purchase and maintenance cost of animals, excluding experimental costs, related consumables or project licences
  • the costs associated with healthy volunteer studies, where costs for patient studies would be met by local research delivery networks
  • the costs associated with an experimental intervention or challenge in humans and human medical imaging (such as magnetic resonance imaging), where costs cannot be met by local clinical research networks

Only these costs can be applied for above the £25,000 each year limit.

If you are requesting costs above the £25,000 each year limit you should be mindful of the scope and aims of the fellowship, with the proposed project demonstrating an appropriate level of ambition.

Funds will not be provided for:

  • estates and indirect costs
  • publication costs
  • costs for mentors

The details above have been summarised from the guidance given to us by the MRC, so please do visit the UKRI website for the latest information regarding eligible costs.

The timetable for applications submitted by January 2025 is as follows:

  • 23 October 2024 (9am) – the call is open to applications
  • 15 January 2025 (4pm) – deadline for application submission
  • 21 May 2025 – shortlisting decision meeting
  • 2 to 3 July 2025 – funding decision meeting
  • Applicants will be informed of funding decision within 10 working days of funding decision meeting.

The timetable for applications submitted by April 2025 is as follows:

  • 16 January 2025 (9am) – the call is open to applications
  • 9 April 2025 (4pm) – deadline for application submission
  • 1 October 2025 – shortlisting decision meeting
  • 13 to 14 November 2025 – funding decision meeting
  • Applicants will be informed of funding decision within 10 working days of funding decision meeting.

The timetable for applications submitted by September 2025 is as follows:

  • 11 June 2025 (9am) – the call is open to applications
  • 3 September 2025 (4pm) – deadline for application submission
  • February 2026 – shortlisting decision meeting
  • 18 to 19 March 2026 – funding decision meeting
  • Applicants will be informed of funding decision within 10 working days of funding decision meeting.

Future rounds of the scheme will be open to applications on the following dates:

  • 22 October 2025 to 14 January 2026
  • 15 January 2026 to 8 April 2026
  • The latest documentation relating to this call can be found on UKRI’s website

For further information and to apply, please see UKRI’s website.

Please email any queries relating to the scheme to MRC or if you have specific queries relating to joint funding by the Vivensa Foundation, feel free to contact grants@vivensafoundation.org.uk.

Early Career Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme

If your browser doesn’t open the drop-down boxes below, you can read the detailed call guidelines here.

As part of our 2025-30 strategic framework, we are committed to providing targeted support both to institutions which have demonstrated a long-term commitment to ageing-related research, but also to early career researchers, to ensure we continue to build and maintain research capacity in this important area. After the success of our 2024 pilot scheme, which was limited to those Departments / Centres that hold our Multiple PhD Studentship awards from the 2020 and 2022 rounds, we are now opening up the opportunity to all UK universities and eligible research organisations nationally.

The focus of the proposed research must address one or more of the following priority research themes outlined on page 22 of our 2025-30 strategic framework.

Please note that research with a specific focus on cancer will not be eligible for funding.

All proposals, regardless of topic, should be aligned with the Foundation’s key principles for research, in particular:

  • Patient, carer and/or public involvement (PPI) should be considered in all aspects of the proposed study and its development.
  • Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) should be considered in all aspects of the proposed study and its development.
  • A commitment to capacity-building and researcher career-development in ageing-related research during and beyond the lifetime of the proposed Fellowship – in line with our action plan in support of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers – should be demonstrated, with practical examples.

Where appropriate, proposals should demonstrate a multidisciplinary approach to the proposed research.

This scheme is for early career postdoctoral researchers who have up to three years’ post-doctoral research experience and have demonstrated excellence and a capacity for independent research. When considering research experience and eligibility, we will take into account any career breaks, parental leave and/or the impacts of COVID-19.

Please note that only one candidate per Department / Centre / Institute may apply. Applicants should discuss their application with the respective Head of Department / relevant authority prior to starting an application. If multiple candidates from a given Department / Centre / Institute wish to apply, it is expected that an inclusive internal selection process will be carried out and the most appropriate candidate put forward to apply.

Funding has been made available to support at least three awards of up to £350k, with a maximum duration of three years full-time (and up to six years part-time).

