Oxford BHF CRE Funding Opportunities

The Oxford BHF Centre of Research Excellence (BHF CRE) brings together the entire cardiovascular research spectrum across the University of Oxford, from discovery science through to clinical and population health research. The Oxford BHF CRE was initiated in April 2008, and the 2019 renewal award brings the total BHF investment into the Oxford CRE to over £20million.

The current Oxford BHF CRE budget of £6m, from April 2019 for 5 years, is allocated across the main categories of Career Development, Pump Priming and Enabling Technologies, with targeted funding streams within the main budget categories. 

Principal Investigators of the Oxford BHF Centre of Research Excellence lead independent programmes of research which deliver against one or more of the key Themes of Big Data, Human Genetics, Target Discovery and Development & Regeneration.

Principal Investigators may apply for funding from the BHF CRE, and support members of their group and external collaborators with applications where appropriate. All applications to the BHF CRE for funding will need to identify which Oxford BHF CRE Theme (s) the proposed activities will benefit.

Types of funding available from the Oxford BHF CRE

The Oxford BHF CRE budget is allocated across the main categories of Career Development, Pump Priming and Enabling Technologies, with targeted funding streams within the main budget categories.  Funding will not generally be awarded where external grant applications would be appropriate and investments that will yield clear added value and/or leverage will be prioritised.

Pump Priming: These awards offer a short turn-around time between an application and the outcome to enable researchers to be responsive and innovative. We encourage applications which clearly have the purpose of generating preliminary data and strengthening future external funding proposals.

Enabling Technologies: We encourage applications to help establish or further develop specialist multi-user facilities. Priority will be given to building and developing research facilities that benefit more than one BHF CRE research group, and where a compelling argument is presented for how the facility will be supported in the longer term.  Many specialist, shared multi-user facilities are dependent on highly skilled technicians and scientists for the smooth running and assistance with complex experimental procedures. The BHF CRE will consider applications to underwrite or part-fund key personnel (bridging funding) and/or facilities with a long-term goal to cover costs from re-charging to grants and/or full economic costing of grants.

Career Development: This budget supports a range of activities, including the development of skills-training programmes for cardiovascular research, the Oxford BHF CRE Transition Research Fellowship programme (to prepare applicants to compete effectively for an external award), undergraduate vacation student awards, and the collaboration travel awards described below.

Travel awards for building national and international collaborations: Funding may be used to support travel to start or develop research collaborations, to visit recognised research centres to study new techniques, or to assist collaborators to spend time with an Oxford BHF CRE group. 

Conference travel (graduate students/post-docs): Funding is available to assist with expenses associated with conference travel, aimed at graduate students and post-docs attending an international conference to give a talk or present a poster, where funding is not otherwise available. Each award is limited to a maximum of £500. 

Theme meetings: Funding is available for researchers planning to host theme meetings or workshops relevant to the BHF CRE research themes.

Applications for awards from the Oxford BHF CRE may be submitted at any time and will be discussed at the next available steering committee meeting.  Advisory application deadlines will be announced on a rolling basis.  There will be separate application deadlines announced for Transition Fellowships and Vacation Studentships.

If you are interested in applying for any of the listed funding streams or would like further information on our funding programmes please contact Philippa Major, Research Facilitator for the Oxford BHF CRE.