Before contacting us for help, please read our frequently asked questions.
Questions about eligibility
Questions about applications
Questions about Grant Tracker
Do you pay for pre-clinical work?
The Foundation seeks work that is translational or research-orientated and is therefore unlikely to support basic research (including in vitro or animal in vivo studies) although as members of the AMRC we endorse their policies on such work.
I am studying for a postgraduate/higher degree/fellowship. Will the Bupa Foundation pay my academic costs?
No, the Bupa Foundation does not pay course costs, eg registration or tutorial costs.
I am a medical student. Will the Bupa Foundation fund my medical elective travel/study costs?
No, this is not within the Foundation's remit.
Does the Bupa Foundation fund seminars or conferences?
No, this is outside the Foundation's remit.
Will the Bupa Foundation fund my systematic review?
No, this is outside the Foundation's remit.
How do I know which grant I should apply for?
Please read our eligibility criteria.
What time do applications close on the deadline day?
Applications technically close at midnight GMT, but we recommend that you try to submit your application before 5pm GMT as office support will not be provided after this time.
Can I make any changes to my application after it has been submitted?
No, once your application has been submitted to the Bupa Foundation you will not be able to make any changes. We ask you to check all sections of the application form carefully, and generate a test PDF before submitting your application.
Who can make an application for funding?
Applications must be made directly from the researchers working on the project that is the subject of the application.
Can I apply for a general grant if I work for a registered charity in one of your areas of interest?
We recommend that applications from registered charities are in partnership with academic institutions to ensure the best quality research.
Does the Bupa Foundation pay overheads?
As a registered charity the Foundation does not pay 'overheads'. The Charity Research Support Fund is now available to universities to provide funding contributing to the sustainability of research institutions. This is also intended to complement charity funding in relation to directly allocated costs not funded by medical research charities, including the Bupa Foundation.
Does the Bupa Foundation cover full economic costs?
No, in line with the guidance from the AMRC, charities are not expected to meet overhead costs. We can only pay directly related project costs.
Do salary costs need to include inflation?
Yes, all salary costings need to take inflation into account. This is because once the figures have been agreed by the Bupa Foundation board, they cannot be changed.
Can I include salary costs for the lead applicant or co-applicants?
In line with AMRC guidance, the Bupa Foundation does not fund salaries for permanent members of staff. However, if you need to hire a researcher for a period of time to complete the research, this may be costed under the salary section.
Does the Bupa Foundation pay publication costs for online open access journals?
The Bupa Foundation board encourages researchers to publish in this format but consider this cost more appropriate to the research institute or organisation. It may be possible for researchers to request a virement to cover these after the work is completed but they should not be added to the original funding request. All such requests are considered on individual merit.
Why does the application form ask me to identify the sponsor of my project?
This is to meet the requirements of the Department of Health Research Governance Framework 2005.
Do you have any guidance for writing a good lay summary?
Yes we do, why not read our guidelines on writing a good lay summary for your application.
Will my short-form application be peer reviewed?
No. As the short-form applications are an overview of the project, they will only be reviewed by Bupa Foundation governors.
Will my full application form be peer reviewed?
We aim to send applications to at least four external reviewers, include at least one not suggested by the applicant.
If my application is peer reviewed, does this mean it is more likely to be funded?
No, the sending of an application to be peer reviewed is not promise of a grant. All short-listed applications are subject to peer review.
Should I suggest my colleague as a peer reviewer for my application?
No, this would be a conflict of interest. Please ensure that you list only experts in your field of study, who are not known to you or your co-applicants
Will I know which peer reviewers see my application?
No, in common with most rigorous medical research charities, the Bupa Foundation's policy is to never reveal the identity of peer reviewers.
Should I contact my suggested peer reviewers before I submit my application?
The highest standard of research ethics apply in this situation. Canvassing reviewers for support is not permitted and will lead to immediate disqualification of the application.
Do all of the co-applicants need to sign the application form and when do you need it?