  • Call open to applications: Late May 2025
  • Deadline for applications: Friday 1st August 2025
  • Eligibility checking, peer, and panel review: August – December 2025
  • Interviews for shortlisted applicants: 20th January 2025
  • Shortlisted applicants notified of the outcome of their interview: Mid-March 2026

Before applying, prospective applicants should complete the general eligibility quiz on the Vivensa Foundation website. We also recommend that you read our general Funding FAQs.

To subscribe to receive news and updates from us, please add your details to the ‘Join our community’ section of our “Contact us” page. You can also follow us on LinkedIn and Bluesky.

If you have any queries relating to the call, please email us at grants@vivensafoundation.org.uk.

Once you have completed our general eligibility Q&A, read the call guidelines and our Funding FAQs, you can start your application on our Grants Management Portal.

Once you have read our eligibility Q&A, the call guidelines and our Funding FAQs, you can start your application on our Grants Management Portal.

Implementing evidence-based interventions that prevent, delay or reduce health and social care requirements for older adults in underserved communities

Please note that this information has been updated as of August 2025, in light of our new guidance regarding eligible costs.

If your browser doesn’t open the drop-down boxes below, you can also read an updated version of the call guidelines here.

Our recent analysis of the UK ageing-related research landscape identified that there are clear gaps in ageing-related research which focus specifically on preventative approaches. In particular, the Chief Medical Officer for England (CMO) highlighted the need for primary and secondary prevention measures in his 2023 annual report, “Health in an ageing society”. For example:

  • Primary prevention, which considers issues such as exercise, nutrition and obesity, as well as smoking, high levels of alcohol consumption and air pollution.
  • Secondary prevention which maximises the use of tools we already have, and extending / increasing the uptake of screening programmes and services.

The prevention of infections in older adults was also highlighted by the CMO, as was the fact that “the older population is becoming increasingly diverse”.

This approach aligns with the NHS Long Term Plan, which commits to supporting people to remain healthier for longer through more action on prevention and health inequalities, and is further highlighted by Lord Darzi’s recent “Independent investigation of the NHS in England”, which again emphasised the importance of prevention and early intervention. The review also highlighted significant disparities in both access to care and long-term health outcomes.

Through this call, we hope to bring these two important yet under-addressed areas together. Proposals must describe how the intervention(s) in question could directly prevent, delay or reduce health and/or social care requirements for older adults in underserved communities in the UK. This could include, but is not limited to, older people from ethnically diverse groups, the LGBTQIA+ community, lower socioeconomic backgrounds / communities and/or underserved geographic regions (including coastal and rural locations).

Full details of the call are provided in the call guidelines.

Mindful of the substantial number of interventions which have already been developed to prevent, delay or reduce health and social care requirements for older adults – many of which already have robust evidence of effectiveness – our aim for this funding call is to support proposals which seek to implement and evaluate existing evidence-based service / programme interventions at scale, to facilitate their longer-term adoption / commissioning in the UK.

All proposals must generate evidence on the economic impacts / implications / sustainability of the intervention(s), to help facilitate its longer-term adoption. This should be through a combination of health economic assessment and / or other evaluation methods, and proposals will need to justify the approach being taken. The approach being taken to generate this evidence / data must also be developed in collaboration with community partner(s) and /or  any commissioning bodies which aim to adopt the intervention(s) following the end of the programme (e.g. health commissioners, local authorities, housing providers or other third sector organisations etc.).

We welcome proposals focused on intervention(s) which could be implemented and adopted in a range of settings / contexts.

The work being proposed could therefore include:

  • Scaling-up an intervention(s) which has been evidenced in a clinical / experimental setting to evaluate its ‘real-world’ effectiveness.
  • Implementing and evaluating an intervention(s) in a new setting / region and/or understanding the contextual factors that impact its wider implementation.
  • Adapting and implementing an evidence-based intervention(s) for a new setting / population etc. and evaluating its effectiveness in this new context. In such cases, applicants will need to provide a clear case for how the intervention(s)’ existing evidence base supports its adaptation for the new setting / population.
  • Comparing and/or evaluating a variety of different implementation strategies for a given intervention(s).
  • A combination of the above.

