The Humane Research Trust Cio

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £900,000
• Success Rate: ~19% (based on available data)
• Decision Time: 24 weeks
• Grant Range: £90,000 - £450,000
• Geographic Focus: UK national

Contact Details

Website: https://humaneresearch.org.uk/

Email: info@humaneresearch.org.uk

Phone: 0161 439 8041

Address: 29 Bramhall Lane South, Bramhall, Stockport, Greater Manchester SK7 2DN

Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 9am–4:30pm

Overview

Founded in 1961, The Humane Research Trust is a UK-registered charity (No. 1203103, re-registered as a CIO in 2023) that has invested over £12 million in research projects across the UK. The organization's mission is “to educate and support scientists to find and use alternatives to animals and animal products in medical research.” Their vision is “a world where no animals or animal products are used to research human health.” The Trust is built on the conviction that human cells and tissue provide superior models for studying human disease, rejecting animal experimentation on both ethical and scientific grounds. The organization distributes approximately £900,000 in annual grants and incorporates The Lawson Tait Scientific and Medical Research Trust. Dr. Alison Giles serves as CEO, bringing over 20 years of experience in the voluntary and social enterprise sector.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Humane Research Project Grants

• Amount: £90,000 - £200,000
• Status: Currently closed; opens February 2, 2026 with deadline May 24, 2026
• Duration: PhD projects up to 4 years; postdoctoral positions for 2 years
• Application Method: Fixed deadlines, online application with specific disease focus announced at opening
• Disease Focus for 2026: Will be announced February 2, 2026; potential areas include autoimmune diseases (joints and muscles), chronic pain, neurological conditions and microbiome interactions, sepsis, or women's reproductive health

Humane Research Fellowship Award

• Amount: Up to £450,000
• Status: Open for Stage 1 applications until December 21, 2025
• Duration: Up to 5 years
• Application Method: Two-stage process (outline then full proposal by invitation)
• Focus: Supports early-career researchers establishing independent research programs using animal-free methods in any biomedical science discipline
• Awards: One fellowship per round (highly competitive)

Priority Areas

The Trust funds projects developing, testing, or applying non-animal research methods, including:

• In vitro, ex vivo, and in silico techniques for disease modeling
• Animal-free antibodies, growth factors, and serum substitutes
• Refinement of existing non-animal methods
• 3D bioprinting and microfluidic technologies
• Human cell culture and donated human tissue research
• Computer modeling and computational approaches
• Development of novel animal-free models or techniques

Recent funded research areas span cardiovascular disease, autism, vaccine testing, head and neck cancer, neurological conditions, and spinal cord injury.

What They Don't Fund

The Trust will not fund:

• Any use of animals or animal-derived products
• Animal tissue (except previously discarded tissue in some cases)
• University overheads or indirect costs
• Principal investigator salaries
• Equipment-only applications (without wider project)
• Living expenses for fellows
• Research that depends on or builds upon animal research results

Ready to write a winning application for The Humane Research Trust Cio?

Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.

Get Free Beta Access

Governance and Leadership

Chief Executive: Dr. Alison Giles, who brings over 20 years of experience building partnerships and driving successful programs in the voluntary and social enterprise sector, Department of Health, and the NHS, with ten years as a VCSE chief executive.

Governance Structure: The charity operates through membership in the Institute of Fundraising and maintains formal governance including complaint and policy procedures. Scientific oversight is provided by a scientific advisory panel and science sub-committee who assess applications and make final award decisions.

The organization has been recognized through partnerships with organizations such as Human Relevant Science and Remember a Charity.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply - Project Grants

1. Check eligibility: Researchers must be at a UK university or research institution; Principal Investigators apply to supervise a PhD student or research assistant
2. Await opening: Next round opens February 2, 2026
3. Review disease focus: Specific disease area will be announced at opening
4. Submit application: Deadline May 24, 2026 via online portal
5. Site visits: Shortlisted candidates may receive site visits
6. Decision notification: Aim for 24 weeks from deadline

How to Apply - Fellowship Award

1. Stage 1 (Outline application): Submit by December 21, 2025
2. Stage 2 (Full proposal): Invited applicants only; due April 12, 2026
3. Interviews: Late April 2026 for shortlisted candidates
4. Final decision: May 14, 2026

Decision Timeline

• Project Grants: 24 weeks from application deadline to decision notification
• Fellowship: Approximately 5 months from Stage 1 submission to final decision

Success Rates

Based on available data, the Trust gave 3 awards from 16 applicants in one reported period, indicating an approximate success rate of 19%. The Fellowship Award is particularly competitive with only one fellowship awarded per round, resulting in very low success rates. In the most recent project grant round, the Trust funded 5 projects totaling £1.04 million.

