Overview
Action Medical Research and Action for A-T have joined forces to provide additional funding to the Ataxia Telangiesctasia (A-T) research community. We invite applications for medical research that has the potential to benefit people with A-T.
Action Medical Research is a leading UK-wide charity dedicated to saving and changing children’s lives through medical research. Action funds a wide range of cutting-edge medical research most likely to deliver real benefit to babies, children and young people.
Action for A-T is on a mission to fund medical research to speed up the process of identifying a cure for A-T or treatments that delay or prevent the disabling effects of this devastating childhood condition.
Action Medical Research and Action for A-T invite applications for translational medical research projects that have the potential to treat or enable medical interventions for Ataxia Telangiectasia (A-T) in childhood. Projects must be led by research-active professionals based at universities, hospitals or research institutes in any country. The call is focused on child health, with interventions being proposed targeting babies, children and young people with A-T.
The fund aims to support high-quality projects for up to three years duration, providing a maximum of £250,000 per project.
It is anticipated that 4-5 projects will be funded through this call.
Applicants should complete an outline form, summarising their proposed research project by 28 January 2026 at 5pm. The link to the form is available here: Portal homepage - Action Medical Research. If the research proposed fits the Research Strategy of both Action Medical Research and Action for A-T, you will be invited to submit a full application.
Background
Action Medical Research is a UK-wide charity funding vital research to help babies, children and young people. For 70 years we’ve helped pioneer ways to prevent disease and develop treatments benefiting millions of people. Our research has helped to beat polio in the UK, develop ultrasound in pregnancy, fight meningitis and prevent stillbirths. Action funds medical research in hospitals or research institutions across the UK aimed at preventing and treating disease and disability in children.
Action for A-T was established in 2012 to provide support to the wider A-T community and speed up the process of identifying a cure of treatments that delay or prevent the disabling effects of Ataxia Telangiectasia (A-T). Action for A-T’s vision is a future where the effects of A-T are minimised, and lives are transformed. They are the largest funder of A-T research in Europe, investing more the £5.7 million in 60 A-T projects around the world.
Who can apply
Projects must be led by research-active professionals based at universities, hospitals or research institutes in any country.
- Applicants, co-applicants and collaborators must be employed by hospitals, universities or research institutes.
- The principal investigator (PI) is normally employed in a permanent position.
- Fixed term employees on a long term contracts may be eligible to be a PI, providing the term of employment extends at least six months beyond the duration of the proposed research project and the host research institution is prepared to give all the necessary support to the individual and the project.
- Applications from early career, independent investigators (e.g. University Lecturer within 5-years of first appointment) are encouraged.
- Research workers who require personal support from a project grant, and who have made a substantial intellectual contribution to the grant proposal, may be named as co-applicants with an established member of staff as the PI.
Collaborations are encouraged where relevant to the project and can be at a global scale. Where appropriate, there must be plans to put in place suitable collaboration agreements.
A research team can only apply for one grant per grant round. Applicants can be a PI on one application and co-applicant on no more than one other application.
Scope
Applications are invited for translational medical research projects that have the potential to treat or enable medical interventions for Ataxia Telangiectasia (A-T) in childhood.
Within child health, the emphasis is on clinical research or research at the interface between clinical and basic science that can be translated into clinical solutions in the short to medium term. A broad spectrum of biomedical research is suitable, with projects targeting treatments and cures, improving of diagnosis, therapies and assistive technologies being exemplars.
Applications
Research should be both innovative and of a high standard as judged by rigorous peer review.
Applications should:
- Address a significant, unmet need for babies or children and/or young people (CYP) with A-T.
- Have a clearly articulated plan as to how clinical impact could be achieved within the short to medium term
- Have a strong scientific rationale
- Describe a discrete medical research project
- Start from August 2026.
Smaller applications to help researchers develop original and innovative ideas are also welcome. Applications may include pilot studies that will generate data enabling larger scale applications to funding bodies or practical application.
Limitations and exclusions
We do not provide:
- grants on social research, family relationships or socioeconomic research.
- grants towards service provision or audit studies.
- grants for research into complementary / alternative medicines.
- grants purely for higher education courses.
- grants on how best to train clinical staff.
- grants for medical or dental electives.
- 'top up' funding for work already supported by other funding bodies.
- general appeals from other charities. Applications would normally come directly from research teams and projects need to be passed through our scientific peer review system.
- applicants based in core funded units can apply but need to demonstrate added value.
We will not normally consider:
- Projects that are similar to projects already under consideration by Action Medical Research of Action for A-T through another grant scheme.
- Resubmissions of applications that have previously been considered by Action Medical Research or Action for A-T within one year unless a resubmission was specifically invited.
- More than one application from the same group of researchers.
Funding and resources available
Projects may be up to 36 months in duration.
The upper limit for funding is £250,000. It is anticipated that 4-5 projects could be funded through this call.
Action Medical Research and Action for A-T will support the direct cost of research. Indirect or directly allocated costs such as shared equipment and resources based on estimates, administrative or other overheads (including any depreciation or maintenance costs) should not be included.
Salary costs:
Research worker salaries can be included.
- Use salary scales known at the time of application and include an additional sum to cover estimates of future nationally agreed pay awards to cover cost of living increases only.
- Include employer’s costs, pension and national insurance and London weighting where appropriate.
- Do not include apprenticeship levy, visa costs, costs associated with advertising and recruitment of staff or course fees for degrees.
Salary of a PI or salaries (or percentage of salaries) for those already employed in salaried long term positions should not be included.
Consumables and Equipment:
- Research expenses consumables and items of dedicated equipment essential for carrying out the work can be included and must be fully justified.
- The university or research institute should provide standard laboratory equipment and office computers.