By “robust evidence”, we typically mean evidence published in a peer reviewed journal demonstrating the effectiveness of an intervention(s) based on relevant clinical, health, social care and/or economic outcomes. In some cases, we may consider unpublished data / evidence of effectiveness, but this will need to be provided within the Expression of Interest application. Feasibility studies showing the acceptability of intervention(s) and/or the ability to recruit participants do not on their own constitute evidence of effectiveness. Similarly, interventions which only have small-scale / pilot data to support their effectiveness are unlikely to be suitable for this call.

We are particularly keen to support proposals that address the following areas, and intend to uplift those that address them at the expression of interest (EOI) stage:

  • Primary prevention: specifically focused on issues of nutrition, obesity, smoking and high levels of alcohol consumption in older adults in underserved communities.
  • Secondary prevention: increasing access to and/or maximising the uptake of screening programmes / services amongst older adults in underserved communities.
  • Preventing infections in older adults in underserved communities.

All proposals, regardless of the work being proposed, must outline clear and realistic plans for the longer-term sustainability of the intervention(s) following the funding and articulate how the proposed work will help to facilitate this.

In addition, all proposals should be aligned with the Foundation’s key values for research as detailed on page 12 of our 2025 – 2030 Strategic Framework.

The following are not considered eligible:

  • Newly developed interventions without existing evidence of effectiveness.
  • Drugs, medicines and other pharmacological treatments.
  • Interventions specifically focused on the care and/or treatment of cancer patients. Interventions which focus on other specific conditions and/or patient groups are eligible, as long as they are targeted at older people.
  • The purchase and distribution of standalone healthcare products, technologies, aids etc. that are not delivered as part of a wider service / programme.
  • A service / programme that has already been adopted or commissioned but requires continued funding.
  • Work taking place outside of the UK, or which is primarily of relevance to older people outside of the UK.

Full details of what we are expecting proposals to demonstrate, and the eligibility / assessment criteria, are provided in the call guidelines.

Principal Investigators (lead applicants) must be based at a UK university or other eligible research organisation (the lead instituition), which can include NHS bodies with research capacity. Lead applicants from local authorities may be eligible to apply if there is suitable research infrastructure in place – please contact us directly if you are unsure or would like to discuss this further. In all cases, lead institutions will be bound by the Vivensa Foundation Terms and Conditions for Research. The Foundation has no specific geographical link and will consider applications from anywhere within the UK.

If you are the Principal Investigator on a current / active grant from the Foundation, or a Co-applicant on more than one current / active grant from us, then you may not be eligible to apply to this funding call – please contact us directly if you are unsure or would like to discuss this further.

More than one application may be submitted from the same lead institution. However, please note that the same individual cannot be the lead applicant on more than one application to the call. In addition, in the unlikely situation that the same individual(s) and/or organisation(s) is / are involved in more than one successful application, we will need assurance that they can contribute fully to each programme.

Given the focus of the call, applications must include appropriate commissioning / adopter partners (i.e. organisations which could support the longer-term adoption of the intervention(s) following the end of the work), and those with relevant health economics expertise (or similar), within the proposed team.

We encourage proposals with co-applicants and collaborators both from within and beyond academia. This includes people with lived experience of issues relevant to the proposal, as well as community organisations, providers of health and social care services and industry / commercial partners. There are no restrictions on the number of individuals / organisations within the proposed team.

In addition, where appropriate, we actively encourage multidisciplinary and multi-professional teams and, whilst the work being proposed must take place within the UK, contributions from international collaborators are permitted where clearly justified.

We plan to allocate £3M to the call, although more may be available if we receive enough applications of a suitably high quality. Applicants can apply for up to £1.5M for a maximum of four years, and we welcome proposals that include part funding or in-kind contributions from other sources. Given the nature of the programmes we are looking to support, we expect that the full value of most proposals (taking into account any part-funding or in-kind contributions) will be at least £500k.

Details of eligible costs are included in Section 2.5 of the call guidelines.

Any awards would be made to and administered by the Principal Investigator’s institution (the lead institution).

The application process will consist of two stages:

  • Expression of interest (EOI) stage
  • Full application stage

All stages will be administered through our online Grants Management Portal.

The expression of interest stage is open until 5pm on 1st of July 2025. You can download a PDF version of the application form from our website. Please note, however, that this is only provided to help you plan your application – only submissions made before the deadline via the online Grants Management Portal will be accepted.

