Pharmacy Research UK (PRUK) have awarded over £80k in research fellowship funding in 2017. Funding awards are given in the form of research training bursaries or personal research fellowships. The research training bursaries are intended to support early career pharmacists who have an interest in developing skills in conducting research relating to their practice. The personal research fellowships are designed to develop pharmacy practice research capacity, renewing our commitment to supporting the pharmacy research leaders of the future and advocating for a research active career route for pharmacists. Applications are assessed both in relation to the development of the individual applicant and the research project proposed.
This year, the six awards span across a broad and diverse range of pharmacy topics that will improve pharmacy services and its contribution to improved patient outcomes. Topics include evaluating the use of inhaled corticosteroids in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, enhancing the role of community pharmacists in Breast Cancer Services and exploring the use of Direct Oral Anticoagulants in patients with Atrial Fibrillation.
Dr Rachel Joynes, Executive Director at PRUK said: “We were thrilled with the breadth, depth and quality of applications received for this year’s fellowships and bursaries. We look forward to seeing the outcomes of these projects and the valuable impact that they will have on medicines optimisation and patient care.”
PRUK would like to sincerely thank the Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust for their funding which has enabled several of these awards. The successful applicants are outlined as follows:
| Award | Investigator | Institution | Topic | Funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galen Personal Award | Miss Kimberley Sonnex | University of Nottingham | Better Targeting of Inhaled Corticosteroids in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease | £13,050 |
| Galen Personal Award | Mr Sion Scott | University of East Anglia | Developing a model for deprescribing in hospital | £15,940 |
| Leverhulme Personal Award | Mrs Yeyenta Osasu | University of Sheffield | Prescribing, consumption and monitoring of direct oral anticoagulants in elderly patients (<75 years) with atrial fibrillation | £29,968 |
| Leverhulme Training Bursary | Miss Lydia Tutt | University of Nottingham | The Role of the Community Pharmacist in Breast Cancer Services | £10,091 |
| Leverhulme Training Bursary | Mrs Victoria Tavares | University of Manchester | Masters in Clinical Research (MClinRes) | £9,000 |
In addition, PRUK jointly funds a separate research stream with the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA). This award amounts to £5,000 and was announced at our partner BOPA’s annual conference in October. This year’s award holder is Ms Terry Tin Wai Ng, from University College London. For more information on her project, see the BOPA-PRUK Research Grant news story.
PRUK are also thrilled to announce that funding for personal awards will now be open to pharmacists who are non-RPS members from next year. Pharmacists who are RPS members are still eligible to apply.
Professor Anthony Smith, PRUK Chair of Trustees said: ‘We are delighted to open up our research funding to all pharmacists engaged in research. We believe that widening the scope of applicants and increasing the potential reach of funding calls will build on the outstanding quality of applications that we currently receive.”
Applications for the 2018 round of Awards and Bursaries will be open from early January 2018 and close on the 2nd May 2018.
Notes to Editors
PRUK is the principle funder of pharmacy research in the UK. Founded as a result of a merger in 2012 of two previous research funding charities, PRUK has a broad programme of research in place. PRUK funds both research projects and individual bursaries to improve skills across the pharmacy sector. Registered charity number 1148335.
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