Funding for research and development

Involving People in Research Grant (multiple grants of up to £2,000 each)

This grant supports public involvement and engagement in grant or project preparation. It is available throughout the year, or until the total funding pot has been allocated. If all funds are allocated before the end of the year, we’ll update our website and let you know via social media.

Advancing the Evidence Grant (one grant of up to £90,000)

This grant supports larger projects that clearly address one or more of the top 10 research priorities. Suitable for preliminary, pilot, feasibility studies, or nested studies that offer developmental opportunities to gain further research experience within the project.

Research Starter Grant (one or two grants totalling £20,000)

This grant is aimed at doctoral and post-doctoral researchers to support them at the beginning of their research career development.

Synthesising the Evidence Grant (one or two grants totalling £20,000)

To extend the assimilation, understanding and development of the evidence base underpinning occupational therapy through a systematic review. 

Full details of the grants available, including application forms, can be found in the ‘Application Information’ section.

Advancing the Evidence Grant (one grant of up to £90,000)

This grant supports larger projects that clearly address one or more of the top 10 research priorities. Suitable for preliminary, pilot, feasibility studies, or nested studies that offer developmental opportunities to gain further research experience within the project.

Advancing the Evidence Grant submission information (DOCX, 100.51KB)

Advancing the Evidence Grant tips and FAQs (DOCX, 97.16KB)

Advancing the Evidence Grant reviewer feedback form – for benchmarking your submission (DOCX, 91.73KB)

Advancing the evidence grant application form (DOCX, 105.76KB)

Research Starter Grant 
(one or two grants totalling £20,000)

This grant supports you at the beginning of your occupational therapy research career, either at the doctoral or post-doctoral stage.

Research Starter Grant tips and FAQs (DOCX, 95.2KB)

Research Starter Grant reviewer feedback form – for benchmarking your submission (DOCX, 92.21KB)

RSG submission info 2025.docx (DOCX, 100.1KB)

Research starter grant application form (DOCX, 104.75KB)

Synthesising the Evidence Grant 
(one or two grants totalling £20,000)

This grant is for a systematic review to extend the assimilation, understanding and development of the evidence base underpinning occupational therapy.

Synthesising the Evidence Grant submission information (DOCX, 100.15KB)

Synthesising the Evidence Grant tips and FAQs (DOCX, 94.91KB)

Synthesising the Evidence Grant reviewer feedback form – for benchmarking your submission (DOCX, 98KB)

Synthesising the evidence grant form (DOCX, 108.12KB)

Jennifer Pearl, Person with lived experience of using OT. Appointed to the Panel in 2024.

I work as an Expert by Experience for the Care Quality Commission. I support inspections in care homes, hospitals and domiciliary care agencies - giving people who use the services and their relatives a voice in the inspection process. I am also Co Chair of Inclusion Barnet. 

I am on the National Co Production Advisory Group (NCAG) of Think Local Act Personal, where at national and local level we co-produce services. I am a project advisor for Kent University for their research project on cost benefit of domiciliary care and also for Supporting Adult Social Care Innovation. 

I have a spinal cord non traumatic injury and have had amazing support over the years from Occupational Therapists.

Dr Sarah Markham, Person with lived experience of using OT. Appointed to the Panel in 2024

Sarah is a mental health service use who has benefitted greatly from using OT services which has both inspired and sustained her recovery, in addition to rebuilding her positive sense of self and self-confidence.

She has a background of working in accountancy and teaching and also has a PhD in pure mathematics. Sarah also has over 14 years' experience of patient and public involvement in health and social care research and supporting Early Career researcher in how to integrate and facilitate patient and public involvement and co-production within their research. She is also a keen runner and cat lover.

Professor Jon Glasby, Professor of Health and Social Care, University of Birmingham. Appointed to the Advisory Group in 2023.

Jon Glasby is a qualified social worker by background and Professor of Health and Social Care at the University of Birmingham.  He is Director of IMPACT (‘IMProving Adult Care Together’), the UK centre for evidence implementation in adult social care, funded by the ESRC and Health Foundation.  In 2022, he also served a special adviser to the House of Lords Adult Social Care Committee.

Jon is the former Director of the University’s Health Services Management Centre (HSMC) (2008-15) and former Head of the School of Social Policy (2015-20).  He is currently a Non-Executive Director (NED) of an NHS Foundation Trust and of a local authority children’s service.  Jon is also a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and a Senior Fellow of the NIHR School for Social Care Research.  He specialises in research, policy advice and practical support in terms of joint working between health and social care, implementing evidence in practice and personalisation.

Dr Blaine Robin, Senior Lecturer, School of Health, Leeds Beckett University. Appointed to the Advisory Group in 2023.

