Application for Research Funds

Types of funds

Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) has access to a range of different funds from which research posts can be funded from. Please contact the Director of Research or the Assistant Director of Research & Innovation for further information. The main sources of funding are as follows:

  • Trent Comprehensive Local Research Network (TCLRN)
  • Flexibilty & Sustainability funds (FSF)
  • BRU Development funds
  • Pump priming funds

Bids are mainly submitted for these funds prior to the NHS financial year (usually in December) but can be requested throughout the year.

TCLRN funding

TCLRN funds the following:

  • Basic salary
  • Employers National Insurance
  • Pension
  • Overheads (based on 8% of basic salary) – this is transferred to Corporate
  • Non Pay (based on 8% of basic salary) – this is kept in a central reserve in R&D (cost centre RES901) and are provided based on request to the R&D Director for approval

Bids are submitted by NUH’s Director of Research to TCLRN which must be approved by TCLRN before income is issued to NUH for onward issue to Research cost centres.

Flexibility & Sustainability funds (FSF)

FSF is a research funding stream issued directly by NiHR to NUH that is designed to help research-active NHS organisations attract, develop and retain high-quality research, clinical and support staff by supporting the salaries of their Faculty members and associated workforce in a flexible manner. NHS organisations are able to use NiHR FSF to create and maintain a sustainable capacity for people and patient-based research. For further information refer to the NiHR web site

FSF funds are issued directly to NUH from the NiHR. As such any bids need only approval by NUH’s R&D Director.

BRU Development funds

These funds are to be used to support and enhance the Biomedical Research Units.

Pump priming funds

The Trust wishes to actively promote high quality early phase feasibility and pump priming projects with the potential to build research capacity and generate further competitive grant funding for the organisation – such studies will generally not attract portfolio status. In order to do so R&D will:

  • Work with NUH Charity to maintain a ‘pump priming’ fund accessible to all researchers in the Trust. This fund currently contains £150 K per annum to be allocated at bi-annual competition. The first of these competitions has already been held and generated very high quality applications
  • Use a proportion of net commercial income to R&D to contribute to the above fund
  • Review the size of the pump priming fund on an annual basis
  • Work with the University to support student projects

Access to funds

Funds from the above sources are controlled by the Corporate Finance Manager (R&D, Commercial & Education) who issues income to the respective cost centre to cover costs of salary or non pay. Contact the Corporate Finance Manager for any queries over receipt of funding into your Research cost centre.