BHF is prepared to release a small amount of funding from awarded Clinical Study Grants (up to £50,000) prior to formal activation of the grant to support the work required to obtain relevant permissions for clinical trials research.
This can include seeking clinical trials authorisation, ethical approval and other preparatory work for the start of the study. Please note that we usually expect ethical approval to be obtained within 6 months.
- You can request funding of up to £50,000 as a separate ‘Clinical Trials Set Up Fund’ budget item in the Overall Costs table on the Funding/Support Requested page of the Clinical Study Grant application form. You will also be asked to provide a breakdown of the activities that will be performed using this funding, and a justification for the costs requested.
- Any activities proposed to take place using the ‘Clinical Trials Set Up Fund’ should be marked as taking place prior to grant activation in the study timetable and Gantt chart (included in the Clinical Study Grant Case for Support).
- If your application is awarded, you will need to submit a formal request to BHF for release of the Clinical Trials Set Up Fund, stating the proposed date to activate the fund and the anticipated time required for obtaining approvals and performing preparatory activities.
- The Clinical Trials Set Up Fund will be released as a single payment prior to activation of the grant, and the fund can be used flexibly to support set up activities. No further funds will be released from the grant, and the grant cannot be formally activated, until BHF receives a copy of all necessary regulatory research governance approvals and any other grant conditions specified in your award letter have been met.
- If part of the fund is used to support salaries of staff on the grant who are required to perform set up activities, BHF will not provide any further salary support for such posts until the grant is activated and the post(s) on the grant formally begin.
- Once you have obtained all necessary approvals and all grant conditions are met, you will need to submit a formal request to activate the grant with a proposed grant activation date, for BHF approval.
- The Clinical Trials Set Up Fund cannot be requested retrospectively for work done prior to the proposed date of release of the fund. If you do not use the Clinical Trials Set up Fund before the grant is activated the budget will remain with BHF.
- The Clinical Trials Set Up Fund cannot be accessed if an award is made in principle contingent on satisfying grant conditions, e.g., securing of funding from other agencies, until a formal award is made.