How to … successfully find and apply for Clinical Education Research (ClinEdR) funding

Money makes the world go round. We need money to pay for people to ‘do’ research, for equipment and supplies, travel and for basic overheads like administrative support. In Clinical Education Research (ClinEdR), funding is most often obtained after competitive application processes, where research teams have to demonstrate the rigour, value, impact and feasibility of their project, as well as their own credibility.¹

As a young discipline, funding for ClinEdR can be challenging to locate and secure.^{2, 3} Novice and mid-career researchers, therefore, often have questions about how to locate funding for research and ongoing career development. Regrettably, there is no fool-proof formula for writing a winning funding proposal, but we can identify guiding principles for developing a project so that it has a better chance of being funded. In this ‘How to …’ paper, we draw on our shared experiences as members of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Incubator for Clinical Education Research to offer advice on finding and applying for funding opportunities in this field. The NIHR Incubator for Clinical Education Research is a UK-wide network, established with support from the NIHR, which is leading initiatives to build capacity in the field. As members of this group, we are invested in supporting developing researchers in the field and believe guidance on applying for research funding to represent a necessary component of this support.

Our advice spans three key considerations: knowing yourself; knowing your funding and your funder; and knowing your study. Throughout, we consider important decisions when pursuing funding; offer an overview of sources and types of funding; and consider the practicalities of writing proposals, including estimating costs. We present a curated glossary of common funding terminology to help you decipher jargon that you may encounter (see Appendix A). Glossary terms are highlighted in bold text.

Bidding for funding in ClinEdR is competitive, and one cannot always win. However, there are guiding principles that can boost your chances. Given that funding enhances the quality of ClinEdR,⁴ consistently making this effort, even when we fail to secure funding, is what is most important. If you are unsuccessful, allow yourself the time and space to process any disappointment, and work through feedback received to enhance your idea. For researcher-led calls, you can take your improved idea and submit elsewhere. For funder-led calls, there is still learning you can take from the process of bid construction. Although it is true that ‘money makes the world go round’ in ClinEdR, it is our commitment to learning and improvement that matter most.

The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.

The authors have no ethical statement to declare.