Application Window: 14 July - 28 September 2026

Proposals should aim to improve quality of care, and discharge, for people with palliative and end of life care needs in hospital.

Research Funding: Improving End of Life Care in Hospital and Discharge from Hospital for patients at Leeds Teaching Hospitals

Following a successful joint funding call in collaboration with Marie Curie, Leeds Hospitals Charity is making available a further £25,000 for research into end-of-life care in hospitals in Leeds.

Improving End of Life Care 26/27 Guidance

Areas of Research Interest

The Marie Curie Better End of Life: Time to Care report (2024) showed that in 2023, around 30% of people surveyed across England and Wales spent their final week of life in hospital. More than a third of those in hospital reported being overwhelmingly affected by pain, which was distressing for the patient and those close to them. Furthermore, the report indicated that the highest overall symptom burden was reported by those who spent the last week of life in hospital.

In the recent Marie Curie and James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership for palliative and end of life care research, two priorities focus on hospitals:

• How can the quality of palliative and end of life care in hospital be improved? What helps or hinders improvement?
• How can discharge from hospital be improved for people with any serious life limiting illness?

We are inviting proposals from staff employed by Leeds Teaching Hospitals. This includes staff employed by academic partners or other trusts who hold an honorary contract with Leeds Teaching Hospitals e.g. academics at The University of Leeds as well as other academic partners or local hospices working closely with Leeds Teaching Hospitals

This funding call will focus on research that improves the quality of palliative and end-of-life care in hospital settings and improves discharge from hospital for people with serious life-limiting illnesses, with a clear pathway to patient benefit at Leeds Teaching Hospitals. Priorities include identification of palliative care needs, staff education, communication with families and carers, emergency department care, discharge processes, care coordination, and reducing health inequalities.

The research could be:

• A pump prime project for larger scale study or grant application
• Testing of new technologies, environmental factors, reconfigured approach and or approaches
• A small-scale feasibility study

Applications must have the potential for direct impact on patients treated and cared for at Leeds Teaching Hospitals over the next 5 years.

Exclusions

• Tuition fees for higher level qualifications (e.g. MD, MSc, PHD)

Improving End of Life Care 26/27 Guidance

Application Process

• The first stage is to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) EOIs will be reviewed by our R&I Review Group, who will decide if the applicant will be invited to make a full application. Full applications will made via an online form on our website, and we will send additional guidance to applicants on how to complete the application form.

• Full applications will be subject to external peer review, before being reviewed and scored by our Scientific Advisory Panel. Applications then progress to our Research & Innovation Committee where a decision is made.

Download EOI form

Improving End of Life Care 26/27 Guidance

Further help and support

Please click here if you would like to book a Teams meeting with a member of the Grants Team to discuss your application.

You can also contact us on [email protected] or 0113 539 7091

Dr Lee Ingle, Research Grant Funding Development Manager at Leeds Teaching Hospitals is also available to provide advice and guidance on making an application for research - [email protected]