The worlds of science and healthcare are continually evolving and Diabetes UK must remain flexible so we can anticipate, identify and respond to the needs of people with diabetes through our research. We are open to new ideas and do not rule out applications for novel work outside the scope of the Research Strategy.
This flexible approach will make sure that we are able to support any breakthrough areas of research.
Investing in people
Investing in people to develop the best diabetes researchers for the future has always been central to Diabetes UK’s work. We offer research-training opportunities in the form of PhD Studentships and research fellowships aimed at young clinicians and scientists at different stages in their careers. These individuals often go on to pursue a lifetime’s worth of research trying to improve the lives of people with diabetes, to prevent diabetes in those at risk, or to find a cure.
Over the years, we have given many individuals one or more of these prestigious awards. You can read their individual stories and contributions to diabetes research, often spanning many decades, in our Meet the researchers section.
How we fund research
We focus on research with the potential to make a difference to the lives of people with diabetes. So we consider research funding applications not only on the basis of their scientific merit but also on this potential.
How we decide our research funding
We offer diabetes research funding to scientists and clinicians working in universities and hospitals throughout the UK and, generally speaking, this pays for salaries as well as equipment and materials.
Researchers apply for a grant by sending us an application form, stating in detail:
- What research they plan to carry out
- How the work will benefit people with diabetes
- How much it will cost.
Because these applications contain complex scientific information, all of them undergo a process of 'peer review', where they are assessed by the most relevant independent experts from all over the world.
Each reviewer must be a senior researcher and have expertise in an area relevant to the application. To make sure that this process is fair, we avoid conflicts of interest, such as the applicant and peer reviewer having worked together in the past.
We ask the reviewers to comment in detail on various aspects of each grant application, for example the feasibility, cost-effectiveness and likely success of the proposed research.
In addition to expert peer rveiewers, each application is considered by our Grants Advisory Panel of people affected by diabetes, who decide which applications are of the highest priority.
Equipped with a range of peer review reports, the recommendations of our Grants Advisory Panel and the applications themselves, our Research Committee meets to discuss the applications and make recommendations to the charity’s Board of Trustees about which projects to support.
Applications for Diabetes UK Fellowships and PhD Studentships are considered separately by smaller panels of appropriate experts chosen from our Research Committee.