Whilst the Principal Investigator (lead applicant) is responsible for submitting the application form, we expect the inclusion appropriate commissioning / adopter partner(s) (i.e. organisations which could support the longer-term adoption of the intervention(s) following the end of the work), and those with relevant health economics expertise (or similar), within the proposed team, and their meaningful contribution for the development of the proposal.

If the application submitted in the EOI stage is a resubmission of unfunded proposals previously submitted to the Foundation through any of its funding schemes (either submitted directly to the Foundation or through a funding partner), this application will only be eligible if it addresses the feedback and comments provided during the review process (peer and committee / panel review), full details are provided in Section 4.1 of the call guidelines.

Expression of interest proposals will undergo an initial triage by the Foundation’s experienced Grants Team, with eligible proposals being passed over to a panel comprising relevant members of our Research Grants Committee. The assessment process at this stage will focus on the alignment of proposals with key aspects of the call criteria / scope (e.g. description of the proposed work, the existing evidence base for the intervention(s), involvement of commissioning / adopter partners and those relevant health economics expertise, or similar, etc.). Full details are provided in section 4.2 in the call guidelines.

We are anticipating a large number of expression of interest applications; therefore, we will aim to provide feedback to those invited to submit a full application, where relevant, and general feedback for applicants who are not successful at the expression of interest stage.

Successful applicants at the expression of interest stage will be invited to submit a full application by the deadline of 17th October 2025 (5 pm). You can also download a PDF version of the full application form from our website.

Once submitted, full applications will undergo external peer review based on the assessment criteria outlined in Section 5.2 of the call guidelines. Applicants will then be given between 8th – 12th December 2025 to respond to specific feedback provided by the peer reviewers.

Applications will then be assessed by an expert panel, who will meet to consider applications in early February 2025. If deemed necessary, interviews for applicants will be held on 25th and 26th February 2026, following which applicants will be notified of the outcome of their applications by early April 2026.

Watch the recording from our webinar in support of this research funding call here.

The webinar slides are also available to download online.

We will continue to advertise the call through our LinkedIn and Bluesky accounts and to our mailing list subscribers. To subscribe to receive news and updates from us, please add your details to the ‘Join our community’ section of our “Contact us” page.

Prospective applicants should read our general Funding FAQs and Eligibility Q&A. Our Terms and Conditions for Research Grants will also apply.

Please email any queries relating to the call to grants@vivensafoundation.org.uk and our Grants Team will be able to assist you.

Regular and closed funding calls

In this section you’ll find details of calls where the deadline for applications has passed, so that applicants can check the timetable for the assessment and decision-making process.

We also include details of calls which are currently closed to applications, but which we intend to run again in the future. In these cases, you can read the information and guidance documentation from the most recent round of the call. Whilst this is is provided to help you with your planning, please note that this information may be subject to change prior to the next round of the scheme opening.

Joint British Geriatrics Society / Vivensa Foundation Doctoral Training Fellowship

If your browser doesn’t open the dropdown boxes below, you can view the detailed call guidelines here.

Once you’ve read the call guidelines and checked you are eligible for funding, you can start your application on our Grants Management Portal.

Vivensa Foundation (DMT) has again partnered with the British Geriatrics Society (BGS) to co-fund one Doctoral Training Fellowship to support front-line health professionals with an interest in developing a career in ageing-related research.

The focus of your proposed research must be aligned to understanding and treating age-related diseases and frailty, and/or improving the health and social care of older people, with an emphasis on projects that address one or more of the priority research themes highlighted on page 15 of the Vivensa Foundation’s 2020-25 strategic framework. We are particularly interested in research with the potential to improve the health and social care of older people within 5 years of the end of the grant.

Please note that projects with a specific focus on cancer will not be eligible for funding.

The Fellowship is intended to be flexible and may be undertaken on either a full-time or part-time basis. Full-time Fellowships will be awarded for a maximum period of 3 years, whereas part-time Fellowships can be awarded for a maximum of 6 years.

The scheme is open to all front-line healthcare professionals working with older people – including allied health professionals, doctors and nurses – who meet the requirements for a programme of PhD study at a UK-based university.

The successful candidate will need to become a member of the BGS – if not already a member – for the duration of the Fellowship as a condition of award*. We encourage all those working in the field of older people’s care and ageing-related research to consider joining the BGS.

