All applications to the Chief Scientist Office response mode research grant schemes are assessed by one of two research advisory committees. For more information on the remit of each committee and the type of application that is appropriate please see the committee pages.
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 submit a four-page outline proposal through your local University Research Office or NHS R&D office as appropriate. 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.
Applications can be submitted at any time before the deadlines.
| 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 |
| 5pm 6th January 2023 | Febuary 2023 | July 2023 |
| 5pm 30th June 2023 | August 2023 | December 2023 |
| 5pm 5th January 2024 | Febuary 2024 | July 2024 |
| 5pm 28th June 2024 | August 2024 | December 2024 |