Vacancies

Research Grants Committee vacancies

Closing date: 7 January, 2026 at noon

Earlier this year, we changed our name to the Vivensa Foundation as part of a wider plan to better reflect its work as a funder and impact-intentional investor. The name ‘Vivensa’ is inspired by the Latin word vivens, meaning to live, be alive, or to reside in — a reflection of the work we support our award-holders and investees to do. But this is more than a change of name – it reaffirms our commitment to funding the remarkable science and radical social change needed for people to age well on their terms.

It was back in the 1980s that the Board of our predecessor charity recognised that the shifting demographics would drive a need for investment in a high-quality research base to improve our understanding of the mechanisms of ageing and ageing-related disease and the delivery of innovation in the health and social care of older people. Since then, the Foundation has been funding some of the very best of the UK’s researchers and community innovators to do just that. 

The Foundation plans to play its part in three broad ways:

• investing in ideas
• connecting research and practice and
• fostering flourishing communities.

With our new identity and with our refreshed Strategic Framework and priorities for the next five years launched in April 2025, we are looking forward to writing our next chapter.

The Trustees now wish to recruit additional members to the Research Grants Committee.

The main purpose of the Committee and its panels is to review grant applications submitted under a range of strategically directed funding schemes and make awards within its authority delegated by the Board of Trustees and in line its published values and strategic priorities.  The Committee also advises the Board of Trustees on the strategic development of grant programmes and policy matters relating to grant-making.   The Foundation is a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities and operates a rigorous system of open advertisement of funding opportunities and peer review for all research grant applications.

Role

Purpose: in addition to assessing and making awards, will help to shape and deliver our plans, assess and award grants, within the parameters of the delegated authority of the Board of Trustees, and monitor their progress.

Term of appointment: appointments are for three years, renewable once, by mutual agreement.

Time commitment: Attendance at up to three committee meetings per year plus one or two interviews or expert panel meetings, at which members may be asked to lead the discussion on 3-5 research applications per meeting and will have the benefit of peer review scoring and comments.

• Prior to each meeting scoring applications using the Foundation’s online application portal, where required.
• Provision of occasional advice by telephone and/or email on applications received between Committee meetings.

Current priority areas:

Our Strategic Framework for 2025-30 sets out our priority themes for the current plan period but we would particularly welcome applications from:

• Research active geriatricians and other healthcare professionals with expertise in health and social care provisions for older people.
• Researchers with expertise in artificial intelligence.
• Researchers with expertise in health economics.
• Researchers with expertise in implementation science.
• Statisticians with expertise in the design of studies within ageing-related research.

Time commitment: Attendance at three committee meetings in any one year plus any additional panels you opt to support. In addition, you will need to:

• score applications using the Foundation’s online application portal prior to each meeting, where required.
• provide occasional advice by telephone and/or email on applications received between Committee meetings.

Other information:

Do please download the relevant person specification and read more about some of our current work on our website – in particular our Strategic Framework for 2025-30.

Applicants must have both permission and the support of their host institution before applying.

We positively encourage early career researchers to apply as career development is an important strategic theme of our work.

We are committed to promoting diverse and inclusive communities, so encourage and welcome applications from under-represented groups in ageing-related research.

This role is unpaid, although out of pocket expenses incurred will be reimbursed, which include reasonable travel expenses and any additional expenses incurred, such as childcare or other caring responsibilities, to facilitate attendance at meetings etc.

The Foundation’s office is in central London. The Committee and any additional panels meet in hybrid format, however, to facilitate accessible attendance for all.

How to apply:

Please email a no more than two page covering letter  setting out how you meet the requirements of the role and person specification, together with your CV, to jobs@vivensafoundation.org.uk and addressed to the Chief Executive. You can also complete our optional Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) form 

If you would like to arrange an informal conversation about the role, please do so by emailing jobs@vivensafoundation.org.uk.

We also recognise the potential of generative AI to contribute to the creative process and we encourage its ethical and constructive use. This includes acknowledging it whenever it is used. Therefore, please reference generative AI in your written application if you have used it.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) form

The work we fund means that we know all too well the negative impacts of inequity. We are therefore committed to promoting EDI in all areas of our work. Our EDI form is optional and you do not have to answer any/all of the questions. However, gathering this data helps us to know if we are succeeding in involving different groups of people, and to change our approach if some groups are not represented.

The panel will not have access to any information you have provided in our EDI form.

Data Protection

The information you provide in your application will only be processed for the purpose of this recruitment process as described above. By applying for this role you have consented that the data you provide will be processed and stored as described above. For more information, please read the Vivensa Foundation’s Privacy Notice.