Research

BIRD funds research and supports the next generation of researchers into bone and joint diseases.

Our achievements have included training more than 25 PhD students, 20 clinical research fellows and 10 post-doctoral research assistants. We had significant involvement in developing anti-TNF therapy, one of the treatments for patients with severe arthritic diseases who have failed to improve with standard medicines, and BIRD funded staff are internationally recognised for identifying or characterising new and tiny parts of the immune system (novel autoantibodies) that are not working properly in patients with connective tissue diseases.

Funding available for PhD Studentships – Deadline 4th October 2024

• The Bath Institute for Rheumatic Diseases (BIRD) are part-funding a three-year PhD studentship in the area of rheumatic disease. The studentship will be expected to align with the remit of BIRD.
• BIRD will award £15,000 per year towards a three-year studentship, in addition there will be access to a conference budget.
• BIRD’s funding would be offered in principle, with a deadline to the applicant secure to total funding, Friday 28^th March 2025.

Deadline for applications: Friday 4^th October 2024.

Each application should be emailed to BIRD, BIRD@birdbath.org.uk. Applicants will have the committee decision by Friday 18^th October 2024.

Further details can be found on the application form. If you have questions or need any further information, please contact BIRD@birdbath.org.uk.

DOWNLOAD PHD STUDENTSHIP APPLICATION FORM

BIRD welcomes applications for grants in support of research. 

We focus on awarding pump prime funding for smaller projects undertaken in or from Bath for the benefit of patients worldwide. We fund research projects in rheumatic diseases which: 

• help to promote and advance medical knowledge 
• improve treatments for patients 
• encourage collaboration between clinicians and research scientists 

We look to award pump priming funding of small to medium-sized grants that would be ideally suited to pilot studies, preliminary research, tests of clinical effectiveness or would enable other grants to be made for the above research. Our guideline for grant amounts is £10,000 – £20,000 but we may consider greater amounts, please contact the Executive Director (ED) before submission. We encourage match funding where the applicant has secured funding from another source.

The Research Assessment Group meets twice a year to make awards totalling £80,000 – the application deadlines are 31st May and 30th November.