All named applicants and co-applicants need to sign the printed copy of the application form before it is sent to us. We ask that all signed copies arrive at our offices within two weeks of the online deadline for applications. An extension may be granted in special circumstances. Please contact the Bupa Foundation if this applies.
If I am successful, how soon will I be able to begin my project?
We recommend that you allow at least three months from the date of the board meeting when deciding the start date. If you need to obtain ethics approval or plan to recruit new staff, we suggest allowing additional time from this three month date. This will vary according to departmental/ethics committee requirements. In some cases obtaining ethics approval can take as long as nine months.
When do I need to get ethics approval?
In the event of a successful application, any offer of funding will be conditional on obtaining the appropriate ethical approval.
No project may be started until written proof of ethical consent and a project sponsor is provided to the Foundation. Please note that the first cheque will be payable only on receipt of this evidence.
How do I work out my start date?
When inputting the start date on the online application system, please take into account that if your application is successful, several factors including those detailed below can cause delays to the start of a project.
- The period from date of grant meeting to formal confirmation of a grant may be up to a month.
- Owing to audit requirements the period from offer letter to Bupa Foundation's payment of the first grant cheque may be up to four months.
- If it has not been possible to obtain ethical approval prior to your application, you are advised to allow at least three months for this, between confirmation of your grant and start of the project.
- If you are planning to recruit staff for the project we advise applicants to consider that this can take an additional three months.
Applicants are therefore strongly advised to allow at least four to six months from the date of the grant meeting to the proposed start date of the project.
Will I be told why my application is declined if this happens?
Every effort will be made to provide feedback where the anonymous reviewer comments allow. The Bupa Foundation's policy is to provide copies of anonymous peer reviewer comments where possible, but in some cases a reviewer may request that his/her comments are not forwarded to the applicant. No correspondence can be entered into regarding an unsuccessful application and the chairman's decision is final.
Can I re-apply for the same or a different project?
You are able to apply to the Bupa Foundation again with a different project. You may apply whether you have previously been successful or not. In the case of the same project, re-application is not allowed unless specifically requested by governors. It will be clearly stated in your decision letter if this is the case.
Do I need to reference my short-form application?
We don’t expect you to fully reference short-form applications as the maximum word limit is 500 words.
I’m using Firefox, Chrome or Safari and I’m having problems completing the online form.
Grant Tracker works best with Internet Explorer and we find that any issues encountered while using another browser are solved by switching to Internet Explorer.
My text isn’t appearing in the PDF when I preview it?
If you have inserted your text as one long paragraph, it can cause problems with the application form. We recommend taking the following steps:
- Edit your application.
- Select the section that isn’t appearing and remove the text by using Ctrl+X.
- Click in the text box and repaste your text back in or use the shortcut key Ctrl+V.
- A pop-up box should appear where you can repaste your text.
- In this pop-up box, go through and insert paragraphs throughout the text.
- Insert the text into the form.
You will need to do this will all of the sections that are missing.
When you check the PDF of your application form, you should see all of the content there. It’s very important to check your PDF thoroughly before submitting your application.
I can’t make the text bold or underlined in Grant Tracker, am I doing something wrong?
Grant tracker doesn’t allow you to format the text in your application. When you paste your text into the main box, a pop up should appear where you can paste the text again. This removes any formatting, but will allow you to insert paragraph breaks. If you don't insert the paragraphs at this stage, they won't appear. It's important to make sure you do this in the longer sections, as one long continuous stream of text will not appear in the PDF and won't validate correctly into the system.
How many attachments can I add to my application?
We advise you not to add attachments unless absolutely necessary. Any vital information should be included in the main application.
I’m trying to add an attachment to my application but I’m not sure if it has worked. How can I tell?
If you are attaching an image to your application, once it has successfully uploaded there will be a green tick next to the filename. This indicates that the image has been imbedded in your application form.
However, if you are trying to upload a Word document or PDF, this will usually show a red cross next to the filename. This indicates that the document is attached to the application as an appendix, but will not appear within the application form.
If you are not sure if your attachment has uploaded properly, you can generate a PDF of your application form at any time. Provided you have uploaded your attachment properly, you should see the file listed as a referenced file.
