In 2023 The Elizabeth Casson Trust refreshed its research strategy for the next five years in line with our charitable purpose to support the development of the evidence base of occupational therapy in order to strengthen the understanding of the efficacy, utility and unique contribution of occupational therapy.
Please note we have two types of awards:
The Trust’s 6th annual call for research applications is now open!
The Elizabeth Casson Trust is pleased to issue its sixth annual call for research funding applications. This call continues our commitment to funding studies that support occupational therapists in their professional roles by developing evidence, tools or support mechanisms.
This year’s call is within our 2023-2028 research strategy as we focus on our vision of a strengthened, emboldened and research-active profession, building our understanding of the efficacy, utility, and positive effect of research on those who access our services and on OTs.
Our driving intent is to support studies that will deliver clear value and impact for (1) those who receive our services, (2) occupational therapy professionals, and (3) the occupational therapy profession.
Proposals are invited that address a clearly defined area within occupational therapy that demonstrates innovation. Applications in any area will be considered. Requests can be for projects ranging from £10,000 up to £100,000.
An essential requirement for all proposals is value for money to the Trust. Applicants are therefore strongly advised to present competitive costings for their study. Studies should be completed within a maximum of 2 years.
Costings may include staff on-costs but may not include building/ infrastructure costs, etc. You will also need to indicate in the application whether you have applied for funding elsewhere and the expected outcome date.
In line with our 2023-2028 Research Strategy, the Trust would particularly like to support the career development of early researchers, practitioner/clinical academics and post-doctoral occupational therapists and welcomes proposals that consider this.
To deliver our research strategy, we intend to facilitate:
Please ensure you clearly demonstrate how your research will address these factors in your application.
Expressions of interest should be submitted with:
These should be submitted to Dr Kate Turner at secretary@elizabethcasson.org.uk, copying Suzanne at admin@elizabethcasson.org.uk, by the call deadline of Wednesday 30th April 2025, 17:00BST.
Please read the key dates timeline below.
Please contact Kate at secretary@elizabethcasson.org.uk with queries about applying for this funding.
Our pump-primer awards respond to the barriers that can sometimes be faced when starting a research career, or indeed when progressing your research interests.
We recognise that having the time, space, support and funding to start your research activity can be a challenge, especially for early career researchers and it is these individuals for whom the new award is intended.
Awards are available for £500 – £10,000 for activities such as writing a proposal, carrying out a small-scale study, buying-in specialist skills, convening a support group or network, writing a paper that enhances your research profile, etc.
The application form can be downloaded here. Applications are accepted year round.
The intention is that the activity supports and enables your development as an early researcher. It is not intended to support research that is part of an academic award. Funding for this should be requested through our doctoral or post-registration masters funding requests.
We are keen to hear from you. If you have any questions or feedback on this initiative, please email: secretary@elizabethcasson.org.uk
We appreciate that writing an application is an important first step for getting a study off the ground – but what does each organisation want in an application – what are they looking for – and how do you write your best application?
To help you with this, our wonderful assessors have drafted the attached guidance/ ‘top tips’. You might find it helpful to read these before starting to write, or to self-assess your application against these points before submitting.
Guidance for applicants
Our ambition, in our 75th year, is to catalyse, inspire and respond to the need for occupational therapy research by: opening doors into research careers; strengthening the evidence base; being bold by creating space for generating research activity, and inspiring the use of research in practice.
Our vision is of a strengthened, emboldened and research active profession, building our understanding of the efficacy, utility, and positive effect of research on those who access our services, and on OTs.
The Trust will achieve this vision by facilitating:
We will use our operational framework to focus our efforts on:
We will know we have delivered our ambitions and vision when we can demonstrate by 2028 that we have:
In 2023 the Trust made two research awards following our annual call for proposals.
An award for £41,700 was granted for a study led by Dr Lisa Bushby of St Oswald’s Hospice and Dr Helen Close of Newcastle University: Experiences and decision-making processes for premature withdrawal from important occupations in Motor Neurone Disease (MND): A new preventative role for occupational therapy?
An award of £46,000 was granted for a study led by Charmaine Chandler and Prof Lisa Taylor of University of East Anglia: Adoption and acceptance of Peer Assisted Learning placements – the process of transformation and culture change for occupational therapists.
To read more about these studies, take a look here.
In 2022 the Trust made a research award following our annual call for proposals.
An award for £89,000 was granted for a study led by Prof Daphne Kos of KU Leuven and a multidisciplinary research team across Europe and the UK: State of the art evidence-based Occupational Therapy in Multiple Sclerosis: theory and practice.
To read more about this study and its aims, take a look here.
In 2021 the Trust made two research awards following our call for proposals looking at Occupational Therapy: 2021 and beyond. In total almost £100,000 was granted for:
To read more about these studies and their aims, take a look here.
In 2020 the Trust made two substantial research awards following our call for proposals around the translation of evidence into practice. In total almost £120,000 was granted for:
To read more about these studies and their aims, take a look here.
The Elizabeth Casson Trust is a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) non-commercial Partner. This means the studies we fund may be eligible to access the NIHR Study Support Service which is provided by the NIHR Clinical Research Network. Learn more about what this means for you here.
The Council for Allied Health Professions Research has some excellent resources if you are considering starting doctoral studies. Take a look here.
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