Support for researchers

The aim of Cystic Fibrosis Trust's research strategy is to support and enable delivery of a broad and dynamic portfolio of world-class innovative research that ensures that every person with CF in the UK can live a long and full life. Find out how you can help us achieve this.

  • Apply for funding

    Are you a researcher with an interest in cystic fibrosis? We have a variety of research funding available, including:

    • Our Strategic Research Centres, virtual centres of research excellence that are intended to create multidisciplinary teams to address questions of strategic relevance to people with cystic fibrosis. Deadline for expressions of interest is Monday 29 April 2024.
    • Our Venture and Innovation Awards, which support transformational and innovative research projects by providing financial support and bringing funding into the field of CF from external sources.
    • Our Development Awards offer an opportunity to undertake preparatory work to develop future applications for further funding - for example to our Strategic Research Centre (SRC) programme or for fellowships schemes. Deadline for expressions of interest is Monday 29 April 2024.
    • Our Summer Studentships, which provide medical and basic science undergraduates with hands-on experience of research during the academic summer vacation. Applications are now open for summer 2024, the deadline for applying is Wednesday 17 April 2024.
    • Our Innovation Hub funding call within the Translational Innovation Hub Network for Lung Health and Infection, co-funded with LifeArc is currently in progress. The deadline for applications has now passed.

    Our Research noticeboard includes details of funding schemes from other research funders. This includes the fellowships from Medical Research Council and NIHR where we have co-funding agreements in place:

    • MRC Clinical Research Training Fellowships
    • NIHR Predoctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowships (PCAF)

    The NIHR has a rolling call for proposals that address research priorities identified through a JLA priority setting partnership, including the recently refreshed CF research priorities, 

    Apply for funding

  • Research noticeboard

    Full of useful reminders of grant deadlines, conferences and workshops, this is your go-to page for important information to progress your research.

    Visit the research noticeboard

  • CF AMR Syndicate

    The CF AMR Syndicate  brings industry leaders and people with CF together with academics with expertise in CF and lung infections, it is enabled and facilitated by the Trust, Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC) and LifeArc. For more information about the CF AMR Syndicate, joining the network and how to support its ongoing work, please visit the CF AMR Syndicate website.

    Find out more about the CF AMR Syndicate

  • Refreshed CF research priorities

    In November 2022 a list of 10 CF research priorities was published. This features the most important questions about cystic fibrosis chosen by the CF community. They form the guiding principles in our research funding decisions, see our Apply for funding page for more details of open calls. 

    Read the list of research priorities and how they were decided

  • Researchfish

    We use the online database Researchfish to evaluate the outcomes of the research we’re funding. Find out how Researchfish allows us to share the impact of our research with the CF community and generate income, and how you can submit your data.

    Learn more about Researchfish

  • Research workshops

    Research workshops are a useful way of creating an environment, for experts outside of CF and established CF researchers, to explore ways of working together to crack a major problem. Previously we’ve run workshops on cancer and CF, understanding gut-related complications of CF and on clinical trials respectively.

    Find research workshops

research scientists in the lab

Our research strategy

The Trust is supporting and enabling the delivery of a broad and dynamic portfolio of world-class research to help ensure every person with CF in the UK can live a long and full life. 

Research we fund

We fund research to tackle some of the most pressing issues in CF today. Find out how your donations are making a difference.

Research noticeboard

Full of useful reminders of grant deadlines, conferences and workshops, this is your go-to page for important information to progress your research.

Contact us

Get in touch with us to speak to someone on our Helpline, find out about an event or speak to our press team.

Your donation will make a difference:

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