The Lister Institute Of Preventive Medicine

Charity Number: 206271

Annual Expenditure: £1.8M

Stay updated on changes from The Lister Institute Of Preventive Medicine and other funders

Get daily notifications about new funding opportunities, deadline changes, and programme updates from UK funders.

Free Email Updates

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £1,800,000 (6 fellowships × £300,000)
  • Success Rate: 6% (approximately 6 awards from ~100 applications)
  • Decision Time: 9 months (September application to May interviews to October award start)
  • Grant Range: £300,000 (lump sum over 5 years)
  • Geographic Focus: UK and Republic of Ireland

Contact Details

Website: http://www.lister-institute.org.uk

Email: secretary@lister-institute.org.uk

Phone: 0203 5325345

Overview

The Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine, founded in 1891, is one of the UK's oldest medical charities. Named in honour of surgeon and medical research pioneer Joseph Lister, the Institute operates from endowment funds of approximately £33 million. Its charitable objective is to further understanding and progress in preventive medicine by promoting biomedical excellence in the UK and Republic of Ireland through support of the biological sciences. The Institute has transitioned from operating research laboratories (until the 1970s) to focusing exclusively on grant-giving through its flagship Lister Research Prize Fellowship programme, which awards approximately £1.8 million annually. The Institute does not give priority to any specific area of medicine, hoping that funded research will lead to development of new strategies for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Lister Research Prize Fellowship: £300,000 per award (lump sum over 5 years)

  • Six competitive awards made annually
  • Applications open September; deadline typically late September
  • Completely flexible funding for any research costs except winner's personal salary
  • Can be used for equipment, travel, consumables, or salaries of post-doctoral workers, technicians, or PhD students
  • May be used to employ replacement lecturer to free up time for research

Lister Summer Studentships: £3,000 per award

  • Available to current and former Lister Fellows
  • For undergraduate students (typically end of second year) to work in Fellow's laboratory
  • Must be held for minimum 6 weeks, maximum 10 weeks
  • Applications open January; deadline 30 May
  • Allocated on first-come-first-served basis
  • Over 500 studentships funded since programme launch in 2011

Priority Areas

The Lister Institute is notably flexible and open in its research priorities:

  • Any area of biomedical science
  • No priority diseases or restrictions on research area
  • Research may be in any field that could lead to improved health and medicine
  • Most research must be conducted in UK or Republic of Ireland

Ideal candidates: Researchers just starting their own independent research group, or group leaders looking to research new areas not covered by current awards

What They Don't Fund

  • Personal salary of the award winner (salary must be secure from another source)
  • Full professors are ineligible (awards designed for early-career researchers)
  • Research conducted primarily outside UK and Republic of Ireland
Helpful Hinchilla

Ready to write a winning application for The Lister Institute Of Preventive Medicine?

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

Chair of the Governing Body: Professor Sir John Iredale (from September 2022, succeeding Professor Sir Alex Markham)

Honorary Treasurer and Chair of the Finance and Investment Committee: Mr Murray Legg

Chair of the Scientific Committee: Professor Julian Blow

The Governing Body comprises 15 trustees: six elected by Members at the AGM, six appointed by the existing Governing Body, and three special appointments. The Governing Body meets formally twice yearly and oversees all Institute activities through two committees: the Finance and Investment Committee and the Scientific Committee.

Chair John Iredale states the Lister has “a spectacular track record in supporting young talent,” noting that “connecting with people comparatively early in their career rather than established investigators is an exciting and enjoyable challenge.” As former SAC Chair, he said: "it's been a joy for the committee members and I to get to meet so many bright young minds, eager to discuss their science and their ambitions,“ adding that ”my only abiding regret of holding that position is disappointment that we cannot support more Prize Fellowships each year."

Professor Julian Blow (Scientific Committee Chair) cites his own Lister Fellowship as “transformative” to his career, “not only because of the financial flexibility it provided, but also because it introduced me to the network of Lister Fellows, who helped me navigate the difficult early years of being a group leader.” Regarding the recent prize increase to £300,000, Blow said: “We hope the additional money will allow the new Lister Fellows to accomplish even more as they work towards improving health and medicine.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Applications submitted online via the Lister Institute's application portal. Any tenured or non-tenured researcher (excluding full professors) working in an eligible UK or Irish institution may apply.

