Funding for these projects will usually be for one year but may be as short as six months or up to two years under exceptional circumstances. Pump priming will typically be awarded to a specific individual undertaking a specific project with a view to acquiring sufficient data to subsequently apply for either project grant or fellowship funding from national grant awarding bodies.

It would be anticipated that an applicant applying for such money would be working within an already established unit within the North East Region and would have a senior, tenured, colleague on the research application. Such projects will be evaluated on the quality of both the project and the applicant. Typically these projects could be up to £50,000 per annum.

It is anticipated that they will probably be applied for under two circumstances.

1. Scientists or allied health professionals in training who wish to undertake a defined period of research into a specific area with a view to obtaining a higher qualification. Such individuals should have a clear research project ahead of them and come with strong support from their senior academic or clinical colleagues. There would never be more than one fellowship awarded per annum to each of the two designated research areas (cancer and arthritis). These fellowships may be up to £30,000 per annum. These will be normally awarded for a period of up to two years.

2. PhD studentships. These may be awarded to support young science graduates in University departments who wish to embark on a research career. The projects should have relevance to the aims of the JGW Patterson Foundation. The award would normally be for 3 years and include tuition fees and be in line with current national PhD remuneration rates. Applications for the JGW Patterson PhD studentships are usually dealt with internally at the University.

Bridging funding for project grants of senior academics (lecturer or above) who require financial support between grant applications in order that they may retain essential laboratory staff. Such individuals would normally have an established research track record and be considered to be critical members of a particular academic team. It is anticipated that such applications would come with the strongest level of support from the senior academic within their department. It is difficult to predict costs but it is not considered appropriate to extend this bridging funding beyond 6 months. Where possible funding should also exploit local sources of bridging support from the Faculty, School and hospital trust funds.

In line with JGW Patterson Foundation policy of flexibility in funding, small grants may be awarded for purposes which do not easily fit into any other category of funding. Such grants would be subject to approval by the Trustees and be seen as “one off” awards.

It is unlikely that the Foundation would support bids for buildings or refurbishment, equipment, travel expenses except where linked to a defined project or fellowship, infrastructure costs of an academic unit (e.g. secretarial support) or programme grant funding. The Foundation will not pay the “administrative” on costs of the host institution as it is a registered charity (this is sometimes known as Full Economic Costs).

The Foundation will also look at applications from other charities and hospices who require funding for equipment and/or care services relating to the relief of cancer and/or arthritis.