GOSH Charity Lift Off Grants: Patient Focussed Research
Our new Lift Off Grants are intended to support the first step for a new research question in an area of rare or complex paediatric disease. These grants provide seed funding, allowing initial data collection which will take research into the next stage and strengthen future applications for larger project grants.
The Lift Off Grants have two streams: Discovery Research and Patient Focussed Research. The Discovery Research stream was launched in February 2024 and was open to applications for projects that involve lab- or data-based research.
The Patient Focussed stream, to be launched in July 2024, will be open to applications for projects where the hospital and its patient population are the focus for data generation and collection. These are new schemes, to be delivered for the first time in 2024 under our new Research Strategy.
The Patient Focussed Research stream of the Lift Off Grants is now open for applications.
A guidance webinar for applicants will be held on Monday 8 July 2024. Please sign up below.
How to apply
The Lift Off Grants: Patient Focussed Research funding call is now open for applications. The submission deadline is 3pm on Thursday 22 August.
Click below to start your application.
Remit of the Lift Off Grants: Patient Focussed Research
Lift Off Grants: Patient Focussed Research provide early-stage research funding, intended to give early support for new research projects. This scheme will support research across the spectrum of medical conditions affecting the foetus, neonates, and children directly, as well as pregnancy disorders that affect the child.
These projects should investigate a new research question where the hospital and its patient population are the focus for data generation or collection. Funding could be used for collecting pilot data, feasibility studies, methodology and technique development, or new applications of existing concepts. Projects may use quantitative, qualitative, or mixed/multi-methods.
Projects may include:
- Clinical outcomes analysis
- Studies that aim to improve clinical practice
- Quality of life studies
- Co-design of new and/or evaluation of interventions and/or treatments
- Monitoring and surveillance
- Behavioural studies
Applications for projects based in a laboratory setting, or data-based projects such as genomics studies, will not be eligible for the Patient Focussed Research stream and should instead be submitted to the Discovery Research stream, which will be open again for applications in early 2025.
Eligibility criteria
For the 2024 Lift Off Grants, applicants must be employed by GOSH or GOS ICH, or have a substantive honorary research contract at one of those organisations.
Your salary must be covered through to the end of the grant period, or a supporting letter must be provided by your organisation guaranteeing your continued employment throughout the duration of the grant.
The salary of the Principal Investigator is not eligible for funding through this scheme. However, exemptions can be applied for Early Career Researchers if the work is being undertaken by themselves to deliver the aims and objectives of the grant.
Additionally, these grants cannot be used for bridge funding, add-on funding or PhD project extensions. Projects must investigate a new research question.
Applications from clinical or academic researchers, doctors, nurses, psychologists, pharmacists, midwives, and other allied health professionals/non-medical clinical healthcare professionals are welcomed.
Applicants who do not have a PhD or substantive research experience must apply with a research mentor as a co-applicant.
Funding available
GOSH Charity has made a total of £800k available for Lift Off Grants in 2024, with a view to dedicate £400k to each arm: Discovery Research and Patient Focussed Research. From this, we expect to award around 4 grants per round, with an expected value of up to £75,000.
Applicants wishing to apply for more than £75,000 should contact the GOSH Charity Grants Team to discuss their application costs. Projects should have a duration of up to 18 months.
Funding will cover direct research costs associated with the project e.g., salaries for research staff and consumables costs.
Funding process
Applications will be received and managed by GOSH Charity and considered by dedicated Lift Off Grants Scientific Assessment Panels. A lay Patient Benefit Panel will also assess the lay summary and PPIE sections, and their feedback will be fed into the scientific assessments.
Final funding decisions for the Patient Focussed stream are expected to be announced in November 2024.
COVID-19 Statement
As funders, we've signed a cross-funder statement coordinated by the Academy of Medical Sciences, on the COVID-19 institutional memory: how we as funders will look to fairly remember and recognise the impacts of COVID-19 on grant applicants' work in the future.
As part of this statement, we'd like to reassure our research community that we're aware of the immediate and long-term impacts of COVID-19 on research activities.
Any disruptions to research activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be taken into consideration by our panels and committees when assessing an individual applicant’s record of outputs, research achievements, and career progression in future grant rounds. Read the Covid-19 Statement.
Further information about the call
If you'd like to know more about the funding call or have any questions, please don't hesitate to email the GOSH Charity Grants Team.