* For membership queries please contact the British Geriatrics Society via membership@bgs.org.uk

Applicants can apply for up to £300,000. We welcome applications that can be part funded by the host institution either financially* or in-kind through the provision of services, facilities and/or tuition fee waiver. The award will be expected to cover:

  • an individual’s salary (at the appropriate grade on the relevant pay scale), plus on-costs
  • tuition fees for a PhD
  • an additional amount to cover consumables, training, travel costs to present their work etc.

Full details on eligible costs are included in the call guidelines. You may also find it helpful to read the “What costs will you cover?” section of our general Funding FAQs.

* This may be internal university funds or funding from industry or other trusts, foundations or charities etc.

Current round timetable:

  • Call open to applications – 13th December 2024
  • Deadline for submission of applications – 14th March 2025 (5pm)
  • Peer and Panel review and shortlisting – April-September 2025
  • Interviews for shortlisted candidates –30th September 2025
  • Ratification of the Panel’s funding recommendation at Vivensa Foundation Research Grants Committee meeting – 7th October 2025
  • Shortlisted candidates notified of the outcome of their application – Mid-November 2025

The Fellowship is likely to be formally announced at either the BGS Autumn 2025 or Spring 2026 Meeting, dependent on any award conditions that need to be met prior.

We typically expect the Fellowship to start within 12 months of the Grant Offer Letter being sent. However, please note that the Fellowship will not be able to commence until any conditions stated in the Grant Offer Letter have been met.

This talk from the 2023 BGS Autumn Meeting provides an overview of the call and application process, addresses common “funding myths,” and offers tips for developing a strong application. We encourage anyone considering applying to take a look.

We will continue to advertise the call through our LinkedIn and to our mailing list subscribers. To subscribe to receive news and updates from us, please add your details to the ‘Join our community’ section of our “Contact us” page.

Prospective applicants will be asked to read our Funding FAQs and complete the general eligibility quiz on our website. Our Terms and Conditions for Research Grants will also apply.

If you have any queries relating to the call, please email grants@vivensafoundation.org.uk and our Grants Team will be able to assist you.

Once you have completed the general eligibility quiz, read the call guidelines and our Funding FAQs, you can start your application on our Grants Management Portal.

Joint RNID / Vivensa Foundation Early Career Fellowships

This scheme is managed by RNID – you can find full details, including how to apply, on the RNID website. If your browser doesn’t open the dropdown boxes below, you can view the detailed call guidelines here.

Applications with a focus on understanding the mechanisms of age-related hearing conditions, or how ageing affects the auditory system, are especially encouraged, and will be considered for joint funding. Projects should bring tangible benefits closer for people who are deaf, have tinnitus or hearing loss.

The fellowship supports salary and project costs for 3 years, up to a total of £225,000.

The aim of the Fellowship scheme is to help talented early career researchers as they make the transition from a post-doctoral scientist to an independent investigator, able to lead their own programme of research, attract funding and build a new research team. In doing so, the scheme will build research capacity in hearing research, by supporting the early career development of the UK’s most talented new investigators.

It supports one of our key strategic themes which focuses on addressing issues of age-related hearing health and/or the biology/physiology of the ageing auditory system and/or improving the health and wellbeing of older people.

We are working with the RNID to fund these fellowships and applications are being handled by the RNID.

Applications are invited in any of the following areas:

  • Research to underpin the development of treatments for ageing-related hearing disorders. Including, but not limited to, medical devices, pharmacological treatments, genetic or cellular therapies – treatments should aim to prevent hearing loss or restore auditory function. This can include treating hearing loss within the context of dementia.
  • Research to improve how new treatments for ageing-related hearing disorders, are developed and tested. Including research that improves how new treatments are developed or tested and the measurement of auditory function, including in the context of dementia.

Applications with a direct focus on addressing issues of age-related hearing health and/or the biology/physiology of the ageing auditory system and/or improving the health and wellbeing of older people, are especially encouraged, and will be considered for joint funding.

You must be an early career investigator who has the desire and potential to become an independent scientist in the field of hearing research. They must hold a PhD and can be based at any UK university or research institute but must not be a permanent employee. The award should support progression towards an independent research career.

The fellowship supports salary and project costs for 3 years, up to a total of £225,000.

The current round opens on the 10th February and the deadline for  applications is Monday 28th April 2025 at 5pm.

