Apply for a Research Grant
Underpinning all the Psoriasis Association’s work is a steadfast commitment to funding research and disseminating the results of that research. We launched our PhD Studentship grant in 2007 and have been proud to continue our support of early career psoriasis researchers since then.
In 2024, we received 7 PhD studentship applications of which 2 were awarded, giving a success rate of 29%.
Details of the next research grant call are TBC – please call back to this page for updates.
PhD Studentships
We are currently supporting 10 PhD Studentships at various stages. Successful PhD Studentships are eligible to apply for up to £1000 travel bursary to cover costs associated with travel and registration for conferences. PhD students are encouraged to present their work at the conference attended.
Cecil King memorial Award
Alongside PhD Studentships, a small grant of up to £10,000 is available through the Psoriasis Association from the Cecil King Memorial Foundation. This grant (the Cecil King memorial award) is available for projects where the principal researcher is under 35 years of age, or within the first five consecutive years, at the time of application, of either their first permanent independent academic research post or a named limited-tenured/fixed-term research post obtained in open competition (note that tenure must cover the duration of the ward) based in the UK or Ireland.
Grant call process
Expert Review
All PhD Studentship grant applications submitted to the Psoriasis Association undergo evaluation by the Medical and Research Committee, external peer reviewers, and the Experts by Experience Committee (EXEC). Meanwhile, Cecil King Memorial grant applications are assessed solely by the Medical and Research Committee. To ensure fairness, a Conflicts of Interest policy is in place, alongside a Terms of Reference detailing the roles and responsibilities of Medical and Research Committee members.
The peer review process ensures that only the most promising projects receive funding. Experts assess applications based on their potential contribution to psoriasis research, feasibility, and funding appropriateness. They also determine whether similar work has already been conducted elsewhere.
The Psoriasis Association has an Experts by Experience Committee (EXEC), composed of individuals with firsthand experience of psoriasis, either living with the condition or as parents of affected children, providing a real-world perspective on grant applications.
Lay (plain language) writing
As part of the grant application form, applicants are required to write a lay case for support. It is important that the lay case is not only comprehensible to lay readers and non-experts in the field but also comprehensive. Guidance for applicants on writing lay cases for support can be found here.
The EXEC use their experience to review the lay applications and comment on their relevance and potential impact. The comments and scores from the EXEC have equal weighting to those from the external peer reviewers for the peer application. The EXEC will consider key questions such as:
- Will people with psoriasis participate in this research?
- Is the study relevant to those affected?
- Will the findings make a meaningful difference?
Funding decisions
The Medical and Research Committee then reviews all feedback and scores before recommending projects for funding to the Psoriasis Association trustees, who make the final funding decisions.
The Psoriasis Association will consider applications that have clear relevance to its aim ‘to promote and fund research into the causes, nature, treatment and care of psoriasis and to publish and disseminate the results of that research’. For further information, please contact research@psoriasis-association.org.uk.