Available research grants

We fund a huge range of research to tackle lung disease. To date, we have awarded more than £33m in research grants.

Check this page regularly to find out what funding we have available. We announce new funding throughout the year, as and when we secure the money. 

Our 2019-20 grant round

The following awards are available:

SarcoidosisUK - BLF sarcoidosis research grant

The British Lung Foundation and SarcoidosisUK are inviting preliminary applications for a grant to support research into sarcoidosis. Applications must fit into at least one of the following categories: aetiology, prevention, diagnosis, alleviation, treatment and/or cure of sarcoidosis. Preference will be given to research that takes us towards new core understanding/a new therapeutic option for all people living with sarcoidosis.

The grant is available either to medically qualified applicants, post-doctoral scientists or allied health professionals for clinical, laboratory and/or epidemiological research into sarcoidosis.

Grants are for a specified period of up to three years to a maximum of £120,000.

Applications may seek costs for personnel, equipment and consumables where appropriate. The grant-holding institution must be based in the UK.

Preliminary application deadline: 3 February 2020

The BLF operates a paperless grants application system through the Flexi-Grant platform. To make an application and read the full guidelines for our research grants, please visit our portal.

British Lung Foundation Flexi-Grant Portal

Funding decisions will be finalised in summer 2020

BLF Mesothelioma Research Network collaborative pump-priming research grant

Preliminary applications are invited for support of collaborative research into mesothelioma. The principal applicant and all co-applicants must be members of the BLF Mesothelioma Research Network (MRN). At least one co-applicant must be based at a different institution to the principal applicant. Grants are available either to medically qualified applicants, post-doctoral scientists or allied health professionals for clinical, laboratory and/or epidemiological research.

Grants are for a specified period of up to three years to a maximum of £40,000 per award. The grant-holding institution must be based in the UK.

Preliminary application deadline: 3 February 2020

The BLF operates a paperless grants application system through the Flexi-Grant platform. To make an application and read the full guidelines for our research grants, please visit our portal.

British Lung Foundation Flexi-Grant Portal

Funding decisions will be finalised in summer 2020

BLF mesothelioma research grants, supported by Catalina

Preliminary applications are invited for support of research into mesothelioma, supported by Catalina Services UK Limited. Grants are available either to medically qualified applicants, post-doctoral scientists or allied health professionals for clinical, laboratory and/or epidemiological research where appropriate.

The following grants are available:

  • Clinical Trial Award. Funding is available to support trials of new/existing molecules (either molecules that are not yet licenced for any indication or those that are already licenced for use in other indications). Grants are for a specified period of up to four years to a maximum of £500,000 per award. 
  • Project Grant for research into improved early diagnosis. Grants are for a specified period of up to three years to a maximum of £330,000 per award. 
  • Pump Priming Grant for research into improved early diagnosis. Grants are for a specified period of up to 18 months to a maximum of £40,000 per award.

Collaboration is encouraged, both within and outside the UK, but the grant-holding institution must be based in the UK. Applications involving early-career investigators are also encouraged.

Due to timescale restrictions, we will accept letters of intention for collaborations (e.g. with industry partners).

Preliminary application deadline: 3 February 2020

The BLF operates a paperless grants application system through the Flexi-Grant platform. To make an application and read the full guidelines for our research grants, please visit our portal.

British Lung Foundation Flexi-Grant Portal

Funding decisions will be finalised in summer 2020

BLF-Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust Malcolm Weallans pulmonary fibrosis research grant

Preliminary applications are invited for support of research into pulmonary fibrosis. Grants are available to medically qualified applicants, post-doctoral scientists or allied health professionals for clinical, laboratory and/or epidemiological research. Applications may seek costs for personnel, equipment and consumables where appropriate.

Grants are for a specified period of up to three years to a maximum of £40,000. The grant-holding institution must be based in the UK.

Preliminary application deadline: 3 February 2020

The BLF operates a paperless grants application system through the Flexi-Grant platform. To make an application and read the full guidelines for our research grants, please visit our portal.

British Lung Foundation Flexi-Grant Portal

Funding decisions will be finalised in summer 2020

BLF-Masonic Charitable Foundation PhD studentship award

Funding is available to support a PhD student performing research in one or more of the following priority areas:

  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)
  • Children’s lung disease
  • Bronchiectasis

The principal applicant/supervisor must be either medically qualified researcher, a post-doctoral scientist or an allied health professional. Funding must support clinical, laboratory and/or epidemiological research.

Awards will cover student stipend (as set by host institution), university fees (as set by host institution) and research consumables, directly attributable to the project, usually less than £12,000 per year. Total award for 3 years cannot be greater than £100,000.

The grant-holding institution must be based in the UK.

Preliminary application deadline: 3 February 2020

The BLF operates a paperless grants application system through the Flexi-Grant platform. To make an application and read the full guidelines for our research grants, please visit our portal.

British Lung Foundation Flexi-Grant Portal

Funding decisions will be finalised in summer 2020

Travel awards

The British Lung Foundation offers travel awards to the European Respiratory Society Conference, the American Thoracic Society Conference and the International Mesothelioma Interest Group Meeting. These travel awards are available to early-career clinical and/or non-clinical researchers and contribute towards the costs of registration, accommodation and travel to assist in the attendance of these important meetings. Early career researchers are defined as within 10 years of receiving their PhD. Allowances can be made for career breaks. If working in a field where a PhD is not a pre-requisite for research activity, non-PhD holders with research experience equivalent to a PhD holder are eligible.

American Thoracic Society conference

Travel Fellowships worth £750 each are available for early-career clinical and non-clinical researchers in the respiratory field to attend the American Thoracic Society International Conference in Philadelphia, USA, 15-20 May 2020. This year, we are offering six BLF awards.

All awards are applied for via the BLF’s Flexi-Grant portal. Please read the application guidelines before completing an application form.

British Lung Foundation Flexi-Grant Portal

Application deadline: 12noon, Monday 6 April 2020.

Funding decisions will be made known to all applicants in early May 2020.

European Respiratory Society conference

Applications for 2019 are now closed. An announcement regarding the availability of ATS awards for 2020 will be made in due course.

International Mesothelioma Interest Group Meeting

Applications for 2020 are now closed. An announcement regarding the availability of iMig travel awards for 2022 will be made in due course.