As social scientists, it can be tempting to think that as far as funding goes, it’s ESRC or nothing. But so much of our work touches on health and wellbeing: almost everything we research has the potential to influence outcomes for physical or mental health. So why do so few of us apply to funders with an explicit health remit, such as MRC, NIHR, or Wellcome?

This session is open to all researchers in the College of Social Science, whose work touches on health and wellbeing. You don’t need to have experience of applying for “health” funding before, or of working with clinicians and medical researchers.

We will hear from a panel of social science researchers about their experiences of applying for MRC, NIHR and Wellcome funding, and running successful projects. What are the opportunities, myths, and challenges of applying to these funders when you don’t have a clinical background yourself? How might you frame your question differently, without losing sight of your research aims? How might engaging with health funders open up new research questions? How do you identify when to collaborate, and with whom?

Speakers include:

Judith Green, Professor of Sociology, University Exeter

Laurence Moore, Director of the MRC/CSO Social & Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow

Sally Wyke, Interdisciplinary Professor of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow.

Panel discussion and Q&A will be followed by an opportunity to discuss your own research interests and future plans in a collaborative setting. We will end with a networking lunch.

This event will run **in person** from 10:30 – 13:00 on Monday, 20th June.

For more information on the Addressing Inequalities theme, please visit our webpage.

Not just an ESRC thing: Applying to health funders as a social scientist