Cross-funder statement on COVID-19 in future grant applications

Please note: this statement has since been updated with further signatories - see full list here. We encourage more funders to continue to sign up to this statement.

Today the Academy releases a cross-funder statement with 22 funder signatories on COVID-19 institutional memory: how we as funders will look to fairly remember and recognise the impacts of COVID-19 on grant applicants' work in the future. 

“...Any disruptions to research activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be taken into consideration by our panels and committees when assessing an individual applicant’s record of outputs, research achievements, and career progression in future grant rounds. We understand that most researchers will have been affected during this period of disruption. We also recognise that some of these impacts are likely to be felt long after the acute phase of the pandemic, potentially affecting applications for months or years to come...”
Excerpt from the statement

Read and download the full statement here or from the side of this page.

The statement is signed by:

• The Academy of Medical Sciences
• Alzheimer's Society
• The British Academy
• British Heart Foundation
• Bone Cancer Research Trust
• Children with Cancer UK
• Cancer Research UK
• Department of Health & Social Care National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)
• Diabetes UK
• Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity
• Healthcare Infection Society
• The Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine
• Medical Research Foundation
• Myeloma UK
• Prostate Cancer UK
• Royal Academy of Engineering
• The Royal Society
• Sarcoma UK
• UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
• Versus Arthritis
• Wellbeing of Women
• Worldwide Cancer Research

Simon Denegri OBE, Executive Director of the Academy of Medical Sciences, comments:

“It is absolutely fantastic news that such a breadth of funders have pledged to recognise COVID-19 disruption when assessing grant applicants.

“This statement commits funders to ask applicants about their COVID-19 disruption and use this information when assessing individuals’ outputs, research achievements, and career progression.

“This joint commitment from leading funders will make a real difference to many researchers. I hope this information sharing will prompt the concrete funding shifts required to save many talented people from dropping out of the research system.

“We welcome other funders contacting us and signing up to this commitment.”

Professor Paul Stewart FMedSci, Vice President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, comments:

“Throughout the pandemic I’ve been helping the Academy to support researchers, producing resources on loneliness, stress, leading remote teams and more. I’m very happy this career support is now endorsed by practical reports that take into account the impact of COVID-19 on research and researchers and I am delighted that so many other funders have committed to this, too.

“Funders must keep reassuring the researchers affected by COVID-19 that we care about you, we are here to support your research and we want you to succeed. A big thank you from me for all you are doing in what remain very challenging circumstances. There’s still a long way to go in this journey and we are here to try and help you the best we can.”

Applicants should refer to individual funders webpages for details of how these principles are being applied within funder grant processes.

You can find out more about the Academy of Medical Sciences' individual processes and policies through our top tips for factoring COVID-19 into grant applications for funders, panel members and applicants.