First Funding Call
Our first funding call closed in February 2020. We invited proposals for projects to address three of our research challenges, which were developed in partnership with stakeholders in early 2019:
Embracing Complexity: How can we best meet the needs of children and young people who have intersecting needs and face complex situations?
Voices, Power & Attitudes: How can we amplify young people’s voices and change societal attitudes in ways that positively impact mental health?
Supporting the Supporters: How can family members, friends and settings, such as schools, be better enabled to promote good mental health and prevent and overcome emerging mental health problems?
Applicants applied for grants of between £2,000 and £40,000, out of a total pot of £200,000.
We received 76 applications, and awarded funding to six successful projects.
76% of bids had early career researchers within the team
whilst 57% had an early career researcher as the lead applicant
60% of bids had cross-sector involvement (e.g. involving the voluntary, community, or public sector)
whilst 72% involved applicants from two or more disciplines.
Of the successful applicants, all had early career researcher involvement within the team and 83% had an early career researcher as the lead applicant.
All had multi-disciplinary and cross-sector involvement.
Projects Awarded Funding
So’ME T1ME: SOcial MEdia use among young people with Type 1 diabetes and the influence on MEntal wellbeing
Research project led by Dr Emma Berry, Queens University Belfast
Defining delivery of the ‘Step-by-Step’ intervention for schools: a co-production project
Research project led by Dr Lucy Biddle, University of Bristol
Waiting for Access Into Treatment “WAIT” study: an exploration of current interventions offered to children and young people on CAMHS waiting lists
Research project led by Dr Charlotte Hall, University of Nottingham
Developing Web-based Support for Parents of Children who Self-harm
Research project led by Dr Faith Martin, Coventry University
Can an online teacher training programme improve identification of mental health difficulties in primary school children? A feasibility study
Research project led by Dr Emma Soneson, University of Oxford
Developing social prescribing to improve mental health and wellbeing for children and young people
Research project led by Dr Emily Stapley, University College London and Dr Daniel Hayes, Anna Freud Centre
Proposal Development Support
In preparation for the first funding call we hosted a series of proposal development workshops across the UK.
The purpose of these workshops was to bring together lived experience expert reviewers and potential applicants to work together on turning research ideas into fundable, collaborative project proposals.
In the “Dragon’s Den” style event, interested applicants had the opportunity to pitch their research proposal and receive feedback from peers, senior researchers, members of the Emerging Minds team, and advisors with lived experience.
We also held information webinars focused around each of the three research challenges prioritised for this call.
Guest Speakers
- Sarah Brown (then Senior Programme Manager, Children & Young People’s Mental Health, NHS England), spoke about ensuring research is relevant to policy makers and commissioners of mental health services.
- Pam Miller (then Head of Research, NSPCC) presented on how to most effectively engage with the voluntary and community sector when approaching them for research.
Outcomes
- We engaged with nearly 100 potential applicants, and 30 lived experience experts across all the events.
- 51 of the 76 applicants for this funding call had attended one of these workshops.
- We compiled advice from our experts by experience into a blog of their general recommendations, which we continue to encourage anyone applying for research funding to make use of.
Podcast: How to engage with the voluntary and community sector
Pam Miller gives advice on how to effectively engage the voluntary and community sector when approaching them for research.
Reviewer Advice: Creating a great research proposal
Lived experience experts involved in advising and reviewing research proposals share feedback on what they look out for in applications, and common mistakes to avoid.
Webinar: Information & top tips for the first Emerging Minds funding call
A series of short clips exploring the aims and themes of the funding call and information on eligibility and how to apply.