Interdisciplinary Research ‘Sandpits’

As part of the Kent’s 50th Anniversary celebrations, the University is funding three interdisciplinary research ‘sandpits’.

Sandpits are residential interactive workshops that take place over three days. Having a period of time to work with others, to focus on broad issues, test ideas and assumptions and develop interesting solutions to difficult problems is a rare opportunity in today’s academy, and goes back to the founding interdisciplinary, collegiate principles of the University.

ESRC & NIHR Call for 'Oven-Ready' Dementia Interventions

The ESRC and NIHR whetted the sector's appetite for their forthcoming Dementia Initiative by holding a workshop for prospective applicants on Tuesday. The Call Specification is now on the ESRC's website, but there were some interesting points that came out of the workshop :

• Stakeholder involvement is key;
• Projects need to be ambitious and bold;
• They are especially interested in looking at 'oven-ready' interventions that change behaviour and can prevent dementia;
• Social care research is seen as a particularly rich seam that has been under-researched;
• They would welcome the wider involvement of social sciences. 

We're planning to hold a meeting in a couple of weeks time to discuss this call. If you want more information about it, or are considering putting in a bid, drop me or Brian Lingley a line.

Lifelong Health and Wellbeing: Advanced Notice

Five of the seven Research Councils, together with a clutch of government departments, have issued an advanced notice for the third round of the 'Lifelong Health and Wellbeing' programme. This is intended to fund multidisciplinary research to understand, prepare for and encourage healthy living in later life.
Phase 3 will seek proposals on (but not restricted to):

• Mental health and wellbeing, including quality of life, preserving cognitive function;
• Resilience for successful ageing: from cell to society, including life course influences, markers for ageing and processes of ageing;
• Age-related conditions, including frailty and interventions to promote independence in later life.

They're offering both research grants (up to £10m) and pilot grants (£2.5m for 10 projects).
The call itself is due in early May, so have a look at their website and give some thought as to whether you have the necessary collaborations or projects that would be suitable to LLHW funding. If you need any help with this, don't hesitate to get in touch.