Call for Entries: Healthcare Professional Research Grants (UK)

The Healthcare Professional Round is a UK-based research funding opportunity supporting nurses and pharmacists to undertake and develop research focused on improving outcomes in kidney disease. It is delivered by Kidney Research UK and aims to build research capacity across all career stages, from early-career practitioners to experienced investigators.

Program Purpose and Core Objectives

The programme supports healthcare professionals in generating and applying research that improves prevention, treatment, and care for people with kidney disease.

Key objectives include:

• Supporting nurse and pharmacist-led research in kidney disease
• Improving prevention, progression management, and treatment outcomes
• Strengthening research capacity across all career stages
• Encouraging patient-centered and clinically relevant research
• Advancing evidence-based improvements in kidney care services

The programme aligns with Kidney Research UK’s 2030 research strategy.

Strategic Research Priorities

All proposals should align with key kidney disease research priorities.

Core priority areas include:

• Preventing kidney disease before onset
• Slowing or preventing progression to kidney failure
• Improving and transforming treatments for kidney failure
• Reducing health inequalities in kidney care
• Enhancing patient involvement in research design and delivery
• Strengthening data use and research collaboration
• Supporting implementation of evidence into clinical practice

Eligible research spans the full research continuum:

• Discovery science
• Clinical and translational research
• Health and social care research
• Service improvement studies
• Implementation science

Eligible Applicants

The funding is specifically targeted at healthcare professionals in the UK.

Eligible applicants include:

• Nurses
• Pharmacists

Eligibility requirements:

• Must be resident in the United Kingdom
• Research must be led from a UK-based institution
• Applicants may be at any stage of their research career
• Early-career and first-time principal investigators are encouraged

Additional support:

• Applicants may receive guidance from partner organisations such as ANN UK and the UK Kidney Association’s Renal Pharmacy Group

Funding Types and Grant Amounts

The programme offers multiple funding streams to support different career stages and research needs.

Research Project Grants

• Funding: Up to £300,000
• Duration: Up to 3 years
• Purpose: Full-scale research projects across kidney disease priorities

Start-up Grants

• Funding: Up to £40,000
• Duration: Up to 2 years
• Purpose: Early-stage or pilot studies testing new hypotheses
• Focus: Standalone exploratory research projects

Clinical PhD (AHP) Fellowships

• Duration: Up to 3 years
• Coverage includes:
  • Fellow salary
  • Higher degree fees
  • Research consumables
  • Annual consumables allowance of £15,000

Master of Research (MRes) Grants

• Funding: Up to £25,000
• Duration: Up to 2 years
• Coverage includes fees and consumables

Application Process

Applications must be submitted through the Kidney Research UK grant management system.

Process steps:

• Step 1: Submission via online grant system
• Step 2: Eligibility screening and administrative review
• Step 3: Expert peer review by a college of experts
• Step 4: Input from patients and public contributors
• Step 5: Funding decision and notification

Some funding streams may require:

• Expression of interest stage before full application
• Direct submission to full application stage (depending on grant type)

Evaluation Criteria

Applications are assessed by expert reviewers and patient/public contributors.

Key evaluation criteria include:

• Alignment with Kidney Research UK research priorities
• Scientific quality and methodological rigor
• Potential impact on kidney disease outcomes
• Relevance to patient needs and healthcare delivery
• Strength of collaboration and research design
• Feasibility and clarity of proposed methods

Key Research Themes

The programme supports a broad range of kidney-related research areas, including:

Clinical and biomedical research:

• Kidney disease prevention strategies
• Progression mechanisms to kidney failure
• Treatment innovation and therapeutic improvement

Health systems and service research:

• Healthcare delivery optimization
• Service improvement in renal care
• Implementation of clinical evidence into practice

Equity and patient impact:

• Reducing health inequalities in kidney disease outcomes
• Patient involvement in research design
• Improving accessibility and quality of care

Why This Programme Matters

This funding opportunity strengthens kidney disease research in the UK by:

• Building research capacity among nurses and pharmacists
• Supporting clinically grounded, patient-focused research
• Improving prevention and treatment strategies for kidney disease
• Encouraging innovation in healthcare delivery and services
• Bridging the gap between clinical practice and research evidence

It helps ensure that frontline healthcare professionals directly contribute to improving kidney health outcomes.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Application mistakes:

• Weak alignment with kidney disease research priorities
• Poor justification of clinical or patient impact
• Lack of clear methodology or research design
• Submitting proposals without institutional support

Eligibility mistakes:

• Applicants not based in the UK
• Research not led by a UK institution
• Ineligible applicant roles (non-nurse/pharmacist applicants)

Design mistakes:

• Overly broad or unfocused research questions
• Lack of patient involvement or stakeholder engagement
• Weak implementation or translation pathway

Tips for a Strong Application

Strong applications typically include:

• Clear alignment with Kidney Research UK’s 2030 strategy
• Strong clinical relevance and patient benefit
• Well-defined, feasible research methodology
• Evidence of collaboration and multidisciplinary input

Best practices:

• Include patient and public involvement from the outset
• Clearly define measurable outcomes and impact pathways
• Choose a funding stream appropriate to career stage
• Demonstrate how research will improve real-world kidney care

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Who can apply for this funding?

• Nurses and pharmacists residing in the UK.

What is the maximum funding available?

• Up to £300,000 depending on the grant type.

Can early-career researchers apply?

• Yes, early-career and first-time principal investigators are encouraged.

Where must research be conducted?

• At a UK-based institution.

What types of research are supported?

• Clinical, discovery, service improvement, and implementation science.

Is patient involvement required?

• Yes, patient and public involvement is strongly encouraged and considered in review.

How are applications reviewed?

• By expert reviewers and patient/public contributors through Kidney Research UK systems.

Conclusion

The Healthcare Professional Round by Kidney Research UK supports nurses and pharmacists in leading impactful kidney disease research across the UK. By funding projects across multiple career stages and research types, the programme strengthens clinical evidence, improves patient outcomes, and advances innovation in kidney disease prevention, treatment, and care delivery.