The LINK Funding Scheme: Linking researchers and public partners for the development of Medical Research Council funding proposals

At Teesside University (TU), researchers have had a lot of success carrying out activities which involve people with lived experience of the conditions or diseases which they research, and organisations that represent them. This has led to successful applications for research funding, but applications to the Medical Research Council (MRC) have surprisingly remained low from TU. This is despite 300 TU researchers being eligible to apply for MRC funding and may be a consequence of TU having a significant number of laboratory-based researchers, where involvement of the public is not as common as more clinically focused research. The aim of this application therefore is to lead a scheme, named the LINK Funding Scheme, which will provide support and funding for TU researchers to create partnerships with people and organisations that represent the public, who can then work together to co-produce funding applications to the MRC. We will: 1. Support the development of new and existing partnerships between TU researchers and the public (or organisations that represent the public) 2. Provide training for laboratory-based TU researchers to increase the number of public partnerships in this specific area 3. Support TU researchers and their public partners by providing specific guidance and funding for activities that will lead to co-produced project proposals that form the basis of prospective MRC grant applications To apply for the LINK Funding Scheme, TU researchers will be required to collaborate with a relevant public partner and demonstrate eligibility for the MRC funding scheme they plan to apply to. The LINK Funding Scheme will involve networking events and training workshops where we will bring together public partners and TU researchers, providing direct support for potential LINK Funding Scheme applicants. There will be specific training for laboratory-based TU researchers where there has historically been low engagement in involving the public in research. Following the networking events and training workshops, the LINK Funding Scheme will have two funding application rounds. As part of the application process, applicants will provide information on the public partner(s) they are working with, the MRC grant scheme(s) they propose to apply to (including confirmation of their eligibility to apply), a detailed six-month plan and of how they will progress towards submitting an MRC grant application, a break-down of the budget required to support activities with their public partner(s), and any additional support and training required to ensure successful translation into an MRC grant application. The application review panel (which will include public partners) will decide which proposals will receive funding in each round. Successful applicants will receive bespoke support to help them achieve their aims and objectives to maximise likelihood of successful translation into an MRC grant application.