Pharmacy Research UK

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £420,808 (expenditure 2024)
• Decision Time: 16 weeks (from deadline to initial outcome)
• Grant Range: £5,000 - £100,000
• Geographic Focus: UK national (all four nations)

Contact Details

Website: www.pharmacyresearchuk.org

Email: office@pharmresuk.org.uk

Overview

Pharmacy Research UK (Charity 1148335) was established to promote research into the practice of pharmacy and advance public health by supporting pharmacists and pharmacy professionals. With annual expenditure of approximately £421,000, the charity funds research into how and why people access pharmacy services, what pharmacies do, and what happens to patients as a result of this care. Led by Chief Executive Guy Parckar, PRUK is a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) and the principal funder of early career research pharmacists in the UK. Their research spans long-term conditions, safe medicines use, mental health, and developing the future pharmacy workforce. PRUK emphasises supporting UK registered pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to build research capacity through a range of personal awards, project grants, and partnership schemes.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

PhD Studentship Award (Annual application)

• Up to £99,000 for full-time or part-time PhD
• Covers salary, tuition, and research costs
• Applications typically open in November
• Application deadline typically in March
• Interviews typically held in July

Research Training Bursaries (Annual application)

• Level 1: Up to £5,000 for research training courses, modules, or small-scale projects
• Level 2: Up to £30,000 for non-pharmacy MSc or MRes qualifications
• Application deadline typically in March

Project Grants (When open)

• Up to £100,000 for maximum 24 months
• Two-stage application: outline proposal followed by invitation to full application
• Total budget: £300,000 per round
• Note: Check website for current availability

Partnership Awards

• CMHP-PRUK Research Award: Up to £20,000 for mental health pharmacy research
• BOPA-PRUK Research Award: Up to £10,000 for oncology/haematology pharmacy research
• Wellbeing of Women-PRUK: For women's health research involving pharmacy
• Diabetes UK-PRUK: For diabetes-related pharmacy research

Priority Areas

PRUK prioritises research aligned with their strategic themes:

Mental Health

• How pharmacists can support people with mental health conditions
• Developing pharmacist skills and knowledge in mental health
• Effectiveness of pharmacy interventions

Long-Term Conditions

• Supporting patients with diabetes, asthma, epilepsy, heart disease
• Cancer survivorship and pharmaceutical care
• Aging population care needs

Pharmacy Workforce

• Current and future workforce needs
• Pharmacy education and skills development
• Integration of services and collaborative working

Patient Engagement

• Co-production of pharmacy services
• Shared decision-making
• Addressing health inequalities
• Supporting minor ailments

Safe Medicines Use

• Medication safety at home
• Polypharmacy and deprescribing
• New prescribing models

Future of Pharmacy

• Digital health and telemedicine
• Personalised medication
• New service models and technologies

What They Don't Fund

• Animal research: PRUK does not currently fund research using animals
• Lab-based research: Focus is on pharmacy practice research, not laboratory-based pharmaceutical research
• Non-UK hosted research: Principal Investigator and host organisation must be UK-based
• Overhead costs: No overhead/indirect costs paid on grants

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Governance and Leadership

Chair: Malcolm Harrison - first joined the board as a trustee in 2016, and becoming chair in 2021; Chief Executive of the Company Chemists' Association (CCA)

Chief Executive: Guy Parckar - Responsible for overall management, strategy, and operations

Board of Trustees (meets four times annually):

• Raymond Anderson - Community pharmacist running pharmacies in Northern Ireland
• Sue Ashelby
• Brian Edwards - Emeritus Professor of Health Care Development, University of Sheffield
• Rachel Elliott
• Victoria King
• Tase Oputu
• Jess Purkiss - Joined 2022; career pathway changed with help of a PRUK Bursary
• Ravinder Singh Chahil
• Dimitri Varsamis

Scientific Advisory Panel: Provides strategic advice on grant-giving strategy, objectives, and research priorities

Quote from leadership: Guy Parckar on their diabetes research partnership: “We believe that pharmacy research can play a vital role in examining and ultimately improving the health outcomes for people with diabetes. Pharmacists can play a crucial role in supporting people with diabetes — from diagnosis to ongoing management.”

