Who can apply ?

Any PMG member can apply for funding.

What theme and type of research ?

The research must be relevant to the remit of PMG.

Both quantitative and qualitative research will be considered.

How much can I apply for ?

The maximum amount funded will not normally be over £5,000.

What costs will be funded ?

It is intended that this money will be mainly used to pay the replacement salary costs for an individual so that he/she can spend a proportion of his/her time on a specific research study. As a rough example, £5k would pay for someone on a £25k salary for 1 day per week for approximately 12 months. A small proportion of the funding might also be used to cover other research expenses.

Will my study require ethical approval and indemnity ?

Any funding award will be conditional on the applicant receiving approval from a research ethics committee and also local indemnity (or justification that ethical approval and indemnity are not required). For information about ethical approval go to the website of the National Research Ethics Service http://www.nres.npsa.nhs.uk/

Do I need support from my line manager ?

It is essential that your line manager or head of department supports your application and is prepared to release you for a proportion of your time to work on the study.

How do I apply ?

A simple outline proposal will be invited initially. This will avoid the need for a large investment of time if the research question and broad outline of the proposed study are not likely to be supported.

The current deadline for submission of outline proposals is April 30th 2012. Please click here to apply or use the Application Form tab on the left hand menu to submit your proposal.

The complete application process is shown in a flowchart: -

Funding Process Flowchart

Who will judge the proposals ?

The proposals will be considered by the PMG Research sub-committee which includes healthcare professionals, users and carers. Sub-committee members will be required to declare any conflict of interest. If an application is made by a colleague of a PMG Research sub-committee member then that member will not take part in judging that application. If an application is made by a PMG Research sub-committee member then that member will not take part in judging any applications in that round.

Assessment Criteria

The criteria by which judges will assess proposals are available here.