General information on research grants

The information in this section should be read in conjunction with the British Heart Foundation Standard Conditions of Grant, which contain the standard terms to which all awards are subject. BHF reserves the right to make awards subject to further terms and conditions on a case-by-case basis.

Awards may only be activated after BHF has received written acceptance of the terms upon which they are made in satisfactory form.

1. Subject (field of research)

Basic or applied clinical research relevant to the cardiovascular system. Collaborative research between clinicians and basic scientists is encouraged.  

2. Principal Investigator (applicant and co-applicant(s))

Unless applied for in the application, the salaries of the principal investigator and co-applicants must be guaranteed during the term of the grant at a UK based institution. The principal investigator will be held responsible for managing the grant, both scientifically and financially, and will be the BHF’s point of contact.

3. Administering an Award

The principal investigator is responsible for the administration of the grant on behalf of the host institution. Where two or more institutions are involved, the host institution has responsibility for the administration of the grant on behalf of the other centres.  

4. Salaries

Salaries for research staff should be calculated based on nationally agreed pay scales. Institutions operating local pay scales should supply a copy. BHF will cover the employer's costs (i.e. basic salary, national insurance, superannuation and, if applicable, London allowance). BHF will cover annual increments to the top of the scale and nationally agreed pay awards. For PhD students see stipends. Senior researchers (at least 3 years post-doctoral) and medically qualified staff should be named. Advertising and interviewing costs will not be met by BHF.  

Salaries for researchers wishing to work part-time may be included on project and programme grants. Part-time researchers may also apply for fellowships, providing they meet the criteria for the fellowship and can remain internationally research competitive.

5. Stipends for PhD Students (non-clinical)

Stipends are set by BHF and are listed separately. University tuition fees ( UK rate) may be applied for, but no other allowances. PhD Studentships may only be applied for through the Fellowships Committee.  

6. Consumables

Applicants may apply for funding to cover research consumables such as reagents, materials, animals and animal feed etc. A detailed breakdown of the amount requested with a written justification should be supplied. BHF will only cover direct research costs and will not reimburse for university or research institution overheads and infrastructure costs (e.g. heating, lighting, institute staff, advertising, secretarial, office expenses, library and publication charges etc). An exception can be made for secretarial assistance and office costs for epidemiological studies.

7. Equipment

Items of equipment may be included in an application if specifically required for the project. Details required are: type of equipment, specification, preferred manufacturer and supplier, cost per item. A written justification should also be provided. Costs may include delivery but should exclude VAT, installation, maintenance and insurance. Applicants should ensure that the host institution has agreed to be responsible for these costs at their own expense.  

8. Travel to conferences and meetings

Travel costs should not be included in grant applications. For grants awarded after 1 April 2008, travel funds to present at or attend scientific meetings relevant to the grant will be included in the award if eligible.  For grants awarded prior to 1 April 2008, limited support is available separately and the Research Funds Department should be contacted for an application form and details in advance of the meeting.    

9. Supplementary Funding

Supplementary funding following an award is not normally permitted. It is important, therefore, to provide accurate costings when applying for funding.

10. Deferred Applications

BHF accepts no responsibility for interim funding as a consequence of delays however caused.

11. Residency Requirements

Candidates for UK based personal awards (e.g. fellowships and PhD studentships) should normally be a national of the EEA (European Economic Area) with relevant connection to the EEA. Relevant connection would be established if an individual has (i) been ordinarily resident in the EEA, and (ii) has an appropriate degree from a university in the EEA, or has worked in a university, hospital or research institution in the EEA for at least the past three years, or did so before taking up an appointment outside the EEA.

Candidates who are not EEA nationals may be eligible to apply if the individual has worked in a university (providing it is not for the sole purpose of full-time education), hospital or research institution in the UK for at least three years, prior to the date of application.

There are no residency restrictions for research staff whose salary is applied for on project and programme grants.

12. Curricula Vitae of Applicants and Research Staff

Brief CVs should be submitted for the principal investigator, co-applicants and salaried research staff on applications for funding. CVs should be condensed to a single sheet (max two sides) and as a minimum must include the following information:

• Full name, age, date of birth and nationality
• Degrees, diplomas etc (subject class, university, dates)
• Current post and source of funding (e.g. HEFC/other, with dates)
• Current basic salary (if salary is being requested from BHF)
• Career history (with dates)
• Recent relevant publications (full papers, list abstracts separately)

Applications for personal support (e.g Fellowships), CVs should be more detailed to include prizes, awards, a complete career history, career intentions, and a list of peer reviewed papers with abstracts listed separately.

13. Lay Summary

The summary should be written in a non-technical style for use in publicity material. It should explain clearly the problem being addressed, the aims and expected benefits of the research project in terms understood by the general public. Please read What to include in lay summaries for further guidance.

14. Ethical Approval

A research proposal involving investigations using healthy volunteers, patients or patient material will require ethical approval from the Local Research Ethics Committee (or Multi-centre Research Ethics Committee,where five or more centres are involved in the research). BHF's questionnaire on the involvement of human subjects Form EXH must be completed and enclosed with the application. An awarded project may not begin without full ethical approval, a copy of which must be forwarded to BHF in advance.  

15. Use of Animals

BHF's animal questionnaire Form EXA must be completed and enclosed with the application. Applicants are expected, wherever possible, to adopt procedures and techniques which avoid the use of animals. Where this is not possible, their use must be minimised and fully justified, indicating relevance to the better understanding of human disorders. Survival experiments will be subject to special scrutiny. The cost of licences and training must be borne by the department.  

16. Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Exploitation

Applicants must state whether or not the work arising from a BHF award is likely to lead to commercial exploitation. For further information, refer to the BHF Standard Conditions of Grant.  

17. Consultancies,Third Party Relationships and Arrangements

Applicants and the institution need to review all existing consultancies and third party arrangements to check for compliance with BHF Standard Terms of Grant prior to application and prior to acceptance of any award.  

18. Current Grants

Applicants should list current research awards from both BHF and other funding organisations giving the award reference number, title, sum awarded and end date.  

19. Overlap with Existing Projects

Applicants need to explain how this application differs (i.e. does not overlap) scientifically or financially with other current grants of whatever source. It is not sufficient to simply state “no overlap”.  

20. Continuation and Subsequent Grants

An application for renewed funding must include a summary of the aims and achievements of the previous grant with a list of publications arising from that award.  

21. Re-submitted applications

If an application is being re-submitted having been rejected by the BHF, in whole or in part, by the same or a different committee, this must be made clear with an explanation of how the application has been changed. Unidentified re-submissions risk automatic rejection.

22. Closing Dates for Applications

There are no closing dates for project grant or fellowship applications, which should be submitted when complete. Closing dates do apply to programme grants. Please refer to the specific grant guidelines for advice on when results will be available, as this varies depending on the type of application. Sometimes applications are deferred for further information.  

23. Number of Copies of Applications

The number of copies required of an application is stated on the relevant application form and also in the specific grant guidelines.  

24. Reviewers

Applicants may supply names with full contact details of suitable reviewers; these may or may not be used. Applicants may also name those they consider to have a conflict of interest with their application. This information should be supplied with the application in an envelope marked ‘Confidential'.

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