The Bupa Foundation is a UK medical research charity that funds research to improve health outcomes. It provides £3 million annually for grants in areas like behavior change, mental health, patient decision-making, and new technologies. Eligible proposals can receive up to £100,000 for 3 years or £600,000 for multi-country research. In addition, the Foundation offers smaller seed grants and annual prizes of £15,000 for completed research. Application is through an online system and involves a short form and potential full proposal. The Foundation aims to fund high-quality research that can make a meaningful impact on public health.

1. Teresa M Morris
Registrar
Bupa Foundation

2. Background
• The Bupa Foundation is an independent medical and
health research charity that funds research to prevent,
relieve and cure sickness and ill health
• The Foundation aims to fund high-quality research with
the potential to improve the health of individuals across
the UK and internationally
• £3 million annual donation from Bupa
• Small legacies/individual donations
• Independent Board chaired by Professor Parveen Kumar

3. Aims and objectives
The Foundation’s objectives are to offer grants to
fund research into identifying and evaluating
solutions with the potential to improve health
outcomes at a population-level as well as reducing
health inequalities.

4. The funding will be for the following areas:
• achieving sustained behaviour changes in relation to
smoking, diet, physical activity and alcohol consumption
• facilitating wellbeing and preventing mental ill health
• improve patient decision-making through, for example,
shared decision-making interventions
• improving the design of community health activities by using
new technologies to cost-effectively organise and interpret
health outcome data

5. Programmes
• Medical research grants
• Philip Poole Wilson Seed Corn Fund
• Multi-country grants
• Annual prizes

6. Eligibility
Medical research grants
• UK-based research into one of our areas
of funding.
• Not a pilot project.
• Not led by a young researcher.
• Funding of up to £100,000 per year for a
maximum of three years.

7. Eligibility
Multi-country grant
• Research based in two or more of the
following countries: United Kingdom, Spain,
Australia, New Zealand, the United States or
India.
• Not a pilot project.
• Not led by a young researcher.
• Funding of up to £600,000 for a maximum of
three years.

8. Eligibility
Philip-Poole Wilson Seed Corn Fund
• UK-based research into one of our areas
of funding.
• Either a young researcher or a pilot
project.
• Maximum of £20,000 for a maximum of 12
months.

9. Eligibility
Not eligible
• Research outside of the UK that doesn’t fit into a
multi-country grant.
• Funding for a seminar or conference.
• Funding for a systematic review.
• Course fees, medical elective funding or
payment of academic fees for a higher degree.
• Students.
• Product development.
• Pre-clinical research.

10. Grant Tracker
• Online forms - both
short and full forms
• List of rounds open
for applications
• Allows you to save
your application
and go back in at
any stage before
the deadline

11. Stage 1 – short form
Complete a short form application of just 500 words including
information about:
• eligibility
• project title
• duration of project
• estimated amount requested
• brief rationale
• objectives
• design and methodology to be employed
• relevance to Foundation objectives and potential for public health benefit
• sustained impact beyond funding period
• project outcomes and deliverables
• details of any partners involved
This is then reviewed by a sub-scrutiny panel

12. Stage 2 – full application
• The full application needs to include detailed
costs
• All applications are sent for external peer review
• Applications are reviewed internally by the Board
• The Foundation uses the MRC scoring system
• Shortlisted applications scoring 8/10 and above
are reviewed at the Board meeting

13. How to apply
• Check eligibility and information on programmes
via the website – www.bupafoundation.co.uk
• Register on the Grant Tracker website
• Check content and costs with fellow applicants,
head of department, finance officer and/or your
research manager
• Check your form carefully before validating it
• Submit your form online
• Post one copy of the PDF with original
signatures

14. Common reasons for not being
shortlisted
• Not reading the guidance on the website
• Ineligible applications (too long, overpriced)
• Not meeting the Bupa Foundation objectives
• Inadequate information on methodology
• Overinflated costs to cover various external
consultant fees, development costs, hidden
overheads
• Application is for PhD, salary for a member of staff,
piece of equipment or development

15. Annual prizes
• For completed research
• Must meet the eligibility criteria for
application
• Can be from any funder, not just the Bupa
Foundation
• Each prize is £15,000
• Given out at a black tie VIP prize giving
dinner

16. 2011 Prizes – Healthy Lives

17. Seminar
Future focused health
11 October 2012
1.30pm to 5.15pm
The aim of the seminar is to promote the Bupa
Foundation funding available for research towards a
healthier society. We have invited leaders in this work to
expand on current ideas through masterclass talks. We
aim to inspire researchers to design the excellent
projects needed to make a real difference to public
health in future and to talk to us about funding them.

18. Speakers for this event include:
• Dr David Pencheon, Director of the NHS Sustainable Development Unit
(Keynote speaker)
• Dr David Ogilvie, UKCRC Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR),
MRC Epidemiology Unit, Cambridge
• Dr Simon Griffin, Assistant Unit Director, MRC Epidemiology Unit, Cambridge
• Professor Graham MacGregor, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the
Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine and Honorary Consultant Physician
at St George's Hospital, London.
• Professor Ann McNeill, Professor in Health Policy and Promotion, Faculty of
Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Nottingham
To register, visit the website -
www.bupafoundation.co.uk/seminar

19. Who to contact
Kate Brown Louise Maclachlan
Grants Officer Assistant Registrar
Telephone: 020 7656 2591 Telephone: 020 7656 2509
kate.brown@bupa.com louise.maclachlan@bupa.com
Teresa Morris Iona Chessells
Registrar Prizes’ administrator
Telephone: 020 7656 2536 Telephone: 020 7656 2246
teresa.morris@bupa.com bupafoundationawards@gmail.com
For all press enquiries, including image and logo
requests, please email bupafoundation@bupa.com

20. Any Questions ?
Thank you for your time