The Academy is delighted to announce that Diabetes UK is to join the consortium of funders supporting our Starter Grants for Clinical Lecturers scheme from January 2016 (Round 15).
The Starter Grants scheme was launched in 2008 to support research-active Clinical Lecturers to pursue their research work. The scheme awards modest ‘start-up’ funds of up to £30,000 for up to 2 years to Clinical Lecturers – whose posts include the salary but often do not provide funds for research costs. These awards enable aspiring clinical academics to establish their research portfolios and strengthen their bids for longer-term fellowships and funding. Starter Grant awardees are also invited to attend the Winter Science Meeting, to present their work, network and explore the next steps in their careers.
To date, we have supported 272 Clinical Lecturers throughout the UK from all medical specialties and research disciplines. Previous award holders have reported securing more than £54 million in follow-on funding, including numerous Clinician Scientist Fellowships, as well as 614 peer-reviewed publications and 150 new collaborations stemming from their Starter Grants award.
Diabetes UK is the nation’s leading charitable funder of research into all forms of diabetes and its complications, supporting work to improve diabetes care, prevention and the search for a cure. They join the Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council, British Heart Foundation, Arthritis Research UK, Prostate Cancer UK and the Royal College of Physicians in offering their generous financial support to our Starter Grants for Clinical Lecturers scheme.
Dr Alasdair Rankin, Diabetes UK’s Director of Research, said “We’re proud to have supported the early careers of many of the UK’s leading diabetes experts, but as a nation we need to do so much more if we’re to make a difference for the growing number of people living with diabetes. Investing in the clinical research leaders of the future is a critical part of meeting the biggest healthcare challenge the UK currently faces, so we are delighted to be part of this scheme.”