Highlight notices are calls for projects to answer a specific research question that has been identified by our Diabetes Research Steering Groups.
They are different from our strategic calls as instead of being funded from a specific fund, the applications to highlight notices are included in our project grants round which run twice per year. Money for our highlight notices is not ringfenced and the applications are in competition with all other applications in the project grant round.
On this page you can find our open research highlight notices and an archive of previous highlight notices.
Open research highlight notice
Addressing Pre-Pregnancy Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affects at least 5% of pregnancies in the UK and causes major complications for both mother and baby.
The WellBabe study showed that calorie restriction upon GDM diagnosis around 28 weeks gestation could reverse some pathophysiological changes but not beta cell dysfunction. This suggests that the window to prevent GDM is before the early pregnancy rise in plasma triglycerides. Weight loss of 10-15kg in the first trimester is not feasible, so it must be achieved pre-pregnancy.
Diabetes UK welcomes applications investigating feasibility of a randomised study of significant weight loss prior to pregnancy among women who experienced GDM in a previous pregnancy. The study will acquire pilot data on effectiveness to inform a subsequent large, randomised study.
Read the highlight notice (PDF, 119KB) and plain English summary (PDF, 77KB).
Applying diabetes technology during the hospital pathway to improve care for people living with diabetes
There is rising use of diabetes technologies, including glucose sensors, connected insulin pens, insulins pumps and automated insulin delivery systems in people living with diabetes. The benefits of these technologies are not being exploited in the acute care setting, including peri-operatively and in acute maternity settings, where there continues to be an unacceptably high risk of harms for people with diabetes.
Diabetes UK welcomes applications investigating how glucose sensor data and safety alerts/alarms can be made accessible to healthcare providers, investigating how people with diabetes and healthcare providers can benefit from using glucose sensors throughout the hospital journey, focussing on empowerment and greater preparedness for hospital admission, investigating the role of decision support tools using glucose and insulin data from within the electronic healthcare records, and also investigating how to apply diabetes related technologies to improve outcomes in preparation for, during and after surgery and within acute maternity care.
Read the highlight notice (PDF, 881KB).
Highlight notice archive
2025
- Improving the understanding of diabetes in underserved communities to improve targeted interventions and reduce health inequalities. Read the highlight notice and plain English summary.
- Leveraging the insights of children and young people with type 1 diabetes to shape research. Read the highlight notice and plain English summary.
2024
- Addressing health inequalities in diabetes. Read the highlight notice and plain English summary.
- Implementing glucose monitoring technologies in hospitals and care homes for people living with diabetes. Read the highlight notice and plain English summary.
- Improving access to, and understanding of, support for people with type 2 diabetes who want to put their condition into, or maintain remission. Read the highlight notice and plain English summary.
2023
- Improving understanding, prevention, treatment, and care of people living with early-onset type 2 diabetes. Read the highlight notice and plain English summary.
- Identifying and addressing problematic polypharmacy in people with diabetes. In partnership with Polypharmacy UK. Read the highlight notice and plain English summary.
- Reducing sight loss in people living with diabetes. In partnership with Moorfields Eye Charity, Fight for Sight, and The Macular Society. Read the highlight notice and plain English summary.
2022
- Understanding the link between COVID-19 and diabetes. Read the highlight notice.
- Understanding the clinical relevance of c-peptide concentrations in type 1 diabetes. Read the highlight notice and plain English summary.
2021
- Understand the pathogenesis of diabetes that develops atypically, or in minority populations. In partnership with Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Read the highlight notice and plain English summary.
- Diabetes and foot care. In partnership with Great Foundations. Read the highlight notice and plain English summary.
2020
- New glucose monitoring technologies in inpatient care. Read the highlight notice.
- Practice-based pharmacy research into diabetes. In partnership with Pharmacy Research UK. Read the highlight notice.
2019
- Menopause and diabetes self-management. Read the highlight notice.
