Research

The charity is keen to support impact and engagement activities that are innovative, effective and high-quality; that disseminate new knowledge; and that can be demonstrated to be of benefit to the Huntington’s community in Scotland and beyond. The Huntington’s community includes anyone who is affected by Huntington’s disease, including those who support and care for Huntington’s families.

Support will be provided for impact from research across any discipline with no restriction as to methodology but excluding large scale drug trials and observational studies.

Proposals should be for a distinct piece of impact or engagement activity with an identifiable outcome of its own.

Academic and practitioner researchers and students at any career stage, who have produced or are carrying out the research in question.

Applicants must be working or studying in Scotland at a university, further education college, or health or social care setting (third sector organisation, statutory or private organisation). Applicants’ employment contract or supervisory arrangements for students must extend for at least two months beyond the end of the activity for which funding is requested.

All activities must involve engagement with the Huntington’s community in Scotland and share research findings with a wider non-academic audience in an accessible manner way. This might include, but is not limited to:

• Travel, accommodation, subsistence and fees for conference or seminar attendance at Scottish, UK or international level.
• Knowledge exchange, public engagement and impact activities.
• Developing materials such as film, audio or printed materials.
• Delivery of education or training workshops.
• Creation of a website or digital resource.

A maximum of £2000 is available on the condition that all costs are fully justified.

Dr Neil Ramsay, Consultant Neurologist, NHS Fife

Dr Ramsay, used the grant to explore Functional Neurological Disorder in Huntington’s disease and present his findings at the European Huntington’s Disease Network and Enroll-HD conference.
“Without Scottish Huntington’s Association’s support, I wouldn’t have been able to attend the event and network with like-minded clinicians and researchers and learn from patients and carers,” said Dr Ramsay.

Dr Sowmya Venkatesh, University of Glasgow

Dr Venkatesh accessed funding to hold Changing the Course of Huntington Disease: Somatic Expansion and Emerging Therapeutic Targets, for Huntington’s families, clinicians, practitioners and researchers.
The one day event supported researchers, clinicians and scientists to share the latest research and treatment developments in a clear and accessible way for patients and carers.
“The Impact and Engagement Fund covered approximately 90% of the event costs. Without this funding from Scottish Huntington’s Association, it would not have been possible to organise the event on the scale that we did,” said Dr Venkatesh.
“Dedicated funding like this encourages researchers to organise patient engagement events, providing opportunities to share research findings, interact directly with patients and carers, and strengthen relationships between the researchers and patient communities.”

Activities relating to large scale drug trials and observational studies, research activities such as recruitment of participants and data collection and analysis.

You are ineligible to apply if you have received funding from this fund in the past 24 months.

Funding cannot be used to fund salaries, honorariums, scholarships, equipment costs, manuscript preparation and publication, indirect overhead costs such as desk fees, or insurance.

Applications will be assessed by reviewers appointed by the Board of Trustees of Scottish Huntington’s Association who may approach specialists to act as peer reviewers as necessary. Criteria for assessment will include:

• Quality and significance of the proposed activity.
• Expected outcomes and capacity to generate benefit for the Huntington’s community.
• Suitability of the methodology or approach selected.
• Feasibility of the timescales and scope proposed.
• Match between the applicant and the activity proposed.
• Ability to demonstrate the effectiveness of the activity.
• Appropriateness of the level of funding requested.

If assessors require additional information they will contact applicants during the review process.

The application portal remains open at all times and applications will be considered in April and October each year . Projects should be scheduled to begin with the results deadline in mind; awards must be taken up and work initiated within six months of the date of the award. Retroactive applications will not be accepted.

Successful applicants and their organisations will be informed together as promptly as possible.

The period of award should be clearly specified and may be up to nine months.

All applications require institutional/organisational sign-off by a person with authority to sign on behalf of an institution in the relevant circumstances.

Student applicants must have the formal approval of their supervisor, who must also co-sign the end of award report.

Any ethical approvals for research work undertaken must be complete and confirmed by applicants and supervisor/manager at the time of application.

Funds provided by Scottish Huntington’s Association under this scheme may be used only for the purposes specified and may not be used later than the end-date specified in the application. All funded activities must take place within the period of the award.

Funds will be paid to the applicant’s institution or employer only after the applicant and their institution have formally accepted the award and issued an invoice for payment by Scottish Huntington’s Association. We will endeavour to make payment as promptly as possible.

Only one application from the same applicant can be considered at any one time.

If an application is rejected, it may be revised and resubmitted at a subsequent submission date if the applicant remains eligible. Scottish Huntington’s Association regrets that it is not possible to provide feedback on unsuccessful applications.

An end of award report is a condition of funding and should be completed within 6 weeks of the end of the award: for students, this must be co-signed by a supervisor. An end of award statement of expenditure is also required for all award holders: this must be completed by an authorised signatory at the award holder’s institution/employer. Any unused funds should be returned to Scottish Huntington’s Association.

Award holders should notify Scottish Huntington’s Association of any change in their circumstances. Variations to the original scope and date of the award will be considered only in exceptional circumstances and should be discussed with the Scottish Huntington’s Association at the earliest possible stage.

All applications should be submitted online by clicking here.

For further information, please contact Professor Louise McCabe at louise.mccabe@stir.ac.uk