Development Awards

Career level:

There are two types of Development Award, one for Early Career Researchers and one for Established Investigators.

Research area:

All areas of CF research. We welcome applications addressing all areas of the JLA refreshed CF research priorities including those that focus on supporting people growing older with CF, CF diabetes and the effects of modulators on systems outside the lungs

Call dates:

• Preliminary application: 5pm 29 April 2024 as Expression of Interest
• Final submission: September 2024
• Committee review: February 2025

Funding period:

1-3 years

Funding amount:

£150,000 - £300,000

Find out more: 

We strongly encourage applicants to contact staff in the Research Awards team of Cystic Fibrosis Trust ahead of applying to this scheme: [email protected]

There are two types of Development Award (DA), one for Early Career Researchers and one for Established Investigators.

Early Career Research DAs: Funding is available to undertake preparatory work (e.g. generating preliminary data, strengthening collaborations, developing partnerships etc) to develop future applications for further funding and help career development.

Established Investigator DAs: Funding is available to undertake preparatory work (e.g. generating preliminary data, strengthening collaborations, developing partnerships etc) to develop future applications for further funding, for example to our Strategic Research Centre (SRC) programme.

We strongly encourage applicants to contact staff in the Research Awards team at Cystic Fibrosis Trust ahead of applying to this scheme: [email protected]

Download the Development Award guidelines to find out more.

Download the Development Award guidelines

All areas of CF research. Projects that address the JLA refreshed CF research priorities including those which focus on supporting people growing older with CF, CF diabetes and the effects of modulators on systems outside the lungs are particularly welcome.

Funding support is provided for:

• Salaries (post-doc, PhD students and technicians only). The award can cover the salary costs of post-doctoral applicants.
• Research consumables directly attributable to the project.
• Research equipment, non-capital expenditure, essential for the project (up to £20k across the period of the grant).
• Travel funding of up to £1,000 per year to facilitate travel relevant to the grant, such as attendance at scientific meetings.

Download the Development Award guidelines to find out more.

Download the Development Award guidelines

Please read the criteria for applying for Development Awards (DAs) carefully.

For Early Career Researcher DA:

In summary, applicants should be:

• UK-based.
• Less than eight years post PhD award, or equivalent professional training
• Looking for career development opportunities
• Applications from basic scientists are particularly welcome

For Established Investigator DA:

In summary, applicants should be

• UK based.
• Independent investigators with over 8 years post PhD award, or equivalent professional training.
• Looking to develop new avenues of research
• Applications from basic scientists are particularly welcome

For both types of DA award:

• Applicants from outside the field of CF are welcome but must demonstrate support from an established CF researcher. 
• The centre where the work is to be pursued must be an established research institution in the UK. 
• The applicant must have space and facilities to run the project.

Re-applying for awards

• If you are an early career researcher and have previously applied for a DA award, you are permitted to reapply
• If you are an established investigator and were previously unsuccessful  applied for a DA award you cannot re-apply for this year’s funding round. New applications may be considered if differing significantly from any original proposal previously submitted. 
• If you have previously applied for a DA award and are looking to submit a completely new proposal please contact the Research Awards Team to discuss eligibility before applying. 

Please read our Guidance notes when considering whether to apply. To apply, please download and complete the appropriate Expression of Interest form, the External Reviewer suggestion form and a CV template for each investigator. (Full details are included in the Expression of Interest form).

Development Award Guidelines

Early Career Research DA Expression of interest form

Established Investigator DA Expression of interest form

External peer reviewer suggestion form

CV template

We strongly encourage applicants to contact staff in the Research Awards team of the Trust ahead of applying to this scheme: [email protected]

• Expression of Interest (preliminary stage): 5pm on Monday 29 April 2024
• Announcement of results of phase 1: mid-July 2024
• Full proposal (stage 2) deadline: end -September 2024
• Decision: February 2025