frequently asked questions

What are DMT’s priority areas for support?

The priority areas for support are:

  • Care of older people, including rehabilitation and palliative care
  • Research into the causes and treatments of disease, disability and frailty related to ageing
  • Pilot studies in these areas which could establish whether major funding is justified
Top
What work has DMT supported recently?

All grants made in the last financial year are disclosed within Section 3 of DMT’s Annual REPORT AND ACCOUNTS filed with the Charity Commission. Click here to view a PDF which provides details of three year's grants.
 

Section 1 within the Annual REPORT AND ACCOUNTS, the Report of the Trustees, contains more information about some of this work.

Top
Do I need an application form to apply to DMT?

Applicants for GENERAL GRANTS DO NOT REQUIRE an application form. In the first instance applicants should submit a brief outline (approximately two pages of A4) of the work to be supported.

From April 2010, applicants for RESEARCH and RESEARCH RELATED GRANTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE AN OUTLINE APPLICATION FORM.

If an outline proposal meets the criteria for support, the applicant will be invited to submit a formal application, which will include the completion of an application form.

Top
Can I submit more than one application at a time to DMT?

No.

The DMT’s grant making policy identifies the Trust’s priority areas for support. We suggest that you decide which of your projects best fits these.

Top
Are there deadlines for applications to DMT?

Initial applications for funding in respect of RESEARCH GRANTS, SERENDIPITY AWARDS or GENERAL GRANTS can be made at any time. Further into the application process there are deadlines to be met by the applicant in respect of formal applications. Full details of these conditions are given in the guidelines for applicants PDFs associated with each grant.

For all JOINT RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS deadlines are set by our partner organizations who should be approached for more information.

Deadlines for RESEARCH TRAINING FELLOWSHIPS are announced at the time DMT makes a national call for submissions. Applications for the 2010 pilot are now closed. 
Top

How soon before I hear about my application to DMT?

The time taken to respond depends on current workloads and the complexity of the outline application. Responding to an outline application can take up to one month from receipt.

At the formal application stage, you will be advised of the likely notification time. This can vary, particularly in the case of research applications which are subject to external peer review.

The Grants and Research Committee meet quarterly to consider applications and their recommendations are then made to the next meeting of the Board of Trustees for a final decision.

An application may sometimes be held over if the Grants and Research Committee require further information or decide that an assessment visit should be made.

Top
How are applications assessed by DMT?

Outline applications are first assessed by The DUNHILL MEDICAL TRUST’s executive officers in consultation with the Chair of the Grants and Research Committee, or a subgroup of the Grants and Research Committee, to make sure that they meet the Trust’s criteria for support. Where necessary, an outline may be referred to all members of the Committee for decision as to whether it should go forward to the next stage. Applicants who meet the eligibility criteria are then invited to submit a formal application.

Formal applications are assessed by the Grants and Research Committee in line with the Trust’s grant-making policy and strategic objectives. All research and research-related applications are subject to peer review, both by external referees and by the academic members of the Committee. Recommendations are made by the Committee for the Trustees’ approval, based on the scientific quality of the applications and the Trust’s research strategy.

Top
GENERAL GRANTS, what will DMT NOT fund?

GENERAL GRANTS

The Trustees will not normally approve the use of Dunhill Medical Trust funds for:

  • providing clinical services or equipment that, in their opinion, would be more appropriately provided by the National Health Service or other statutory bodies;
  • sponsorship of individuals;
  • sponsorship of conferences or events;
  • organisations based outside the United Kingdom, or whose work primarily benefits people outside the UK;
  • charities representing specific professions or trade associations;
  • hospice revenue or capital costs;
  • Large national charities, with an income in excess of £10m, or assets exceeding £100m.
Top
RESEARCH GRANTS, what will DMT NOT fund?

RESEARCH GRANTS

DMT will NOT fund:

  • Sponsorship of individuals
  • Sponsorship of conferences or events
  • Organizations based outside the UK, or whose work primarily benefits people outside the UK
  • Research via a third party (such as a fundraising charity supporting research)
  • Issues that are already well funded within the UK, such as heart disease, cancer or HIV/AIDS

Research grants are specifically NOT provided to meet:

  • Institutional overheads (i.e. DMT will NOT pay Full Economic Costs),
  • Travel or conference fees (unless these are an integral part of a research project).
Top
Can a research application be made before ethical approval has been obtained?

Yes.

