The Professor Michael Nicholson Awards
In honour of Professor Mike Nicholson’s dedication to developing new and innovative approaches to kidney transplantation, and in recognition of the urgent need to decrease waiting times and improve the outcomes for those who need a donor kidney, we are launching the Kidney Research UK-Stoneygate jointly funded Professor Michael Nicholson Awards.
With applications open until 18 October 2023 for this first year of funding, we welcome UK-based proposals aiming to improve outcomes for the kidney patient community and build expertise in renal transplantation.
Transforming transplantation research
It is an exciting time for transplantation research with significant breakthroughs taking place, and we are now seeking applications from UK-based researchers who can help us achieve even greater impact by escalating research progress and innovation and strengthen collaboration across all transplant research centres.
We wish to increase the number of researchers by:
- attracting and retaining young surgeons to pursue an academic transplant research career in renal transplantation
- attracting new and diverse people into kidney transplant research, including early career researchers, who have potential to be the leaders of future developments.
We are seeking applications that will help our ambitions to:
- accelerate discoveries and develop outstanding leaders in kidney transplant research
- make kidney transplants last longer and build stronger defences against infections and other diseases that can lead to transplant failure
- increase the availability of kidneys for transplantation and reduce the wait.
- develop novel machine perfusion techniques that have the capacity to increase organ utilisation rates and deliver pre-transplant regenerative therapies that prolong transplant survival.
We aim to build on our ongoing investment in Cambridge through part of this programme of investment, although we are actively seeking applications from researchers based UK-wide.
Types of grants available
In the first of a three-year programme of awards, we welcome applications for the following grant types:
Research project grants: funds stand-alone research projects that will advance our knowledge in kidney transplantation.
- Grant available: up to £250,000
- Funding period: maximum of three years, may be spread over a two or three-year period.
Start-up grants: funds stand-alone research studies to investigate innovative new hypotheses around kidney transplantation that lack any significant existing research evidence.
- Grant available: up to £40,000
- Funding period: maximum of two years, may be spread over a one or two-year period.
Senior fellowship scientist: supports non-clinical scientists who have conducted independent research in kidney transplantation and wish to build on their experience and reputation in this field, deepening their knowledge.
- Grant available: the fellow’s salary is based on the University or Institute Scale and a consumables allowance of £24,000 per annum.
- Funding period: for up to three-five years.
Transplant surgeon PhD fellowship: supports medical graduates who are specialising in surgery to expand the levels of expertise in kidney transplantation research.
- Training Fellowship: The Fellow’s salary, higher degree tuition fees and a consumables allowance of £15,000 per annum.
- Funding period: for up to three years.
PhD studentship: PhD Studentships are available for research leading to PhD, focusing on kidney transplantation research.
- PhD Studentship: The student’s stipend is based on the Medical Research Council Scale. Higher degree tuition fees and a consumables allowance of £3,500 per annum up to a total of £10,500.
- Funding period: for up to three and a half years.
Submitting an application
“We urgently need more scientific research to help reduce waiting times, to make transplants last longer and to create better post-surgery experiences for our patients. These transplant-science focused grants will build the expertise and support the research to make this happen and I’m honoured these awards are being made in my name.” Professor Mike Nicholson.
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