Parkinson's UK

Parkinson's UK is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 258197).

Parkinson's UK, a charity registered in England and Wales, exists to provide relief and support for people with Parkinson's and allied conditions and their families and carers, and to promote and support research into the causes, prevention, treatment and cure of Parkinson's. It says it has invested over £130 million in groundbreaking research. Its annual report records £9,745,000 awarded in grants. Its research strand includes project grants, usually funded up to £400,000 with an average award of £260,000, alongside drug-focused and non-drug schemes. It also runs a Physical Activity Grants programme for projects across the UK and Personal Assistance Grants of up to £1,500 for individuals.

Priority Areas

Parkinson's UK funds research into Parkinson's through schemes for researchers at every stage of their careers, including projects addressing major unanswered questions, drug-focused work and non-drug approaches. Its research grants are available to UK-based principal applicants, including those at universities, research institutes, NHS trusts and statutory social care organisations; co-applicants and collaborators may be based outside the UK or at pharmaceutical and biotech companies. It also funds activity providers to give people with Parkinson's more opportunities to get and stay active. Research is assessed independently, and applicants are expected to involve people with lived experience throughout the research process and in developing their applications.

Themes

• Parkinson's research
• Physical activity

Geographic Focus

UK.

Research applicants submit a preproposal by the round's closing date; only shortlisted applicants then submit a full application by its separate deadline.

Deadlines: Each project-grant round has a closing deadline for preproposals; shortlisted applicants then meet a separate full-application deadline.

Application windows:

• Project grants: Preproposal round opens in September and closes in January; the full application deadline is in April
• Personal Assistance Grants
  • Round 1 opens in January and closes in July
  • Round 2 opens in July and closes in November

Who can apply:

• Project grants: Must be based at a UK university or research institute, NHS Trust, or statutory social care organisation.
• Personal Assistance Grants: People with Parkinson’s or other forms of progressive parkinsonism, or the principal unpaid carer of a person with Parkinson’s or other forms of progressive parkinsonism, can apply. You must have a total combined household savings of £6,000 or less. The principal unpaid carer and the person with Parkinson’s cannot both apply for a grant in the same year.

What the charity says:

• Applicants are expected to work with people with lived experience throughout the research process and in developing the application.
• Applicants are expected to consider equity, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of their research.
• Physical activity applicants are highly encouraged to complete the online awareness course before applying.