Bowel Research UK

Bowel Research UK, established in 2020 through the merger of Bowel & Cancer Research and the Bowel Disease Research Foundation—drawing on over 50 years of expertise—is the UK's leading specialist charity funding cutting-edge research into bowel cancer and a full spectrum of bowel diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis), diverticular disease, functional disorders, pelvic floor issues, and rare congenital conditions. Its mission is to save and improve lives by advancing treatments, seeking a cure for bowel cancer, and enhancing quality of life through innovative science, clinical trials, translational research, and infrastructure like the National Bowel Research Centre. Distinctively, it prioritizes patient involvement in priority-setting and study design, nurtures early-career researchers via PhD studentships and fellowships, and seeds neglected areas through the Hard to Fund Fund, emphasizing collaboration, rigour, impact, and destigmatization.

It supports UK-based academic institutions, universities, NHS Trusts, and hospitals with unsolicited applications for project grants, small pilot/feasibility grants (up to £60,000), PhD awards (up to £120,000), clinical fellowships, and infrastructure. At least one investigator must be an Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI) member, except for select exemptions like Pseudo Obstruction Research Trust grants; patient/public involvement is strongly encouraged.

Applications occur via online portal during annual rounds—small grants close 9 January 2026 (decisions June), PhD opens May-July (decisions December)—with biannual meetings. It excludes core/organizational costs, focusing on direct project expenses. Unique for its patient-centred ethos, UK-wide remit, and role in unlocking larger funding from NIHR or Cancer Research UK, it stands out as the go-to funder for coloproctology advances.