How to apply for funding

The trustees of the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT) determine the budget available for grant making and are ultimately responsible for the research strategy of the charity and for grant making.  To assist them in these responsibilities there is a Research Sub-committee (RSC) drawn from various disciplines within the retinoblastoma and research communities.

The role of the RSC is:

• Consideration of applications for research funding
• Seeking peer review where appropriate
• Making recommendations to the Board of Trustees for grant awards
• Monitoring progress during the term of the funding

Childhood Eye Cancer Trust staff are responsible for the day-to-day administration of the charity's grants programme but they are not involved in assessing the scientific merits of individual grants.

The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust's grant funding will be allocated to research teams based in the UK and attached to recognised academic or medical institutions.  The charity may however fund UK-based teams or individuals undertaking research in other parts of the world.

Applications for funding must be submitted to the RSC on our standard form and sent to the charity's office, for the attention of the Chairperson, both electronically and in hard copy with original signatures. Forms are available here.

The number of grants and funds available will vary from year to year and will be published on our website from June, each year.

Applications must be received six weeks prior to the Research Sub-Committee meeting in November – the date of which will be published in advance.

Grants will be available no earlier than April of the following year.

Research grants - conditions of award

Where an award is made for more than one calendar year, funding will be reviewed on an annual basis.

A progress report must be submitted to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust's Research Sub-committee six months from the date of the award; one year from the date of the award; and every subsequent anniversary for the duration of the project.  It must be received by the committee a minimum of four weeks before each anniversary. The report should contain sufficient detail as to allow assessment of satisfactory progress.

All grant-holders must submit a report at the end of the funding period detailing the work, its results and conclusions. A short lay summary should accompany the report for the benefit of the wider membership of CHECT.

The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (name in full) should be acknowledged in any publication that results in part or in full from this funding. A copy should be forwarded to the trust.

When submitting an invoice please ensure that a breakdown of costings are clearly given and any accompanying paperwork such as receipts or copies of purchase orders are attached.

Where items of equipment costing more than £1,000 have been identified in the grant application, monies will not be released until a copy of the supplier's invoice is forwarded to CHECT.

Annual salary increases will be funded in line with nationally agreed pay awards. Increments resulting from progression to higher scale points can only be funded if accounted for in the original grant application.

Peer review

CHECT aims to fund high quality research and studies.  In order to assist the charity in assessing grant applications it may seek opinion from experts in a given field in relation to all, or part of the project proposal.  The charity aims to receive three written reviews from independent experts who may also be based outside of the UK.  CHECT believes it is important for applicants to see the comments made by external reviewers so the charity will endeavour to send these on an anonymous basis to applicants for their responses.  Applicants will be invited to re-submit their amended application if the RSC considers there is sufficient merit in the project as a whole.

All outcomes of funding decisions will be communicated to applicants in a timely fashion and feedback is available to applicants regarding their application.

Animal testing

It is the charity's policy that the use of animals for research purposes is only undertaken when there is no alternative. If animals are used then numbers should be minimised as is any discomfort endured. The laboratories must be observing relevant animal welfare standards and hold a valid audit certification to that effect.  All research projects which are partially or fully funded by CHECT must declare if animals are to be used at any stage of the research.

Funding from pharmaceutical companies

The charity works within the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) Code of Practice.  In line with this, funding from pharmaceutical companies is accepted by CHECT, but only where funds are not directed towards specific projects which may be seen to be of particular benefit to the funder. In order to maintain its independence, CHECT will only accept funding if it can be matched by funding from another, similar company and careful management of credits for funding such projects will be agreed prior to accepting funds.  The charity will work alongside other charities who form part of umbrella groups which receive funding from this source.