CSO is introducing a new grants management system which will replace the current email based application process going forward. The software is used by other funders so should have a familiar feel to some applicants. Applicants will be able to submit and manage their applications from the pre-award stage through to post-award and completion of the award stages. All grant and capacity building applications must be submitted using the forms available on the grants management system and should not be submitted using the old electronic forms.
All applications to the Chief Scientist Office response mode research grant schemes are assessed by one of two research advisory committees. The CSO Response mode research grant scheme accepts applications for up to 36 months and up to a total of £350,000 at 80% Full Economic Cost. For more information on the remit of each committee and the type of application that is appropriate please see the committee pages linked below.
Translational Clinical Studies Research Committee
Health Improvement, Protection and Services Research Committee
The composition of these committees is vital and CSO wishes to ensure that each has good coverage in terms of its expertise by topic/subject, discipline, research methods and institution and that they include lay representatives.
Committee members serve for fixed terms and membership is continuously reviewed. If you are interested in becoming a committee member, we would like to hear from you. Please email a CV and a covering letter to the CSO Grants Management Team which sets out your particular expertise in terms of subject areas, discipline and research methods, any relevant experience gained from other committees, and we will keep your details on file for consideration as places become available. Final decisions on membership are taken by CSO, in consultation with the Committee Chair and Vice-Chair.
Process for Applications
The first stage in applying for a grant is to complete and submit an outline proposal on CSO’s Grant Management System. Outline proposals will be reviewed by a panel of members of the relevant research committee to make recommendations to CSO about which applications should be taken forward to the next stage.
Those that have been successful at this stage will be notified and invited to submit a full application. Applicants will have around six weeks to submit the full application and will be notified of the deadline. Full proposals will be sent to independent peer-reviewers and also three committee members. Applicants will be asked to respond to the reviewers’ comments and will be given one week to do so. Full proposals, peer-review reports and applicants responses to the peer-review reports will be considered by the committee in order to make funding recommendations to CSO.
The deadline for submission of outline applications for future submission rounds and indicative timings for notification of the outcome of the review of outline proposals and full applications are given below.
Applicants are encouraged to engage with the appropriate University Research Office or NHS R&D office as early as possible, particularly if submitting to the early January deadlines.
To apply, please click the relevant application form found on the Application Portal. Applications can be submitted at any time before the deadlines.
| Opening date for outline applications | Deadline for outline applications | Indicative timing of notification of the outcome of appraisal of outline applications | Indicative timing of notification of the outcome of appraisal of full applications |
| – | Midday Friday 27th June 2025 | August 2025 | December 2025 |
| Monday 1st September 2025 | Midday Wednesday 17th December 2025 | April 2026 | July 2026 |
| Sunday 1st March 2026 | Midday Friday 26th June 2026 | August 2026 | December 2026 |
| Tuesday 1st September 2026 | Midday Wednesday 16th December 2026 | April 2027 | July 2027 |