We aim to support high quality research into cleft lip and palate and associated conditions. Research proposals may include clinical trials, laboratory and clinical experimental medicine, hypothesis-driven data collection or tissue banking and qualitative studies. Details of previously supported projects can be found by clicking the button below. Preference will be given to clinical research proposals. All proposals must fit with the philosophy of CLEFT and have received ethical approval.

CLEFT funding may provide support towards the costs of staff to carry out the research, Public and Patient Involvement (PPI), equipment, and dissemination of results. CLEFT funding will not provide support for research training courses.

Who is eligible?

CLEFT will consider applications for funding of research based in recognised UK cleft centres, linked to CRANE (the national clinical database), or linked to the Cleft Collective (the national research resource and dataset). It will also consider applications from cleft centres in Lower and Middle Income Countries (as defined by the World Bank) already linked to CLEFT.

An individual may be named as an applicant in no more than two applications in any one year.

Please check if your department has its own earmarked research funds which could be used before applying to CLEFT.

CLEFT is willing to consider matched funding applications. 

What are the judging criteria?

In addition to scientific quality, the Research Steering Committee considers the following: benefit to those affected by cleft lip and palate, relevance to those affected by cleft lip and palate and their carers, value for money, and likelihood of achieving the aims of answering the research question.

What actions are recommended before submitting an application?

Members of the Research Steering Committee will review all applications made.  We recommend that UK researchers liaise with their local R&D departments to agree the costings of the project and to obtain statistical advice before submitting an application.

The Research Steering Committee also recommends considering the following points to build a strong research funding application:

• Develop a clear research question that can be answered by your project; 
• Perform a relevant literature review or systematic review which supports the premise of the research question in advance of the project;  
• Provide plans for, or evidence of, ethical permissions;
• Provide plans for, or evidence of, public and patient involvement;
• Confirm input and approval from a R&D department regarding the full costs of the project, including details of the grade and hours of any staff employed;  
• Explain clearly how the data will be analysed, including any statistical measures to be used.  If appropriate consult a statistician during the planning of the project;
• Provide a clear and realistic time plan that covers set up of the project, collection of data, analysis and write up.  Include the expected start and finish dates;  

Pitfalls to avoid:  

• Not being able to recruit sufficient numbers of patients;  
• Small sample sets or data collection that will be insufficient for robust and meaningful analysis – perform power calculations where appropriate;
• Not allowing enough time for data collection;
• Duplication of similar projects being carried out in other centres; 

Other considerations: 

• Request ethical permission early; 
• Confounding factors – consider and understand as many confounding factors as possible, and how they will affect the findings of the study; 
• Use well established, robust, and externally validated outcome measures where possible; 
• Measure inter and intra rater reliability; 
• Measure outcomes blindly and independently; 
• Collaborate with other centres where possible; 

What you can also do for CLEFT:

Clearly state the impact of the research – how it will: 

• Change the quality of people's lives; 
• Improve treatments; 
• Reduce the burden of treatment needed;  
• Reduce costs for health care providers;

CLEFT Research Steering Committee members:

E Anderson, Consultant Clinical Geneticist, Liverpool; S Butterworth, Cleft Fellow, Newcastle; A Chadha, Cleft Surgical Trainee; R Chorbachi, Audiological Physician, GOSH; J Cropper, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Oxford; J Davies, Speech and Language Therapist, Manchester; M Dwyer, Parent; F Gilchrist, Senior Lecturer in Paediatric Dentistry, University of Sheffield; N Hay, Consultant Orthodontist, North Thames Cleft Centre; H Lane, Speech and Language Therapist, University of Sheffield; G McCarthy, External Engagement Coordinator, CLAPA; H Robson, Lead Cleft Nurse, North Thames Cleft Centre; R Slator, Consultant Cleft Surgeon (retired), Chair; P Stanier, Emeritus Professor of Craniofacial Biology and Genetics, ICH/UCL; B Sommerlad, Trustee; S van Eeden, Speech and Language Therapist, Newcastle; Y Wren, Chief Investigator of The Cleft Collective Cohort Study, Bristol. 

What types of award are there?

Researchers may submit an application for funding following a call for proposals. These will be advertised on the CLEFT and CFSGBI websites.

How do I apply?

Complete the application form.

 

Terms & Conditions

1. For applicants receiving a research grant from CLEFT, brief progress reports (Reporting Forms) will be requested every 4 months.  If the project takes more than a year, a report to the Research Steering Committee will be required annually (Reporting Forms). 

2. Successful applicants will be expected to keep CLEFT informed of the progress of the project, and in particular to:

- inform CLEFT of any delay to the start of the project.

- inform CLEFT of any delay to the end of the project.

3. With the exception of funding for salaries, invoices will not be accepted without receipts.  It is expected that travel will be booked well in advance and as economically as possible, that conference registrations will be booked at any Early Bird Rate, and that accommodation will not exceed £100 per night in the UK.  Funding for dissemination will be capped at £3000, and £2,500 for any one conference.

4. It is expected that all final invoices will be submitted within 4 months of the end date of the project. 

5. A final report will be required at the end of the project summarising the findings and the impact of the project, and including a final financial report (Reporting Forms).

6. CLEFT expects to be acknowledged in any publications, posters and/or presentations, and in any written information arising from the project, in the manner described in ‘Guidelines for acknowledging CLEFT’. 

7. CLEFT requests that researchers send the full reference for all posters, presentations and publications at the time they are accepted. 

CLEFT also requests that it is acknowledged in any other communications about the research, including social media, and that CLEFT is informed of these communications.  Where appropriate please include links to the CLEFT website www.cleft.org.uk.

8. All UK applicants are expected to send CLEFT project costings signed off by the department who will manage the funds if awarded. These details will need to be emailed to [email protected] before the funds are made available.  An email address and contact for the department managing the funds is required.

9. Following a grant for >£50,000, a value for money audit may be required to be carried out by an independent body.

10. For applicants receiving support in raising research funds and where the agreed sum has not been reached in one year, the funds may be used for other projects approved by CLEFT.

 Please note that we review and update this information annually.