Eligible proposals will be reviewed by at least two (ideally three) external referees in the field. If necessary (depending on the number of applicants), the reviews and original proposals will then be considered by our Future Leaders Review Panel who will rank the proposals and shortlist candidates for interview.

Interviews for the Fellowship will take place in September 2025 – the final date will be confirmed with all applicants once it has been set. Short-listed candidates will be informed no less than 2 weeks before the interview date and given further instructions for the interview then. All applicants, whether successful in being invited for interview or not, will receive anonymised feedback from the external reviewers at this stage.

Interviews will be conducted by the Future Leaders Review Panel. Following the interviews, the panel will make funding recommendations to RNID and the Dunhill Medical Trust.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible following the final decision.

Please ensure you read the Fellowship call and guidelines, the Fellowship Grant standard terms and conditions and see the sample application form.

If you would like more information, please get in touch with RNID: research@rnid.org.uk

In the last round of funding (2024), we received 9 applications and awarded 2 fellowships.

To apply, please go to the RNID website and all applications must be submitted through RNID’s online grants management system Flexi-Grant before the deadline.

Innovation Fellowships in Healthy Ageing with Zinc

This scheme is managed by Zinc – you can find full details, including how to apply, on the Zinc website.

Zinc and the Dunhill Medical Trust are delighted to launch this call for applications to our 2025-2026 Innovation Fellowships in Healthy Ageing. Successful applicants will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of commercial innovation and support the development of tech-enabled products and services that contribute to healthy ageing. Researchers will also have the opportunity to engage in training, support and mentoring to help them translate their skills to commercial contexts, explore new career opportunities, and connect with other talented researchers.

This opportunity is open to researchers at any career stage post-PhD, but we particularly welcome applications from early career researchers (you must have been awarded your PhD before the application deadline). Whatever your academic or professional background, it is essential that applicants have a strong interest in innovations to improve the quality of later life. here relevant (e.g. for applicants on permanent or fixed-term contracts elsewhere), applicants will need to obtain permission from their current employer to join the programme. Please note, this opportunity is only open to UK-based applicants with a right to work in the UK.

Evidence of the following skills, background and attributes will also be prioritised:

  • You have completed a PhD in any discipline. Applicants from any career stage post-PhD are welcome to apply.
  • You have a strong interest in enhancing your knowledge of early-stage innovation commercialisation and the role of research within that. No significant previous commercial experience is required.
  • You are keen to work in a multi-disciplinary, multi-sectoral environment and to translate the skills and knowledge gained in academia to a commercial context.
  • You are committed to spending at least 6 months working in-house with Zinc ventures or in a venture in their network.
  • You have a strong interest in later-life innovation.
  • Ability to plan and execute high-quality applied research: You have experience designing and implementing projects in non-academic settings.
  • Flexibility and ability to respond positively to changing circumstances: You can adapt scientific rigour to a fast-paced, agile entrepreneurial context, working to tight and often-changing deadlines, and apply recommendations based on ventures’ commercial needs. You are excited to fully immerse yourself in this dynamic context.
  • Team player: You can work with the Zinc team and Founders of ventures in a positive and constructive way.
  • Effective and proactive: You are organised and hands-on, and able to use initiative to make decisions. A positive, “can-do” attitude is essential.

The Fellowship provides salary, research costs, and support with travel costs if applicable. Further details can be found here.

  • The application deadline is midnight on 7th April 2025.
  • Shortlisted applicants will be invited to interview with placements for selected applicants starting in September 2025.

You can find full details, including how to apply, on the Zinc website.

For any queries about the application process or the Fellowship programme, please email research@zinc.vc.

Once you have read our eligibility Q&A, the call guidelines and our Funding FAQs, you can start your application on our Grants Management Portal.

Proleptic Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme

If your browser doesn’t open the dropdown boxes below, you can view the detailed call guidelines here.

Before being eligible to nominate a candidate, Heads of Department/Centre or Institute Directors must contact the Foundation’s Grants Team to arrange an informal conversation to discuss the Fellowship opportunity.

As part of our 2020-25 strategic framework, we are committed to providing targeted support both to institutions which have demonstrated a long-term commitment to ageing-related research, but also to early career researchers, to ensure we continue to build and maintain research capacity in this important area. We are also signatories of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, and following publication of our Concordat action plan, piloted a scheme of Proleptic Fellowships for post-doctoral researchers in a small group of institutions which had previously been recipients of our Multiple PhD Studentship awards. Following the success of the pilot in 2022/23, we are delighted to be opening the scheme up to all eligible research institutions nationally.

