The BGS Research Career Development Awards are grants to support research-related career development undertaken by doctors, nurses, allied health professionals or pharmacists who work in the field of geriatric medicine or have an interest in ageing.
The main aim of this grant scheme is to develop the research careers of applicants. Proposals should therefore demonstrate a clear plan for research career progression, and it should be clear how the award of this grant will facilitate that progression. To this end, grants may focus on activities such as PPIE activity, research inclusion, pilot and feasibility studies, preliminary data collection, consensus meetings and acquisition of skills and training. This grant is available to BGS members only.
There will be one grant application round per year. We will typically award two grants: one to individuals who have not started or obtained a higher research degree (PhD, MD or equivalent) up to the value of £15000, and one to individuals who have started or completed a higher research degree, up to the value of £25000. The grant round will open on 1st April with a deadline of 30 June. Applications are not automatically carried forward from one round into the next, though applicants may choose to resubmit previously unsuccessful bids for a future round, detailing how they have changed their application to respond to reviewer comments.
Members of the Research and Academic development Committee will judge applications and progress reports. The judges have discretion as to how to deploy the total grant fund. Where no application of sufficient quality or applicant suitability is received for either of the above categories, the judges may award more than one grant from the other category. Similarly, if two smaller grants within a category are sufficiently meritorious, the judges may fund two smaller, rather than one larger grant within a category.
Scope of grant
The grant can be used for things such as:
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Applicant time to conduct the award
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Research consumables
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Travel
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Patient and public involvement and engagement
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Research Inclusion activities
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Survey costs, transcription etc
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Salaries for support staff
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Research training and skills development costs for the applicant.
The grant is not intended to provide funding:
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For indirect costs such as university overheads
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For undergraduate or postgraduate teaching
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As additional funding for the continuation of established projects
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To supplement existing grants or to support any activity not directly related to research
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For computer equipment
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For audit or quality improvement activities.
The scheme provides grants to enable researchers to follow through research ideas with a timescale of 12 to 24 months. Grants should start within 12 months of the award date.
To be eligible for the scheme, the research must relate to geriatric medicine and the healthcare of older people. Six-monthly reports on progress must be provided to the BGS and applicants must present their findings at a national BGS conference.
Research Ethics approval
Where ethics approval is required and has already been granted, evidence of this should be submitted alongside the application. Where ethics approval is required but is yet to be obtained, a clear timeline of this should be included within the application. If ethics approval is not required, this should be stated in the application.
