Guidance notes for applicants

Deafness Research UK has the following eight priority research areas:

• Fundamental molecular, cellular and developmental research leading to prevention and medical treatments for hearing loss
• Early detection of deafness and hearing rehabilitation programmes
• Causes and treatment of otitis media with effusion (“glue ear”)
• Genetics of deafness
• Improving benefit from hearing aids
• Improving benefit from cochlear implants
• Central auditory processing
• Causes and treatment of tinnitus

Applications in these areas are invited and may be given priority but promising work in other areas of hearing research is not excluded.

To ensure that the most effective use is made of charitable funds, all applications are peer reviewed. However, without compromising scientific standards, we try to work in a more flexible and interactive fashion than the larger and publicly-funded sources of research support are able to do.

Applicants should be aware that, due to limited resources, we do not automatically acknowledge applications and, although we endeavour to process applications as quickly as possible, we are unable to guarantee review completion dates. Full details of peer review procedures are available in the Application Procedures document from the Deafness Research UK office.

The majority of Deafness Research UK grants are made in response to applications received. However, our income derives entirely from voluntary support and, where specific fundraising opportunities are identified, outline project proposals or information on other funding needs may be invited from researchers with a proven track record. In such cases peer review is still applied before the release of funds.

Applicants should also note that the lay summary sections of the application forms are vital to our fundraising activities and must be written for an audience with no scientific background.  Please take time to ensure language used in the lay summary is easy to understand and that your explanation is clear, otherwise we will have to ask you to revise this part of your application.

Timing of applications

The Deafness Research UK Research Sub-Committee meets quarterly (January, April, July and October) and grant applications are considered at each meeting. However, applications may be submitted at any time and, particularly where project-level funding (£15,000 and over) is sought, applicants are advised to submit proposals as early as possible regardless of meeting dates. This allows the maximum time for fundraising for projects, once approved by scientific advisers.

Applicants seeking small grants, which are likely to be allocated from our reserves at quarterly meetings, are advised to submit details at least six weeks prior to the meeting at which they wish the application to be considered. In exceptional circumstances, small grants may be confirmed between meetings under special procedures.

A list of meeting dates and details of the terms and conditions applying to Deafness Research UK awards are available from the Deafness Research UK office. Applications are accepted in writing only, on the appropriate form submitted both as hard copy and electronically.

Small grants

For sums of less than £15,000, applicants should use the small grants application form.

Grants of £15,000 and above

Applications for grants £15,000 and above must be submitted on the appropriate application form but, in the interests of efficiency, applicants are recommended to submit an advance summary of their proposals for consideration by advisers. New applicants or previous applicants planning research in an area not previously funded may find this particularly helpful. A preliminary application form is available for this purpose.

Because of pressures on the charity’s resources, Deafness Research UK has a policy of allocating expenditure on projects, including salaries, for only one year at a time, even where a longer-term project has been accepted in principle. Where the funding situation enables us to waive this restriction, annual progress reports are still required before annual release of funds, as stated in the terms and conditions.

Postgraduate studentships

Applications from supervisors should be submitted using the Deafness Research UK studentship application form. Costs should be based on MRC studentship rates as indicated on the application form.

Equipment grants

Applications for equipment should made using the dedicated equipment grant application form.

Travel grants

A travel grant fund of £1000 is available each quarter to be distributed amongst the most competitive applications from grant-holders and others to attend meetings, either specialist or general, where the subject is one of Deafness Research UK’s priority areas. Grants may also be awarded for travel for collaborative purposes or to learn techniques only available elsewhere which would be used to further a research project in which Deafness Research UK has an interest. These costs should not be included in project grant applications, but should be the subject of a separate application. Other than in exceptional circumstances, travel grants are restricted to one application per individual per year and to one author per poster or talk. Awards will be made the end of January, April, July and October, however, applications received less than 28 days prior to the date of departure or submitted retrospectively will not be considered.

In order to be considered, applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. Applications are invited from early-stage researchers; i.e. graduate students and scientists in their first post-doctoral position.
2. The applicant must present either a poster or a talk at the meeting (where applicable).
3. The work must be of high quality, as assessed by a scientific adviser to DR(UK).
4. The work must be relevant to the aims of DR(UK). 
5. The application must be supported strongly by the applicant’s supervisor/Principal Investigator.

Please ensure that you submit with your application:

1. A copy of the abstract of the paper being presented.
2. A separate statement explaining the importance of the work and its relevance to the aims of DR(UK).
3. Evidence that funds are being sought from other sources in addition to DR(UK).
4. A statement of support from their supervisor.

Please note thatDeafness Research UK has special schemes for travel to the ARO midwinter meeting, the International Hearing Aid Research Conference and the Conference on Implantable Auditory Prostheses. In addition, the Pauline Ashley Prize is awarded annually to a scientist near the beginning of his or her career working in deafness research or a related field. Each year, £5,000 is awarded to the best and most appropriate project proposal that includes support for a period of foreign travel and research. Details of the application processes, our prioritisation criteria and deadlines for the next meetings will be published on the Deafness Research UK website, advertised at the BSA Short Papers meeting and by EARMAIL at the appropriate time.

Grants for Infrastructure

Grants may be awarded to provide facilities for a research group rather than for a single named project. Examples are equipment such as computers or microscopes, contributions to accommodation and/or support staff such as computer programmers, engineers, technicians, clinical trial co-ordinators and record clerks. The application should be in the form appropriate to the level of funds sought (see above) but applicants should ensure that the following information is included (by appending details, if necessary):

1. The CVs of the principal scientists who will use or benefit from the facilities; reprints of recent papers in the research area for which the facilities will be used.
2. Information on associated projects either in the form of copies of grant applications that have been or are about to be made; alternatively an A4 page outline of the aims, structure and new data expected from each project in the new research. If the research is in an area new to the group, this outline should give details of the previous work of the principal investigators and the value and scientific promise of the topic.
3. The specific nature of the facilities required, stating the research procedures which could not otherwise be carried out. If some similar facilities are already available but to an inadequate extent, their current limitations either in terms of their precision, effectiveness or availability should be stated. If staff are required, the applicant should state how their work benefits or makes possible the project(s).
4. The statement should indicate in roughly what proportion the required facilities will be shared among the projects referred to, or with other groups. The charity is prepared in principle to consider applications involving part-funding with other sources, but such cases should be discussed with the Research Development Manager before an application is prepared.

Submitting an application

All applicants should refer to the terms and conditions before submitting an application. In particular it should be noted that, in line with AMRC guidance, applications should be for directly incurred costs of research only.  In exceptional cases, some directly allocated costs may be considered but indirect costs of research will not be met.

In the first instance, enquiries should be addressed to the Research Development Manager: email: , tel: 020 7679 8906, fax: 020 7278 0404.

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