Sarcoma UK’s Open Grant Round

Sarcoma UK is committed to funding world-class science to understand sarcoma better, improve treatments and make a difference to the lives of sarcoma patients.

Sarcoma UK’s strategic approach to research is flexible and broad, and the charity is open to supporting high-quality research across a number of scientific and clinical fields across all its funding calls. Areas of exploration that could be considered for funding include, but are not limited to, improving understanding of disease biology, improving diagnosis, developing new or better treatments, and improving quality of life.

Grant Types Available

• Small Grants, £50,000 – for pump-priming ideas, providing proof of concept, or funding additional research to a larger project already underway.
• Large Grants, £150,000, to support a substantive piece of work; must support a member of staff.
• PhD studentships, £130,000. Sarcoma UK seeks to provide funding for new PhD studentships in lab-based science, with the aim of attracting high-calibre graduates who will go on to develop a career in sarcoma research. The PhD studentships offer up to £130,000 funding, comprising a stipend, fees and research expenses. Funding is available for three and a half years, with thesis completion expected within four years of the start date. Applications for PhD studentships will not be accepted if the studentship is already underway.

Eligibility Criteria

• Open Grant Round invites applications across all areas of sarcoma research, including laboratory and clinical research, and for PhD studentships.
• Host institution:
  • The host institution for the project must be a UK-based higher education institution or the NHS.
  • The host institution must be the employer of the grant holder.
  • The host institution will be responsible for the entirety of the award, including all administration, liaison with third parties and ensuring compliance with conditions of award by other institutions where appropriate.
  • Work on the project may take place at other institutions, which may be outside of the UK, but the host institution is responsible for any sub-contracting and payment of funds to other organisations.
• PhD studentships
  • The Main Supervisor (PI):
    • The Main Supervisor (PI) is responsible for the intellectual leadership of the research project and must be actively engaged in the overall management of the research.
    • The PI should be able to demonstrate evidence of a strong research record, with experience to drive and lead a research project which addresses your proposed research questions. Demonstrable evidence could include publications, successful grant applications and an ability to lead teams. They must show evidence of supervising PhD students.
  • Second and third supervisors:
    • The 2nd and 3rd supervisors must be appropriate to the needs of the project and have a level of commitment to both the research and the training and development of the PhD student.
    • 2nd Supervisor: Should provide academic input and a second line of support for the student.
    • 3rd Supervisor (if applicable): Should contribute to the student experience or provide a vital facet to the project.

For more information, visit Sarcoma UK.