Reapplication Policy

No explicit reapplication policy is published. Applicants are encouraged to contact the Trust directly at info@humaneresearch.org.uk for guidance on resubmitting unsuccessful applications. Previous grant-holders are eligible to apply for new grants.

Application Success Factors

Assessment Criteria

Applications are evaluated on:

• Scientific merit and innovation: Quality and originality of the research proposal
• Investigator experience and expertise: Track record and leadership capabilities (fellowship applicants must have at least one first-author peer-reviewed publication)
• Implementation plan and resources: Feasibility, methodology knowledge, and appropriate resource allocation
• Impact on animal replacement: Effectiveness in articulating positive impact on replacing animals in research
• Impact on human medicine: Clear demonstration of relevance to human health advancement
• Science communication activities: Plans for disseminating findings

What Makes a Strong Application

Emphasize dual impact: “A successful proposal will effectively articulate the positive impact their project will have, both on human medicine and the replacement of animals in research.”

Demonstrate commitment: Even applicants with previous animal research experience can apply if they “demonstrate a commitment to non-animal methods”

Show scientific rigor: Projects using human-relevant models including cell culture, donated human tissue, 3D bioprinting, microfluidic systems, and computational approaches are favored

Clear career development (fellowships): Fellowship applications should demonstrate leadership potential and have a well-articulated career development strategy

Recent Successful Projects

Examples of funded work include:

• Prof Deepak Kalaskar (UCL): Microfluidic and 3D bioprinting to model human blood vessels for cardiovascular disease research
• Dr Thomas Theil (Edinburgh): Human brain cells to study gene disruptions and autism
• Prof Margaret Hosie (Glasgow): Human tonsil model for vaccine testing
• Dr Nikolas Hodges (Birmingham): 3D cell culture for testing nanoparticle drug delivery in head and neck cancer
• Prof Sven Bestmann (UCL): Wearable sensors to study central nervous system communication

Grant Conditions

Recipients must:

• Conduct research exactly as proposed in the application
• Commit to zero use of animals or animal-derived products during the project
• Provide annual progress reports and a final report
• Acknowledge the Trust's support in all publications and publicity
• For fellowship holders: avoid applying for other animal research funding during the award period

Payments are made quarterly in arrears, with final payments contingent on satisfactory final reports.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

1. Absolute commitment required: The Trust's position on animal-free research is non-negotiable. Any application involving animals, animal tissue (except previously discarded), or animal-derived products will be rejected. Even computational work building on animal research data is excluded.

1. Dual impact is essential: Successful applications must clearly articulate both the human health advancement AND the animal replacement impact. These are equally weighted priorities for the Trust.

1. Human-relevant methodology: Projects using human cells, donated human tissue, 3D models, microfluidics, or computational approaches aligned with human biology are strongly favored. Demonstrate why human models are scientifically superior to animal models for your specific research question.

1. Plan for 24-week timeline: From submission to decision notification takes approximately 6 months. Factor this into your research planning and timelines.

1. Competition is significant: With an approximate 19% success rate for project grants and only one fellowship awarded per round, applications must be exceptional. The Fellowship is particularly competitive at £450,000 for 5 years.

1. Early career researchers welcomed: Previous animal research history is not disqualifying if you can demonstrate genuine commitment to non-animal methods. The Trust actively supports researchers transitioning away from animal models.

1. Disease focus changes: Project grants rotate through specific disease areas. Ensure your research aligns with the announced focus area when applications open (February 2, 2026 for next round).

References

• The Humane Research Trust official website: https://humaneresearch.org.uk/
• Apply for funding page: https://humaneresearch.org.uk/apply-for-funding/
• Research grants information: https://humaneresearch.org.uk/research-grants/
• Fellowship programme details: https://humaneresearch.org.uk/research-fellowships/
• About us page: https://humaneresearch.org.uk/about-us/
• Recent awards announcement: https://humaneresearch.org.uk/new-research-grants-summer-2025/
• UK Charity Commission Register: Charity Number 1203103
• Hinchilla Funder Directory: The Humane Research Trust profile (https://www.hinchilla.com/funder-directory/the-humane-research-trust)
• Human Relevant Science membership: https://www.humanrelevantscience.org/member/the-humane-research-trust/