NICHSA offer medical grants for research projects

A leading medical charity is offering grants totalling more than £350,000 for research which helps to combat the illnesses that claim two out of three lives in Northern Ireland.

The NI Chest, Heart and Stroke Association is making £125,000 available for research in the area of chest disease; £125,000 for studies into stroke and heart illnesses; and a further £76,000 which may be allocated to any of the three areas of its work.

In addition, it is offering, for the first time, training grants totalling £40,000 to help nurses and other health professionals contribute to the quality of research.

The research grants are available only to projects based in Northern Ireland. The closing date for applications is Wednesday October 26, 2005, while the closing date for training grants is March 1, 2006, although applications may be considered at other times.

The charity’s Chief Executive, Andrew Dougal, said: “We are looking for proposals from researchers in our hospitals and universities offering the quickest possible benefit for patients. The top criterion is quality, and all proposed projects will be assessed by independent experts.

"If the applications don’t meet the standards set down, we will hold over some of the grant allocation until next year, although clearly we would prefer that the money is put to work as quickly as possible for the benefit of local people.”

The Association is currently funding a large number of research projects, including a study aimed at improving treatment of heart disease in people with diabetes, and another which it is hoped will result in new treatment for the severe chest disorder Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

(MB)