- VAT on consumables and equipment should not be included.
Travel, patient and public involvement and publication costs:
- Costs of travel for researchers (excluding subsistence) may be included in an application provided they form a necessary and integral part of the research proposed
- Do not include an allowance for attendance at meetings and conferences. (Action Medical Research grantholders may apply separately as the need arises during the grant).
- Patient and public involvement (PPI) costs can be applied for up to a maximum of £1,000 per grant. This is in addition to any patient costs (e.g. patient recruitment costs) required to deliver the project.
- Publication costs are limited to £3,000 per grant.
How to apply
Stage 1: Outline application
Complete the Outline form by the deadline 28 January 2026 5pm. The form is available on Action Medical Research’s grant management system Portal homepage - Action Medical Research. Applicants must first create an account on the system using the Register button. Once registered the form will be available under the Available grants section of the system.
Applications must meet the guidelines as outlined in this call. Please ensure that you have thoroughly read the scope and exclusions.
Late applications will not be considered. Ensure you are aware of and comply with any internal institutional deadlines that may be in place.
Your host organisation will also be able to provide advice and support on completing your application. A research team can only apply for one grant per grant round. Applicants can be a PI on one application and co-applicant on no more than one other application.
Stage 2: Full proposal
Applicants selected to submit a full proposal will be informed in early February and sent links to the full application form and application instructions.
There will be a limit to the number of full applications that we can invite. Where the work is considered peripheral to the call aims or in cases where demand on our funds is high, we will inform you of our decision not to request a full application.
How we will assess your application
- Outline applications will be subject to internal checks at Action Medical Research and Action for A-T to ensure fit to remit of the call. Applicants will be notified if their proposal has been rejected at this stage.
- Outlines will be reviewed by our scientific advisors and those that best match the call aims and Action Medical Research and Action for A-T’s remit will be invited to submit a full application.
- Successful applicants from the Outline stage will be invited to complete a full application. Full applications will be externally peer reviewed with a subsequent review by the Scientific Advisory Panel established for this call from the Action Medical Research and Action for A-T panels. Project grants recommended by the Scientific Advisory Panel are subjected to final approval for funding through Council.
In the event of this funding opportunity being substantially oversubscribed, the charities reserve the right to modify or extend this assessment process.
Assessment criteria
Proposals submitted to this funding opportunity will be considered using the following criteria.
Remit, Importance and Impact of the work
- The importance and clinical relevance of the problem which the work seeks to overcome including the unmet need and scale of the problem.
- The scientific and/or medical advance in the short and long term that the project could produce.
- Whether the work will further both charities objectives.
Scientific merit of the proposal
- The proposal summarises the previous work and describes how this will be built upon and progressed.
- Level of innovation and whether this is likely to lead to significant new understanding.
- The aims and objectives are understandable and unambiguous, hypotheses are clearly defined.
Feasibility of the project
Has a clearly written and transparent methodology/study design been provided?
- Are the experimental models appropriate?
- Do the experiments address the question asked?
- Are there any problems or flaws in the proposed work?
- Is the cohort appropriately selected and powered to prove or disprove the hypothesis?
- Has preliminary data been included in the proposal?
Has the applicant clearly set out and justified the following:
- Measures for avoidance of bias (e.g. blinding, randomisation)
- Number of experimental and control groups and sample size per group
- How the sample size was calculated, showing power calculations and including justification of effect size
- Overview of the planned statistical analyses in relation to the primary outcomes to be assessed
- Frequency of measurements/interventions to be used
- Circumstances in which power calculations are not appropriate to determine sample size
- Have diversity and inclusion been considered in the study population? If not, is there a clear justification?
- Have any risks or difficulties been anticipated and a risk mitigation plan provided?
Resources and costs justification
Is the support fully justified or any modifications to the support recommended?
PPI
Is the plan to involve patients or members of the public appropriate to the planned research (more involvement being expected where the research is nearer to clinical application)?
Are there any ethical issues that need specific consideration?
Use of animals justification
If the application involves the use of animals or animal tissue, is this (and the species proposed) justified in terms of the likely outcomes of the research and conforms to guidelines? Is there potential for improvement in the research approach which could replace animals, reduce the numbers used and/or reduce animal suffering such as more modern methods that are less invasive.
Research team suitability
The research team should have the following:
- the relevant experience to deliver the proposed work
- the track record of the applicant(s) and their departments in the research area
- the right balance of skills and expertise to cover the proposed work
- the appropriate leadership and management experience to deliver the work
Success rates for this scheme
2024
116 outline applications received. 41 applicants were invited to submit a full application. Following external review and panel assessment 13 awards were made with a 35% success rate for full applications received.
2022
81 outline applications received. 42 applicants were invited to submit a full application. Following external review and panel assessment 13 awards were made with a 33% success rate for full applications received.
Award conditions and Reporting Requirements
UK grants are awarded under the terms of Action Medical Research grant agreement. Non-UK grants will be awarded by Action for A-T. Projects must be started within 6 months of the award.
If you are successful in securing funding, you will need to provide at least six monthly reports. Grantholders are expected to speak on their work at fundraising events or scientific meetings if required, displaying funders’ logos.
Key Dates
Applications open: 15 December 2025
Outline deadline: 28 January 2026, 5pm
Full applications invited: Early February 2026
Full application deadline:17 March 2026
Decision: July 2026
Awards: From August 2026
Supporting documents
Outline application guidance (PDF)
Example outline application form (PDF)
Contact details
For help and advice on costings and writing your proposal please contact your research office in the first instance, allowing sufficient time for your organisation’s submission process.
Questions regarding the grant round should be directed to Action Medical Research by contacting applications@action.org.uk.