Funding opportunities
Current funding calls
We regularly run both internal and external funding calls for research proposals, with calls running throughout the year.
Blood and Transplant Research Units (BTRUs) funding opportunity
NHSBT in partnership with the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) has announced a funding competition to award £19.9 million to new NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Units (BTRUs).
The new funding competition is seeking to fund new BTRUs that will focus on the following priority areas:
- Blood donation
- Organ donation and transplantation
- Therapeutics
- Data driven transfusion practice
- Transfusion and transplantation transmitted infections
Five BTRUs will be funded for a five year period, one in each area.
The funding competition is open to universities in England that have a track record of world class research in the relevant priority area.
Past funding calls
For more information about past funding opportunities, please see below.
2016 - 2017
Call for behavioural research proposals for pilot/feasibility studies relating to consent for deceased organ donation.
British Bone Marrow Donor Appeal (BBMDA) Funding Call (January 2017)
The British Bone Marrow Donor Appeal (BBMDA), which is managed by NHSBT’s Trust Fund, was established to support studies aimed at improving the infrastructure for searching and accessing the British Bone Marrow Registry by clinicians, registry managers, technicians and patients.
Applications were accepted to this fund for studies within the remit above. Priority for this call was given to studies that would either lead to improvements in patient outcomes, greater efficacy or efficiency in the use of the registry, or studies that would incorporate ‘omics’ data into existing registries.
These priority areas have been identified by NHSBT’s Advanced Therapies Research Strategy Group.
NHSBT Big Data Pilot Call (Winter 2016)
Following a successful workshop on 18th October which focused on potential 'Big Data' pilot studies using NHSBT, NHS and external data, a funding call was put out for Big Data partnerships with external companies in the following areas: Matching and Allocation, Genomics, Donor Behaviour, Quality Control, and Integration with Hospitals.
Shortlisting of applications was conducted by NHSBT’s Research and Development Committee and the maximum amount of funding available for any one study was £25,000.
Acquired Coagulopathy Research Call (Summer 2016)
NHSBT funds clinical trials and studies of blood components and alternative strategies in patients who may need transfusion support.
In the summer of 2016, we invited calls in the area of acquired coagulopathy in any clinical setting where replacement therapy is currently given. Studies to test novel diagnostic markers were welcome. The indicative budget was £200,000 per year for up to four years.
Applications for preliminary or pilot studies were also considered.
NHSBT Pilot Funding Call (Summer 2016)
A call was put out to NHSBT staff concerning opportunities for funding of up to £50,000 to support the development of pilot or spin-off studies.
Applications were shortlisted by members of the R&D Senior Management Team (R&D SMT), and shortlisted candidates were asked to present at the September R&D SMT meeting.
Two studies were put forward to the Trust Fund for funding.