Although research proposals needing ethical approval can be made before such approval has been obtained, any subsequent grant offer will be conditional upon proof of ethical approval, research sponsorship arrangements, etc.

Top
Will DMT act as a research sponsor?

No. DMT will NOT under any circumstances act as research sponsor.

All sucessful research applicants need to provide evidence of the acceptance of the proposed sponsor to undertake this responsibility before a research grant can be confirmed, or a confirmed nil return stating that the object of the research does not fall within NHS research governance requirements.

Top
Does DMT have a policy on Intellectual Property Rights?

As described in Clause 7 of Terms and Conditions for Grants, in certain circumstances DMT may make any grant offer to support research conditional upon securing an Intellectual Property Agreement for the sharing of any commercial revenues that may arise as a result of the work it has funded.

The downloadable SPECIMEN Intellectual Property Agreement is available on the Policies and Documents page of the website.

Top
Does DMT pay the Full Economic Costs of Research?

No.

DMT will NOT pay the Full Economic Costs of research activities that it supports.

Directly Incurred Costs WILL be paid.

Directly Allocated Costs MAY be paid.

Indirect Costs will NOT be paid.

Justification must be provided for all costs that are applied for.

Top
How are DMT external referees chosen?

DMT consults a very wide range of referees, from within the UK and internationally. Referees are identified by a number of methods, including suggestions made by academic members of the Grants and Research Committee or by the wide range of academics and researchers known to the Trust. In most cases, however, literature searches are carried out on MedLine/PubMed (the US National Library of Medicine’s bibliographic database) to ensure that the most appropriate expert opinion is being sought. Applicants are also permitted to nominate referees themselves (although DMT will not necessarily follow up the suggestions offered).

Top
Does DMT support research fellowships?

DMT does not presently award research fellowships directly, but supports Joint Research Fellowships in partnership with other organizations which undertake the administration and application process. At present Joint Research Fellowships are run in conjunction with:

However, DMT has recently set up a programme of DMT Research Training Fellowships.

Top
What are Dunhill Joint Research Fellowships?

Joint Research Fellowships are a vehicle for DMT to encourage research capacity in areas it wishes to support. It does this in partnership with other organizations.

The appointment procedures, exact terms and closing dates for research fellowships vary. Potential applicants will need to satisfy specific conditions.

Currently, arrangements are in place with

  • The Royal College of Surgeons of England (rcseng.ac.uk)
  • The Royal College of Physicians (rcplondon.ac.uk)
  • The British Geriatrics Society (bgs.org.uk)

Initial enquiries should be directed to either the Royal Colleges or BGS.

Top
What are DMT Research Training Fellowships?

DMT has established a new programme of DMT Research Training Fellowships.

These Research Training Fellowships provide opportunities for talented clinicians, health professionals and scientists who would like a career in research in the fields of ageing, rehabilitation or palliative care.
Applications for the 2010 pilot are now closed. Further rounds will be dependent on the evaluation of the outcomes.

Top
Will DMT fund me directly?

No.

DMT will only fund work within registered charities, NHS institutions and academic institutions.

Top
Does DMT award travel bursaries?

No.

DMT will only fund travel costs where these arise as an integral part of research.

Top
Does DMT pay conference costs?

Generally no.

DMT will only fund conference costs where these are an integral part of a project.

Top
Will DMT consider applications from outside the UK?

No.

DMT ONLY funds work undertaken in the UK, by a charity or institution that is registered in the UK, AND where the resulting work has a primary application within the UK (so for instance this excludes research into most tropical diseases).

Top
Will DMT support work related to cancer?

DMT will NOT normally support work related to cancer as this is an issue deemed by the Trustees to be already well funded within the UK, particularly by large dedicated charities such as Cancer Research UK.

Top
Will DMT support work related to heart disease?

DMT will NOT normally support work related to heart disease as this is an issue deemed by the Trustees to be already well funded within the UK, particularly by large dedicated charities such as the British Heart Foundation.

Top
Will DMT support work in hospices?

The Trustees have decided NOT to provide capital grants and/or revenue costs for hospice care.

However, DMT is keen to encourage end of life research and therefore research studies within a hospice setting WILL be considered for support.

Top
Does DMT have links to the tobacco industry?

DMT does not receive or seek funds from any external body and has had no connection with the tobacco industry for many years.

DMT promotes the highest ethical practices in scientific and medical research and fully complies with the Joint Protocol of Cancer Research and Universities UK on Tobacco Industry Funding to Universities (2004).