Dr Blaine Robin has worked in Adult Social Care since qualifying as an occupational therapist in 1994 commencing with London Borough of Hillingdon.  A range of roles in Older People Services in the NHS, Social Services and Private Sector settings throughout the United Kingdom followed.   He progressed into senior roles included Service Manager - Equipment Services (2003 - 2006 - Redbridge Council); elected Member Southend on Sea Borough Council (2008 - 2012); Arm’s Length Management Organisation (Social Housing Board Member) of South Essex Homes (2008 – 2012); HIV/AIDS Champion – Southend on Sea Borough Council (2008 – 2012). He is a RoSPA trained Moving and Handling Trainer for train the trainer courses/annual refresher courses.

In 2010 he completed a PhD at the University of Greenwich, Public Health.  In 2016 he left Luton Council Adult Social Care and the role of Advanced Practitioner in Occupational Therapy to begin a teaching career at South Essex College of Higher Education.  In 2020 was appointed as Senior Lecturer in Occupational Therapy at Leeds Beckett University. His current research interests are varied.  They include quantitative research methods and design and racial disparities in health and illness. His most meaningful occupations include spending time with his family; binge watching box sets of sci fi, crime thrillers and travelling to the Caribbean for rest, recuperation and regeneration.

Professor Katrina Bannigan, Honorary Professor at the University of Plymouth 
Appointed to the Advisory Group in 2023.

Katrina’s main research focus is work to retirement. Her broader research interests are the research-teaching- practice nexus (particular to build research capacity), complex intervention development and evidence synthesis.

She is currently Vice Chair of the Research & Development Board at the Royal College of Occupational Therapists and member of The University of Plymouth Centre for Innovations in Health and Social Care, a Joanna Briggs Institute Centre of Excellence.

Dr Joseph McVeigh, Senior Lecturer and Head of Discipline of Physiotherapy, University College Cork. Appointed to the Advisory Group in 2023.

Dr McVeigh is a Senior Lecturer and Head of Discipline of Physiotherapy in the School of Clinical Therapies. Before joining UCC Dr McVeigh was a member of faculty at Ulster University where he was Course Director of the BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy and the MSc Sport and Exercise Medicine programmes. Dr McVeigh obtained a BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy from Ulster University in 1992. He was employed in the NHS as a staff grade then senior physiotherapist before specialising in the rehabilitation of long-term musculoskeletal conditions. In 1999 Dr McVeigh was appointed to one of the first joint clinical-academic posts in physiotherapy in the North of Ireland. Dr McVeigh was subsequently appointed as a Lecturer in Physiotherapy at Ulster University in 2003. Dr McVeigh was awarded a Fellowship (2013) and Senior Fellowship (2016) of the Higher Education Academy and has acted as External Examiner at St George’s University of London and Manchester Metropolitan University.

Dr Hortensia Gimeno, Clinical Academic Occupational Therapist, Associate Director of Therapies Research at Barts Health in East London and Honorary Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary University London. Appointed to the Advisory Group in 2024. 

Dr Gimeno has a strong ambition to improve the care of children and young people with movement disorders. She has 25 years of clinical experience and has achieved international recognition despite a lack of protected research time throughout her career.  

She established proof-of-concept and initial feasibility for a rehabilitation intervention, the Cognitive Orientation to Occupational Performance (CO-OP), for childhood-onset movement disorders through her NIHR-ICA doctoral fellowship (2014-2017). Her doctoral studies were amongst the first rehabilitation studies in this field. She has unique expertise in using single case experimental design and n-of-1 trials in rehabilitation. Dr Gimeno has 37 publications (16 first-authored) and has secured >£5.5 million in collaborative grant funding. 

Dr Gimeno is the vice-chair for the International Cognitive Approaches Network Board of Directors (https://icancoop.org), a not-for-profit organisation; she is on the advisory board for a Patient-driven Platform Network (https://mybrainnet.eu/advisory-board/), and the neuro-rehabilitation working group for the European Reference Network for Rare Neurological Disorders. Nationally, Dr Gimeno sits on the British Academy of Childhood Disability Strategic Research Board. 

Dr Gimeno has supervised several therapists completing MScs, NIHR Predoctoral fellowships (P-CAFs) and Doctoral fellowships (D-CAFs), as well as supporting clinicians embedding research in their daily practice and those interested in pursuing a clinical academic career.   

Dr Catherine Purcell, Reader in the School of Healthcare Sciences at Cardiff University. Appointed to the Advisory Group in 2024.

Dr Purcell has been conducting research in the field of neurodiversity for 15 years and holds positions on neurodiversity committees nationally and internationally, including for example, the Welsh Government Neurodiversity Clinical Advisory Group and vice Chair of the International Society of Research and Advocacy for Developmental Coordination Disorder (ISRA-DCD).

Catherine is also involved in the mental health, participation and quality of life working group for the next revision of International Clinical Practice Recommendations for DCD due to be published in 2025. Catherine’s research interests include optimal service delivery models for neurodiverse children and adults, the impact of neurodiversity on everyday living, models of inclusive design and understanding access requirements to community and employment opportunities for the neurodiverse population. Catherine is currently leading a multi-University study exploring barriers and opportunities for active travel amongst children and young people in Wales using a model of behaviour change.