January 2026

Cambridge Cardiovascular has two pots of up to £3000 for research projects expecting to stimulate new collaborations or test interdisciplinary ideas in cardiovascular science. Applications are invited from Postgraduate Students, Research Assistants, Postdoctoral Associates/Fellows and new PIs.

Funds will be awarded at a public, evening 'dragon's den' style event on 23 March 2026. This ticketed event will be advertised as part of the Cambridge Festival.  Applicants whose proposals are shortlisted by our academic panel will be required to give a short talk about their research, suitable for the audience.

The event will be at the VPD Heart and Lung Research Institute on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus (room maximum 45 persons). Coaching/ feedback to help develop a ‘for the public’ talk will be offered to applicants, including those not shortlisted. The academic panel will provide basic feedback on all proposals.

Further details

Eligibility

• At least one applicant must be
  • a current postgraduate student or
  • employed as a Postdoctoral Associate/Fellow, Research Assistant or as a Healthcare Professional working in research
  • be a new PI (in their first 2 years)

at the University of Cambridge or its affiliated institutions (Babraham Institute, Wellcome Sanger Institute or Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust). If no applicant is eligible to hold research funds in their own right, the application must be supported by a supervisor or Department Head who is eligible.

• Collaborators /co-applicants can be from other disciplines, departments, universities or organisations

Schedule

• Deadline for proposals: 5pm, Tuesday 24 February 2026
• Shortlisted applicants notified by: Tuesday 3 March 2026
• Group coaching and feedback session (online): Monday 9 March 2026
• Public event: Monday 23 March 2026

Criteria for funded projects

• Proposals should be within or related to area(s) of cardiovascular research
• Funded ideas will promote cross-disciplinary exchange or collaboration
• Proposal aligns with ‘what we’ll fund’ guidelines (below)

• Proposals should be submitted by two or more applicants, ideally from at least two different departments or organisations
• One applicant should be available, in-person, to give a 3 minute talk for a public audience on 23 March 2026.

Applications for part-funding of a larger project will be considered, if our criteria are met.

What we’ll fund

• A pilot research project that leads to a cross-disciplinary publication or grant application
• Development of a new policy initiative or engagement with governmental or other external organisations
• Data collection or analysis to explore a new research direction
• Application of approaches or methods from another discipline to an existing piece of research
• Development of a prototype or novel method or approach
• A project to provide proof of concept for a larger funding proposal
• Development of a new research resource (e.g. an archive or tool).

We cannot fund

• Open access fees
• Publication fees
• Attendance at academic meetings and conferences
• Salary costs for current members of staff
• University overheads
• Purchase of equipment

Assessment criteria

• Relevance of the proposed activity to cardiovascular research
• Cross-disciplinarity and potential to stimulate new collaborations
• Originality or novelty
• Benefit of the project to the wider Cambridge Cardiovascular network
• Feasibility and achievability
• Impact of the expected outputs/outcomes
• Value for money
• Sustainability/long-term legacy (including likelihood of attracting further funding)
• Clear explanation of the project given at the public event on 23 March.

Group coaching and feedback session

Shortlisted applicants who will deliver the short talk are expected to attend the online group coaching and feedback session on 9 March from 10am-12.30pm. For anyone unable to make the date, we will contact you to discuss an individual option. Applicants whose proposals are not shortlisted are also welcome to attend as speaking to the public is a useful skill.

The friendly session will be run by an experienced communication coach and will allow you to hear feedback from peers and to give your feedback in turn.

Please direct any questions about the call for proposals to Jane Sugars: jms80@cam.ac.uk.

Application and review process

Applications can be made by email to Jane Sugars (jms80@cam.ac.uk) by 5pm on Monday 23 February. Please use our downloadable application form, completing all sections, and send a CV for each named applicant. If the project involves working with research subjects, appropriate ethical permission must be sought. Funds will not be released until this has been gained. We cannot cover retrospective costs so your proposed project must not start until 24 March 2026 at the earliest. Shortlisted candidates invited to speak at the public event are expected to make use of the coaching/ feedback offer. Please state your availability and preferences on the form.