North West Lung Centre

Charity Number: 1090320

Annual Expenditure: £19.0M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Income: £18.9 million (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: Varies by program (major grants £500,000+)
  • Geographic Focus: North West England

Contact Details

Address: The Langley Building, Southmoor Road, Manchester M23 9QZ

Phone: 0161 946 4058

Email: finance@nwlcc.org.uk

Website: Information available via MEU partnership at meu.org.uk

Overview

The North West Lung Centre Charity (registered 2002, charity number 1090320) promotes and assists with the funding of research into lung disease in the North West of England. The charity is the majority shareholder of MEU (Medicines Evaluation Unit) and has received over £10 million in donations from MEU to date. With annual income of approximately £18.9 million (2023), the charity operates as both a grant-maker and infrastructure provider, making grants to individuals and organizations while providing facilities, human resources, and research support. The charity has been instrumental in transforming lung cancer care in the region, funding developments that increased lung cancer consultants from 2 to 10 and establishing TORCH (Thoracic Oncology Research Hub) as part of Cancer Research UK's Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

  • Pickering Fellowships: Provides 50% research time matched to 50% clinical funding to develop promising, research-active clinical consultants into clinical academics. Amount not publicly specified.
  • Major Infrastructure Grants: £500,000 towards Cardiorespiratory Research MRI Scanner; £1-1.5 million for bronchoscopy services development
  • Research Project Grants: Supports national studies and initiatives through TORCH, including early disease research, thoracic surgery, adjuvant therapy and mesothelioma studies

Priority Areas

  • Lung cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment
  • Respiratory infections and critical care
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
  • Occupational asthma and cough mechanisms
  • Bronchoscopy and diagnostic techniques
  • Cardiorespiratory research

What They Don't Fund

Information not publicly available. The charity appears to focus specifically on lung disease research in the North West region, primarily supporting researchers affiliated with Wythenshawe Hospital and the North West Lung Centre.

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Governance and Leadership

Chairman: Professor Jørgen Vestbo, DrMedSci, FRCP, FERS, FMedSci - Professor of Respiratory Medicine at University of Manchester, former President of European Respiratory Society (2015-16), internationally recognized COPD expert with over 300 publications.

Key Supported Researchers:

  • Professor Richard Booton - Consultant Respiratory Physician and Clinical Director for Lung Cancer and Thoracic Surgery
  • Dr. Phil Crosbie - Lung cancer screening specialist
  • Dr. Alex Horsley - Cystic fibrosis research
  • Dr. Tim Felton - Respiratory infections (awarded £4.4m NIHR infrastructure grant)
  • Dr. Stephen Fowler - Non-invasive lung testing
  • Dr. Huda Badri - Cough mechanisms and occupational asthma

Professor Booton notes: “We have really transformed the national agenda, and even the international agenda...” and states that the charity's Cancer Team is “developing initiatives to change the appalling outcomes for lung cancer.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

No publicly available application portal or guidelines were found. The charity appears to primarily support researchers affiliated with the North West Lung Centre at Wythenshawe Hospital. Prospective applicants should contact the charity directly at finance@nwlcc.org.uk or 0161 946 4058.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available.

Success Rates

Not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly available.

Application Success Factors

Given the limited public application information, the following factors appear important based on the charity's funding history:

  • Strong affiliation with North West Lung Centre/Wythenshawe Hospital: Most funded researchers work within or closely with the North West Lung Centre
  • Clinical-academic development focus: The Pickering Fellowships specifically target promising clinical consultants transitioning to clinical academics
  • Alignment with strategic priorities: Lung cancer, COPD, respiratory infections, and advanced diagnostic techniques
  • Potential for national/international impact: Professor Booton's quote suggests the charity values research that transforms national and international agendas
  • Infrastructure and capacity building: Major grants have supported equipment (MRI scanner, bronchoscopy units) that enable broader research programs

Recent funded initiatives include:

  • £500,000 MRI scanner for cardiorespiratory research
  • £1-1.5 million bronchoscopy services development (increased diagnostic capacity threefold)
  • Support for TORCH hub establishing UK's largest tissue bank for lung disease
  • Pickering Fellowships for multiple clinical academics

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This charity primarily supports researchers affiliated with Wythenshawe Hospital and the North West Lung Centre rather than operating as an open grant-maker
  • The charity focuses on building research infrastructure and developing clinical academics in respiratory medicine
  • Major funding appears to be strategic and relationship-based rather than competitive application-based
  • Strong emphasis on lung cancer research, early diagnosis, and improving patient outcomes
  • The charity operates in partnership with MEU, which has donated over £10 million to support its work
  • For external researchers, building relationships with the North West Lung Centre may be prerequisite to accessing funding
  • Direct contact with the charity is essential as there is no publicly available application guidance

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References