Research grants and awards

We channel our main research funding activities through the National Institute of Academic Anaesthesia. There are two funding rounds annually which are funded by the four founding NIAA partners the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA), the Association of Anaesthetists, and the journals Anaesthesia and the British Journal of Anaesthesia (BJA). These four bodies work in partnership with a number of specialist society funding partners.

In addition to these, the College offers a number of small grants, awards and prizes to support research including the Macintosh Professorship and the President’s Award for Undergraduate Research, as well as the John Snow Intercalated Award to support undergraduate students during an iBSc. 

NIAA grants are aimed at assisting researchers at all stages of their careers:

• Undergraduate: John Snow intercalated BSc Award
• Doctoral: PhD Studentships; small education/travel grants
• established researchers: Project Grants (clinical and non-clinical)
• senior academic awards: Fellowships (clinical and non-clinical); BOC Chair.

Funding opportunities

• Current grant and award opportunities.
• The John Snow Anaesthesia iBSc.
• Archive of funded research projects.

For the most up to date information, visit the Current Funding Opportunities page on the NIAA website. 

It is recommended that all grant applicants bear in mind how their proposal maps to identified priorities for anaesthetic research.

NIAA Research Award

The NIAA also gives an annual NIAA Research Award, which  aims to promote and encourage current (within 18 months of the submission deadline) and active researchers within the field of anaesthesia, perioperative medicine or pain research in the UK.

• it is awarded to an individual who has demonstrated excellence in scientific research relevant to anaesthesia, perioperative care or pain
• the award allows new investigators to achieve recognition through presentation at a national meeting with peer-review
• the award is open to all investigators of anaesthesia, perioperative or pain research within the UK who are members of one of the NIAA's founding partners or funding partners. This includes consultants or equivalent within two years of appointment
• the applicant must have completed a 'body of work' that may have been presented at an equivalent scientific national or international meeting or published as an abstract or full paper in a peer reviewed journal
• a 'body of work' will include a project that covers a clear, evidence-based research question, appropriate methods, well-conducted study/studies and statistical analysis of results drawing to a valid conclusion. A 'body of work' would typically be the equivalent to two or more research papers on one subject area or from a higher degree thesis (MD/PhD).

For more information on the latest round of the award, please visit the NIAA website.