GrantRadar

Health Data Research UK (HDR UK)

Take the Lead: Data Champions community grants

A fixed £3,000 for up to 20 community leaders across the UK to run free activities that engage their community with how data can support health and wellbeing, between 8 February and 20 June 2027. Run by HDR UK with Cancer Research UK, DARE UK, Smart Data Research UK and the NIHR School for Primary Care Research. Leaders join a Data Champions cohort: a compulsory all-day welcome event in Bristol on 23 February 2027, optional peer learning, and a match with a data scientist. No experience of data or research is needed; five awards are kept for organisations previously funded by Take the Lead.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£3,000
Closes in
7 days left
2 November
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Community leaders at any level (project manager, activity leader, founder, etc.) based at an established UK community organisation with an organisational bank account; a bank account held through a parent charity is acceptable if the group controls it
  • The organisation must work with at least one priority audience in the UK: people from low socio-economic backgrounds; people from minority ethnic backgrounds; 11-25 year olds or people over 65 (particularly in areas of deprivation); people in rural areas (settlements under 10,000 in England and Wales, 5,000 in Northern Ireland, 3,000 in Scotland); or people experiencing digital exclusion
  • The leader must attend the whole-day welcome event in Bristol in person on Tuesday 23 February 2027 and deliver activities between 8 February and 20 June 2027
  • Activities must be free, non-economic, embedded in the local community and standalone
  • Universities are not normally funded but can support a community organisation that leads and holds the grant
  • Individuals, for-profit organisations and statutory bodies including schools cannot apply
  • Previous Take the Lead grantees can apply; five of the 20 awards are reserved for them and they must show how the new activities differ

What it funds

Standalone, free, community-led activities that use data to explore at least one priority health and wellbeing topic:

  • Brain health (for example, dementia, Alzheimer's)
  • Cancer
  • Environment and health (for example, access to nature, air pollution)
  • Heart health
  • Sustainable and healthy diets (for example, eating locally sourced foods, reducing food waste)
  • Young people's mental health

Eligible costs are materials; venue hire; audio-visual hire; publicity; expenses such as food and travel for volunteers or participants; speakers, trainers and freelancers; accessibility (e.g. translations, interpreters); and project-specific staff costs not covered by another grant. Travel and accommodation for the welcome event are paid separately by HDR UK.

What it will not fund

  • Individuals
  • For-profit organisations
  • Economic activities (goods or services for a fee, profit-making activity or financial gain)
  • Statutory bodies, including schools
  • Groups and organisations without an organisational bank account
  • Organisations experiencing severe financial difficulties or at risk of administration or bankruptcy
  • Activities that would already be happening without this grant
  • Large competition prizes
  • Large non-consumable equipment (e.g. cameras, computers)
  • On-going salary costs
  • Costs already covered by other funding
  • General running costs and overheads paid for by other income
  • Buying animals
  • Medical testing kits, such as genetics and ancestry testing
  • Alcohol
  • Costs incurred before formal notification of success
  • Research projects collecting personal, sensitive or identifiable health data from participants

How to apply

  1. Read the guidelines and eligibility document (Appendix 2 lists the application questions)
  2. Check you can attend the all-day welcome event in Bristol on 23 February 2027 (do not book travel; HDR UK arranges it for successful applicants)
  3. Complete the online Microsoft Form within the word limits, including what the full £3,000 will cover
  4. Submit by 12.00 midday on Monday 2 November 2026; late applications are not accepted
  5. Applications are checked for compliance, then scored by a panel; outcomes are emailed in December 2026
  6. If successful, deliver activities between 8 February and 20 June 2027 and return participant evaluation forms to involvement@hdruk.ac.uk within 14 days of each activity

If accessibility needs affect attending in person, contact involvement@hdruk.ac.uk before applying.

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