***COVID-19 Statement for researchers - Updated 13 May 2020***
This statement has been revised to reflect our updated position on changes to grants. If your grant has been paused or significantly delayed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please let us know as soon as possible. The changes are indicated in colour.
If all other avenues of support have been explored, we are considering offering support to Cystic Fibrosis Trust funded PhD students who are due to complete before April 2022 (more detail below).
We understand that this is a difficult and uncertain time for our research community and that there will likely be significant impacts on research activities. The Cystic Fibrosis Trust is closely monitoring developments relating to coronavirus (COVID-19) and taking note of government guidance.
We are aware that your work may be paused or delayed during this time and that researchers may also need to prioritise other activities, for example deployment in the NHS. We aim to be as supportive as possible of mitigations you may need to put in place to minimise the impact on your research, which may include reordering work packages, delaying recruitment and remote working.
The Trust remains committed to supporting a dynamic research portfolio. However, we recognise that we may need to be flexible, depending on our ability to fundraise in a challenging environment and alongside an increased demand for support from the CF community we support.
Changes to grants
Like all charities, we are facing uncertain times and ask that you therefore take full advantage of the support packages put in place and offered by your institution, insurance or other Government financial support initiatives.
We will endeavour to be as flexible as possible with regard to no cost changes to your grants such as no-cost extensions, underspend and virements; however, we will require notification to formally confirm the agreement.
We may consider costed-extension to projects which have been paused, partially paused or where research has been significantly disrupted, where costs are not available from elsewhere, but these decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis. Please let us know as soon as possible whether you are likely to make a request for a costed extension.
We will be monitoring the impact of the virus through your progress reports and may require additional information from you about any potential impact on your grant. We will provide further updates, as necessary, as the situation evolves.
Support for CF Trust-funded PhD students
If we’re funding a PhD student in your lab who is due to complete their studies before April 2021 and their research has been paused or severely disrupted, we may consider providing up to 6 months costed extension to cover their stipend. We must have been informed previously of their research being paused or disrupted and we expect that all alternative support mechanisms, such as their eligibility for the Government Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, have been considered by their institution.
If we’re funding a PhD student in your lab who is due to complete between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022 and their research has been paused or severely disrupted, we may consider providing up to 3 months costed extension to cover their stipend. We must have been informed previously of their research being paused or disrupted and we expect that all alternative support mechanisms, such as their eligibility for the Government Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, have been considered by their institution.
If you have any queries about these matters please e-mail our grants team on researchgrants@cysticfibrosis.org.uk .
Applying for funding
Recognising the impact that the current situation is having across the research community, we have decided to extend the deadline for expressions of interest for our current Strategic Research Centre (SRC) call to mid-June 2020. We hope that we will be able to maintain the other key time-points for this call but will be keeping these under continuous review. Please see our SRC page for further details of the application process or contact the Research Team if you would like to discuss this in more detail.
Our Venture and Innovation Award scheme remains open. We would like to encourage applications relating to COVID-19 and cystic fibrosis.
If you have any queries about these matters please e-mail our grants team on researchgrants@cysticfibrosis.org.uk .
Updated on 13 May 2020
We're committed to funding research and supporting researchers at all stages of their career. Find out more about current funding opportunities and our funding process and governance. Look at our quick guide to find out when the calls are open.
Strategic Research Centres
We have set up our Strategic Research Centres (SRCs) to exploit the latest opportunities in science, encourage internationally-competitive researchers to lend their talents to cystic fibrosis research, facilitate new partnerships, widen awareness of CF research and recruit the brightest and best young researchers. Find out about the SRCs we are currently funding or find out more about how you can apply for an SRC grant.
Venture and Innovation Awards
Our Venture and Innovation Awards (VIAs) provide financial support to innovative research projects and allow the Trust to bring in funding from external agencies. Find out more about applying for this stream of funding.
Summer Studentships
Our Summer Studentships provide promising medical and basic science undergraduates with hands-on experience of research during the academic summer vacation with the aim of attracting the brightest and best into a career in CF research. Find out more about how you can apply for the programme.
Researchfish
We are using the online database Researchfish to gather information about the outcomes of the research we fund. Find out more about how Researchfish works and how to submit your data.
If you have any questions or would like to know more about the research we fund, get in touch.