Deadline: 23-Jan-23
Asthma + Lung UK is accepting applications for Research Grants.
Specifically, by 2027, they hope to reduce deaths and ill-health caused by lung conditions by 20%, giving thousands of families more precious years with their loved ones. One of the key approaches they ’ve identified to delivering this is to improve diagnosis of lung conditions.
People who have difficulty breathing often wait years for a formal diagnosis, or never receive one at all. In part this is because society doesn’t always take breathlessness seriously or consider lung problems as worthy of attention as other diseases. But even once in contact with healthcare professionals, diagnosis is still too slow. Few advances have been made in the way lung conditions are detected and tests are often inaccurate, invasive, unreliable, or costly. This can mean people don’t get the care they need, or are put on unnecessary treatments that may cause them harm and place significant cost on the NHS.
To help address this, Asthma + Lung UK is investing a total of £2m in exceptional science to support the diagnosis of lung conditions with greater accuracy and speed. There are several specific challenges in diagnosis that cut across numerous lung conditions, and a number of research & innovation opportunities that exist in this space.
Specific Competition Themes
- The following challenges have been identified; these are examples of areas that research may address rather than an exclusive list.
- Earlier and accurate diagnosis. Early and accurate diagnosis is critical to improving overall health and outcomes for many people with lung disease; both differential diagnosis of condition and phenotype/prognosis.
- Misdiagnosis. People with respiratory symptoms are often diagnosed inaccurately, leading to further delays in accessing the most appropriate treatment and more time spent with debilitating symptoms.
- Late diagnosis. Too often diagnosis is delayed. This leaves people waiting for longer before they can access the right treatment.
- Limitations of current lung function testing. Many limitations exist in currently recommended diagnostic procedures, particularly in primary care. E.g. equipment unavailable, trained staff not available, tests difficult to perform, procedures lead to aerosol-generating episodes.
- Equality and diversity. Diagnosis is a particular challenge in minority and low socioeconomic status groups.
Scope
- To develop new or improved simple for patients, quick, inexpensive, minimally-invasive, safe and accurate diagnostic products/approaches which can differentiate between lung conditions, phenotypes of individual lung conditions and/or causes of exacerbations (e.g. to reduce exacerbations and the winter NHS burden).
- Research & innovation opportunities identified include, but are not limited to:
- Improving approaches to case finding.
- Redesigning diagnostic systems, pathways and tests (e.g. utilising of technologies like artificial intelligence, developing at-home diagnosis).
- Developing new biomarkers and related technologies (e.g. sensing technologies to detect changes in breath/speech/sleep/cough).
Funding Types
- Research project grants (funding for a multi-year research project).
- Pump-priming grants (smaller-scale research projects exploring novel ideas, including higher risk projects).
Funding Information
- Project grants: up to £300k (up to 3 years); pump-priming grants up to £100k (up to 18 months).
Eligibility Criteria
- Principal applicants must be based in the UK. Applicants may be from any sector however the team must demonstrate the relevant expertise, track record and infrastructure to deliver the proposed project.
Ineligible
- Projects focusing on initiatives that are already receiving significant funding.
- This includes:
- Expansion of the Targeted Lung Health Check programme.
- Implementation of community diagnostic hubs (however projects hosted within community diagnostic hubs will be considered).
For more information, visit Available Research Grants.