How to Apply to Pharmacy Research Uk

How to Apply

Personal Awards (PhD and Bursaries)

• Online application through PRUK website
• Funding round typically opens in November
• Application deadline typically in March at 1pm
• Applications assessed by Scientific Advisory Panel (3 members)
• External expert review (minimum 2 reviewers per PhD application)
• Research Training Bursaries reviewed by panel only (no external review)

Project Grants

• Requires Patient and Public Involvement component
• Check website for current availability

Eligibility

• All UK registered pharmacists and pharmacy technicians
• Principal Investigator and host organisation must be UK-based
• International collaborators welcome as co-applicants

Decision Timeline

Personal Awards

• Application deadline: Typically March
• Initial outcome notifications: Typically late June (approximately 13 weeks)
• Interviews for shortlisted candidates: Typically July
• Final outcome notifications: Typically end of July
• Total time from application to final decision: Approximately 18 weeks

Project Grants

• Stage 1 review: Outline proposals reviewed by Scientific Advisory Panel
• Stage 2 (if invited): Full application with external peer review
• Specific timelines vary by funding round

Success Rates

Competitive process with robust peer review aligned to AMRC principles

Reapplication Policy

Specific reapplication policy not publicly documented. Contact office@pharmresuk.org.uk for guidance on resubmission eligibility and requirements.

Application Success Factors

Alignment with Strategic Priorities

PRUK explicitly states: “Priority will be awarded to projects and research areas that align with PRUK strategic priorities, though research areas outside these priorities will also be considered.” Review their research strategy carefully before applying.

Scientific Merit and Feasibility

Peer reviewers primarily assess:

• Quality of the research design
• Feasibility of completing the project as proposed
• Scientific merit and contribution to pharmacy practice knowledge

Research Practice Focus

PRUK funds research into pharmacy practice - how and why people access pharmacy services, what pharmacies do, and patient outcomes. Proposals must relate to pharmacy practice rather than lab-based pharmaceutical science.

Patient and Public Involvement

For project grants, demonstrating meaningful patient and public involvement strengthens applications significantly.

Preparation and Support

PRUK strongly advises:

• “Ask peers and experts to read your application through: if it does not make sense to them, then it likely will not make sense to peer reviewers”
• Utilise support from NIHR Research Design Service (PRUK is an NIHR non-commercial partner)
• Consider mentorship - “mentoring greatly increased the quality and success rates of pharmacy applicants”
• “Check and double-check your application for mistakes”
• Leave plenty of time for institutional signatures before the deadline

Understanding the Funder

PRUK recommends applicants “learn about them as an organisation – what they are trying to achieve, why they have these aspirations and how they are going to achieve their goals” through their research strategy and guidance documents.

Recent Funded Project Examples

• Examining why patients discard unused medicines (University of Sunderland, community pharmacist-led)
• GP-to-community-pharmacy referral schemes based on symptoms (University of Sunderland)
• Medicines optimisation for young people with juvenile arthritis
• Partnership projects in kidney disease, diabetes, oncology, and mental health pharmacy

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Know your eligibility: Only UK registered pharmacists and pharmacy technicians can apply; PI and host must be UK-based
• Strategic alignment matters: While they consider research outside priorities, alignment with their six strategic themes increases competitiveness
• Practice not lab: Focus must be on pharmacy practice research, not laboratory-based science - they explicitly exclude lab-based research
• Seek feedback early: Have peers and experts review your application; utilise free NIHR Research Design Service support
• Start with smaller funding: Research Training Bursaries (£5,000-£30,000) are more accessible than project grants
• Build relationships: Join PRUK events, consider their mentoring scheme, and engage with their research community
• Partnership opportunities: If working in mental health, oncology, women's health, or diabetes, explore partnership awards for more targeted funding
• No overhead costs: Budget accordingly - PRUK does not pay indirect costs or overheads

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• Harold And Marjorie Moss Charitable Trust
• Mental Health Research Uk
• Sight Research Uk
• Mq: Transforming Mental Health
• Brain Research Uk
• The Prudence Trust
• University Hospitals Bristol & Weston Charity
• The Worshipful Society Of Apothecaries General Charity Limited
• Nottingham University Hospitals Charity
• Westminster Medical School Research Trust

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/1148335
• Pharmacy Research UK Official Website: https://pharmacyresearchuk.org/
• Personal Awards Information: https://pharmacyresearchuk.org/for-researchers/personal-awards-2/
• Project Grants Information: https://pharmacyresearchuk.org/for-researchers/project-grants-2/
• Research Strategy: https://pharmacyresearchuk.org/our-research/research-strategy/
• Our Trustees: http://pharmacyresearchuk.org/about-us/our-trustees/
• Putting Together Your Research Application: http://pharmacyresearchuk.org/for-researchers/research-guidance/putting-together-application/
• The Pharmaceutical Journal: “Pharmacy Research UK and Diabetes UK launch funding scheme for diabetes research”
• University of Sunderland News: “Pharmacy research grants taking on health service pressures”