The focus of the proposed research must address one or more of the following priority research themes outlined in our 2020-25 strategic framework:

  • improve our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of ageing and age-related disease;
  • target the social determinants of healthy life expectancy;
  • improve quality of life for older people, in particular:
    • in developing and delivering suitable living environments;
    • addressing the issues of age-related vision, hearing and oral health;
  • have the potential to prevent, delay or reduce future health and social care requirements, in particular, improve the ability to maintain functional independence for older adults.

Please note that research with a specific focus on cancer will not be eligible for funding.

All proposals, regardless of topic, should be aligned with the Foundation’s key principles for research as detailed on page nine of our 2020-25 strategic framework. In particular:

  • Patient, carer and/or public involvement (PPI) should be considered in all aspects of the proposed study and its development.
  • Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) should be considered in all aspects of the proposed study and its development.
  • A commitment to capacity-building and researcher career-development in ageing-related research during and beyond the lifetime of the proposed Fellowship – in line with our action plan in support of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers – should be demonstrated, with practical examples.
  • Where appropriate, proposals should demonstrate a multidisciplinary approach to the proposed research.

This scheme is for post-doctoral researchers with three to ten years’ post-doctoral research experience, who are currently without a permanent position, but have demonstrated excellence and a capacity for independent work and are considered future leaders in ageing-related research. When considering research experience and eligibility, we will take into account any career breaks, parental leave and/or the impacts of COVID-19.

Please note that only one candidate per Department/Centre/Institute may be nominated to apply. Heads of Department/Centre or Institute Directors must contact the Grants Team to arrange an informal conversation before nominating a candidate.

Funding has been made available to support at least two awards (of three to five years in duration full-time, and up to six to ten years part-time) on a co-funded basis with the respective host institution(s).

It is expected that funding from the charity will taper over time so that, by the end of the Fellowship, host Departments/Centres/Institutes are fully funding the Fellow and have committed to providing them with a permanent academic position[1], subject to satisfactory performance.

[1] For example, for a three-year Fellowship: Year 1: Trust funds 100%, Year 2: Trust funds 67%, Year 3: Trust funds 33%, Year 4: Institution funds 100%. For a five-year Fellowship: Year 1: Trust funds 100%, Year 2: Trust funds 80%, Year 3: Trust Funds 60%, Year 4: Trust funds 40%, Year 5: Trust funds 20%, Year 6: Institution funds 100%. It is expected that the tapering will apply to the Fellow’s gross salary, and that the Departments/Centres/Institutes will also contribute to other aspects of the budget, such as running expenses, equipment and other costs.

  • Deadline for Heads of Department/Centre or Institute Directors to nominate a candidate – Friday 31st May 2024 (5pm)
  • Eligible candidates invited to online application stage – w/c 3rd June 2024
  • Deadline for submission of online applications – Friday 2nd August 2024 (5pm)
  • Peer review and Panel review/shortlisting of applications – August – December 2024
  • Candidates notified of the outcome of their application and, if shortlisted, invitation to attend an interview – w/c 6th January 2025
  • Interviews held by our Panel – w/c 20th January 2025
  • Ratification of the Panel’s recommendation as to which applicants should be funded – 4th February 2025
  • Shortlisted applicants notified of the outcome of their interview – Mid-March 2025

We will continue to advertise the call to our mailing list subscribers. To subscribe to receive news and updates from us, please add your details to the ‘Join our community’ section of our “Contact us” page.

Prospective applicants are asked to read our Funding FAQs and eligibility Q&A on our website. Our Terms and Conditions for Research Grants will also apply.

If you have any queries relating to the call, please email grants@vivensafoundation.org.uk and our Grants Team will be able to assist you.

Once you have read our eligibility Q&A, the call guidelines and our Funding FAQs, you can start your application on our Grants Management Portal.

Joint RNID / Vivensa Foundation Translational Research Grants

This scheme is managed by RNID – you can find full details, including how to apply, on the RNID website. If your browser doesn’t open the dropdown boxes below, you can view the detailed call guidelines here.