Eligibility requirements:

  • Minimum of three years, maximum of ten years post-doctoral research experience (post PhD or MD, whichever earlier)
  • Allowances made for time away from research (parental leave, full-time clinical work, or teaching)
  • Personal salary must be secure from another source and guaranteed for minimum of first three years of award
  • Must have position in UK or Republic of Ireland institution for at least first three years
  • Applicant does not need to be UK national

Decision Timeline

September: Application deadline (e.g., midnight Monday 29 September for 2026 round)

January: Longlisted applicants notified

February: Longlisted applications sent for independent external peer review

May: Interviews held in London

October: Successful candidates commence Lister Fellowship (1st October)

Total timeline: Approximately 9 months from application to award commencement, with 13 months from application to receiving decision.

Success Rates

The Institute receives approximately 100 applications annually, with the following progression:

  • Long-list: 30-40 candidates (~30-35%)
  • Interview shortlist: Up to 12 candidates (~12%)
  • Awards made: 6 fellowships (~6% overall success rate)
  • Interview to award conversion: 50% (6 out of 12 interviewed)

This represents highly competitive funding with a 94% rejection rate overall.

Reapplication Policy

Re-application is permitted provided candidates remain within eligibility criteria (3-10 years post-doctoral experience). No waiting period required. The Scientific Committee provides feedback to unsuccessful applicants, which can help strengthen future applications. Several successful Fellows have reported applying multiple times before being awarded.

Application Success Factors

Direct Advice from the Funder

From the Scientific Committee: "Clearly articulate how your work will advance the field and benefit society. A great proposal can be brought down if the candidate doesn't explain what they will do with the Lister funding and how it will transform their research."

From successful Fellows:

  • Contact current Fellows: "Contact current Fellows and ask how they approached the process. Don't be scared to apply – competition is stiff but the Scientific Committee provide great feedback if you aren't successful the first time around." (Tim, current Fellow)
  • Focus beyond track record: "It's not only about your track record. It's also about what you're proposing to do. Think hard about how it's going to help progress your career."
  • Persistence pays off: One successful Fellow applied initially in 2009 but failed to make the interview shortlist. Over the year, they worked on the application, gaining pilot data, before submitting an improved application in December 2010 and making the interview.

Recent Funded Research Examples (2023-2024)

2024 Fellows:

  • Alex Borodavka: Rotavirus assembly and genome mechanisms
  • Sarah Dimeloe: Immune cell metabolism in autoimmunity and cancer
  • Nicky Whiffin: Rare disease genomics and clinical translation
  • Andrew Davidson, Rebecca Drummond, Lizzy Rosser: Various biomedical research areas

2023 Fellows:

  • Fiona Whelan: Lung microbiome in cystic fibrosis
  • Kirby Swatek: Ubiquitin protein inactivation
  • Helen Weavers: Molecular basis of biological resilience and tissue repair
  • Joana Neves: Gut cellular communication and organoid models
  • Srikanth Ramaswamy: Neuromodulators in brain function
  • John Knight: Colorectal cancer treatment improvement

Assessment Process

Applications reviewed by Scientific Committee members to generate long-list. Longlisted applications sent to national and international experts for detailed peer review. Short-listed candidates selected based on committee assessments and expert reviews. Up to 12 candidates invited to London for presentations and interviews with Scientific Committee in May.

Key Selection Emphases

  • Novelty and potential impact of proposed research
  • Clear articulation of how Lister funding will be used
  • Demonstration of transformative effect on researcher's career
  • Quality of research plan and methodology
  • Potential to advance understanding and benefit society

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Career stage matters: The sweet spot is 3-10 years post-doctoral experience. The Institute specifically targets early-career researchers who are not yet full professors, where funding can have transformative impact.
  • It's about the future, not just the past: While track record is important, successful applicants must clearly articulate what they propose to do and how the Lister funding will specifically transform their research and career trajectory.
  • Be specific about fund usage: Don't assume the committee knows how you'll use the money. Explicitly explain what the £300,000 will enable that you couldn't do otherwise.
  • Seek feedback and reapply: The 6% success rate means most applicants are rejected, but reapplication is encouraged. Use committee feedback to strengthen applications. Multiple successful Fellows applied more than once.
  • Connect with the network: Current and former Fellows are accessible resources. Contact them to understand what made their applications successful.
  • No research area restrictions: The Institute genuinely funds across all biomedical sciences without priority areas. Don't try to guess what they want - focus on excellence and impact in your field.
  • Flexibility is a feature: Emphasize how the flexible funding structure allows you to pursue innovative or risky research that traditional project grants wouldn't support.
  • Prepare for interview: With only 12 candidates interviewed and 50% conversion rate, interview performance is critical. Practice presenting your research clearly and concisely.

🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.

Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.

✓

Data privacy and security by default

✓

Your organisation's past successful grants and experience

✓

AI analysis of what reviewers want to see

✓

A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours

Get Beta Access NowLearn More

References