British Diabetic Association

Diabetes UK, operating as the British Diabetic Association and founded in 1934 by H.G. Wells and R.D. Lawrence—both living with diabetes—is the UK's leading charity dedicated to a world where diabetes causes no harm. Its mission focuses on advancing research, campaigning for better NHS care, providing expert support, and empowering the diabetes community through trusted information and advocacy. Governed by trustees with lived experience and shaped by national advisory committees including patients and professionals from all UK nations, its core values—people first, integrity, inclusivity, and innovation—drive a distinctive approach integrating research, policy influence, and community engagement to address both medical and social aspects of diabetes.

It funds high-quality, hypothesis-driven diabetes research across biomedical, clinical, and psychosocial themes, including type 2 prevention, beta cell therapies, self-management, health inequalities, patient education, professional training, and evidence-based guidelines. Key programmes encompass multi-year project grants, early/mid-career fellowships, PhD studentships (e.g., Black Leaders in Diabetes), small pilot grants, and strategic innovation prizes for high-risk ideas. Beneficiaries span patients, families, healthcare professionals, researchers, and underserved communities, supporting activities from basic research to public engagement and guideline development.

Eligible applicants are UK-based academic institutions, universities, and NHS organisations with tenured PIs for projects or specific career-stage criteria for fellowships; general charities or grassroots groups cannot apply directly. No income thresholds apply, but recipients are typically medium-to-large research-active entities. Typical grants range £200,000–£500,000 over 1–5 years (up to £3 million for strategic calls), applied via online portal with peer review, rebuttals, and assessment by panels including lived-experience members. Next major deadline: 1 December 2025 (decisions May 2026); early-career grants due 31 July/1 December annually.

Exclusions include service delivery, core/overhead funding, capital, or non-research activities; ad hoc proposals are rejected. Diabetes UK's unique edge lies in mandatory patient involvement, UK-wide reach, and transformative impact on clinical practice and policy.