Alcohol Research UK & NIHR grants open

Alcohol Research UK grants 2017-18

Alcohol Research UK's current grants programme is open offering a range of opportunities for researchers and relevant organisations. Applicants should read both the Research Strategy and appropriate Guidance for Applicants documents before developing proposals. 

Small grants of up to £8,000 are available for small projects lasting up to 12 months. The deadline for receipt of applications is the 13th September 2017. For full information and details of how to apply, please read the Guidance for Small Grant Applications.

A Network Development grant of up to £3,000 is available for applicants organising a conference or other network events. The event must be relevant to, or will further the aims of, Alcohol Research UK’s programme of work (not including biomedical research). There is no deadline for Network Development awards though no institution will be awarded more than £3,000 for network development in any financial year. Apply here.

Conference attendance support up to £300 is available for relevant Early Career Researchers to be able to deliver a paper at a conference which is relevant to, or furthers the aims of, Alcohol Research UK’s programme of work. The paper must be accepted before an application for assistance can be made. It is not possible to offer a bursary for poster presentations. See here for further conditions and apply here.

The Research Innovation Grants scheme will be open for applications from 8th November 2017 and the deadline will be 16th January 2018. The scheme will be continuing with a Research Priority of ‘Treatment and Recovery Today’ and full information on the call will be available in November.

Up to three Postgraduate Research Studentships are available for match funding (£10,000 per year for three years) to enable students to undertake research in the alcohol field leading to a PhD. Applications will be accepted for studentships to start from the academic year 2018/19, from 11th September and the deadline will be 18th October 2017.  Full information will be available in September.

NIHR Changing drinking behaviours grants

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is accepting stage 1 applications on 'Interventions in built, natural and social environments to change behavioural norms and minimise harm associated with drinking alcohol'.

The following research is of interest:

Evaluations of effectiveness of interventions pertaining to the built, natural (for example green space) and social environment, on drinking behaviour and/or social norms and alcohol harm reduction. Interventions may include structural or policy changes in these environments. Specific areas of interest include:

1. Evaluations of interventions to minimise harm due to alcohol consumption as part of the Night Time Economy (NTE).
2. Evaluations of interventions to minimise harm due to consumption of alcohol bought at on-licence premises (i.e. premises licenced to sell alcohol for consumption on the premises).
3. Evaluations of interventions to minimise harm due to consumption of alcohol bought from off-licence premises (i.e. premises licenced to sell alcohol for consumption off the premises), including supermarkets.
4. Evaluation of interventions aimed at positively impacting on patterns/intensity of drinking, including “pre-loading”***.
5. Evaluation of aspects of built, natural or social environments which provide incentives or disincentives to consume alcohol at particular times, or which influence drinking patterns or alcohol-related harm. Examples may include (but are not restricted to): premise design and operations, bylaws, street lighting, public transport, street and park furniture and shelter, public toilet provision, and general urban layout (interventions may be multifactorial).
6. Evaluation of interventions which may act directly to minimise harm to individuals consuming alcohol problematically; examples may include (but are not restricted to): safe havens, alcohol arrest referral schemes, sobering up centres, and initiatives such as Street Pastors which offer practical help to those requiring support).
7. Evaluation of multifaceted interventions that pertain to built, natural or social environments and which impact on harm minimisation.
8. Interventions that address differences in problematic alcohol use norms by race/ethnicity, gender and other sub-groups such as socioeconomic status.
9. Evaluation of population level interventions which aim to change social norms pertaining to alcohol use.
10. Evaluation of the impact of interventions to change behavioural norms and minimise harm associated with drinking alcohol on other health behaviours associated with night-time-economic activity.

See here for further information. The deadline for applications is 1pm, 14 November 2017.

For a rundown of forthcoming alcohol-related events see here.