The Andy Cole Fund Grant Awards
Do you want to ensure fair and equitable access to kidney transplants for everyone who needs one? Do you want to improve quality of life for kidney transplant patients?
We are offering funding through the second set of Andy Cole Fund Grant Awards.
Help us change the future of transplant care
- Transform transplantation
Ensure fairer access to kidney transplants and transplant innovation; address unmet needs for under-represented groups; maximise the number of healthy donated kidneys for all patients who need one
- Improve patients’ lives post-transplant
Address the ‘fear of failure’ and mental health challenges faced by kidney transplant patients; understand the effects of long-term immunosuppressive medication ; find the causes of kidney transplant failure and developing monitoring and treatments that better manage and prevent transplant rejection for all patients.
“I set up the Andy Cole Fund to make a difference. I’m determined that we will find the best ways to support kidney patients’ mental health and improve the transplant experience.
Kidney disease is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to deal with. We’ve got to make it better for others and research is the answer. I’m excited to see what projects we can fund through the Andy Cole Fund Grant Awards to help change the game for kidney patients.” Andy Cole, kidney patient and former England footballer
Types of grants available
We welcome applications for the following grant types:
Research project grants: funds stand-alone research projects that will advance our knowledge in kidney transplantation.
- Grant available: up to £250,000
- Funding period: maximum of three years, may be spread over a two or three-year period.
Start-up grants: funds stand-alone research studies to investigate innovative new hypotheses around kidney transplantation that lack any significant existing research evidence.
- Grant available: up to £40,000
- Funding period: maximum of two years, may be spread over a one or two-year period.
PhD studentships (non-clinical) PhD Studentships are available for research leading to a PhD, focusing on kidney transplantation research.
- PhD Studentship: The student’s stipend is based on the Medical Research Council Scale.
- Higher degree tuition fees and a consumables allowance of £5,000 per annum up to a total of £15,000.
- Funding period: for up to three and a half years.
Transplant surgeon PhD fellowships: supports medical graduates who are specialising in surgery to expand the levels of expertise in kidney transplantation research.
- Training Fellowship: The Fellow’s salary, higher degree tuition fees and a consumables allowance of £15,000 per annum.
- Funding period: for up to three years.
Submitting an application
Information of eligibility, grant regulations and conditions, and opening and closing dates for submissions.
Application information
All submissions to this call will be subject to expert review involving members of our research grants committee and lay advisory group and both scientific and lay external reviewers.
All lead applicants must be resident in the United Kingdom and the research must be led from a UK establishment.
Applications should be submitted on the Professor Michael Nicholson grants round application forms.
Application key dates
Opening date: 30 June 2025
Closing date: 29 September 2025
Got a question? Get in touch.
For advice and or any help please contact a member of our Research Operations Team:
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