Physiotherapy Pain Association Research Bursary Open to Applications 20th November 2024

We will be offering all PPA members the opportunity to apply for 2 funding streams. Each funding stream will be able to offer financial support to enable small scale research related projects.

STREAM 1: Will be open to applicants who wish or need support to conduct small scale research studies. We hope to support a number of projects with small grants between £100- £1000, all projects will be peer reviewed and funding will be allocated based on this process and funding available. 

Examples of suitable studies may include;

• Pilot work (small scale preliminary studies) 
• Proof of concept (feasibility studies collecting and analysing data to obtain evidence to support or refute ideas or plans). 
• Service evaluation and quality improvement projects
• Audit will be considered if there is a clear justification for how it may be used to highlight gaps in provision and inform new service development.

Preference will be given to projects that incorporate patient and public involvement and for clinical projects over education projects. Please note that service evaluations and audits will need to be registered with the host organisation’s governance departments / committees prior to commencing projects. Ethical approval will be required for research studies. 

Funding may be used in a number of ways, for example:

• To back fill staff time – release researcher from clinical duties to undertake the research be used toward salary costs this may include direct payment, overtime, compensation for unpaid leave to conduct the work, or backfill dependent on local arrangements and what is feasible.

• For training – for help with statistics, surveys, interviews, etc.

• For transcription costs

• For payment of patient and public expenses.

STREAM 2: Will be open to applicants who require support to publish work, either toward publication fees or toward conference registration fees where an applicant is presenting a poster, international travel and accommodation will not be funded.  We hope to support a number of projects with small grants between £100- £500, all projects will be peer reviewed and funding will be allocated based on this process and funding available. 

Please note these applications are only open to members of the PPA. Projects should embody the PPA mission statement of ‘supporting physiotherapists working across all specialities in contemporary physiotherapy practice, to draw on biopsychosocial approaches to support people living with pain’ and support the association’s goals (see website). Research activity must be led by a physiotherapist or student physiotherapist. 

Conditions of Award

Successful applicants to either stream are required to:

•  Acknowledge PPA support in any research outputs
• Successful applicants must provide a written report of results for the association’s journal and website by 12 months post award funding. The journal editors can provide supportive feedback on any articles submitted for publication as part of the research development process.
• Successful applicants will present their findings and discuss the impact of the award in a PPA webinar or AGM. 
• All acknowledgments of PPA support should also include the following disclaimer ‘The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors(s) and not necessarily those of the PPA’. 
• Only direct costs can be covered by the bursary.

Applicants should submit their application form via email by the 16.00hrs on 16^th January to Selina.johnson@thewaltoncentre.nhs.uk & leila.heelas@ouh.nhs.uk

Please include PPA bursary application and either funding stream 1 or 2 in the email subject heading.

Process 

1. November 20^th Open to applications
2. Jan 16^th at 16.00hrs: Application closes
3. January : The PPA Scientific sub-committee review applications 
4. End of January: The PPA Scientific sub-committee meet to consider reviews and make recommendations.
5. Early February: Applicants informed of the decision
6. February/ March: Funds transferred to successful applicants