Research focused on advancing therapeutics for the treatment of age-related hearing disorders that have the potential to benefit older people in the UK will be considered for co-funding with the Dunhill Medical Trust.

We are partnering with RNID to support their Translational Research Grant scheme which aims to support and accelerate the development of research discoveries into potential new treatments to protect and restore hearing and /or silence tinnitus. It funds projects at both academic institutions and small/medium enterprises in any country.

We request translational research proposals that will advance the development of novel therapeutics (excluding medical devices) for the treatment of hearing disorders, including tinnitus. We want to support:

  • Research focused on the development of a specific novel therapeutic for the treatment of hearing loss and/or tinnitus.
  • Clearly defined experimental plans supported by relevant preliminary and/or proof-of-concept data.
  • Proposals that clearly outline the commercial potential of the therapeutic and describe how work undertaken during the Translational Research Grant will enable the innovation to attract follow-on funding for subsequent developmental steps.

Applications can include:

  • Studies which will enable lead optimisation and/or candidate selection.
  • Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics (PKPD) studies.
  • Safety/toxicology studies.
  • Drug repositioning/repurposing.
  • Validation of therapeutic targets for the treatment of hearing loss or tinnitus.
  • Studies to strengthen confidence that a target or therapeutic approach will be applicable to human hearing loss or tinnitus.

Applicants may be from any country and may be from academic institutions and small/medium enterprises (SME).

Ageing-related projects with lead applicants based at UK organisations will be considered for joint funding with the Dunhill Medical Trust.

Up to £300K is available for projects up to a maximum duration of three years. Funding may not exceed £100,000 in any one year.

  • Preliminary applications: 7 April 2025 (5pm UK time)
  • Full applications: 11 July 2025 (5pm UK time)
  • Final decision: February 2026

To apply, please go to the RNID website and all applications must be submitted through RNID’s online grants management system Flexi-Grant before the deadline.

Once you have read our eligibility Q&A, the call guidelines and our Funding FAQs, you can start your application on our Grants Management Portal.

You can also find funded post-doctoral and PhD studentship opportunities offered by Academy members on our Academy Jobs Board.

For other ageing-related funding opportunities from UK Ageing Research Funders’ Forum (UKARFF) members, go to the UKARFF news page.

Apply now

If you’ve read the call details, checked the deadlines and completed the eligibility Q&A, you’re ready to apply. We use an online Grants Management System. Where the scheme is co-funded, though, do please check whether our funding partner is taking the lead on the applications process. If that is the case, you will need to apply via their system so do check the call details carefully.

Step 1

Check our deadlines

View full details in the “open calls and deadlines” section on this page (above). Just click on the dropdown box for the call in which you are interested.

Check

Step 2

Eligibility Q&A

Please answer the questions in the eligibility quiz before starting your application. You will be asked to confirm formally that you have done so within the electronic application system. If you need any advice or are unsure how to respond to any of these questions, please do contact us.

View Q&A

Step 3

Provide an ORCID iD

This step does not apply to community grant applicants.

In common with many other funders, we require all lead applicants for Research Project Grants to provide an ORCID iD when completing an application form in our Grants Management Portal.

If you don’t have an ORCID iD, you can register for one. Through ORCID,  researchers can allow funders, publishers and research organisations to access the information in their ORCID profile during grant and manuscript submission. Currently, we use your ORCID profile to auto-populate the following questions on the application form:

  • Degrees and professional qualifications.  In ORCID this is called “Education”.
  • Postgraduate career (please provide details of your last 3 positions, starting with the most recent).  In ORCID this is called “Employment”.
  • Current/most recent externally funded grants you have held as the lead applicant. In ORCID, this is called “Funding”.
  • Peer-reviewed publications (please list your (relevant) publications from the last 10 years).  In ORCID, this is called “Works”.

There is no option to input these mandatory pieces of data directly into our application form so it is essential that your ORCID profile is up to date to enable the application form to be auto-populated.

ORCID has published a range of help including a suite of videos to help you with common issues such as changing your password, editing your personal details and updating your publication list.

Step 4

Apply online

We operate an online application system. The software we have chosen for this is Flexigrant® from Fluent Technology. If you are an academic or clinical researcher, you may be familiar with the system, which is also used by a number of other funders.

If you wish to apply for a grant, you will first need to create an account in the system.

Apply now