Now open to PhD & Post Doctoral Researchers!
Are you a PhD student or Post Doctoral Researcher who works in the field of ageing or age related diseases?
Would you like to enhance your career with an interdisciplinary research project in a new discipline and at a new Institution?
If you are, we would be very interested in hearing from you. This funding call could be for you!
We are delighted to announce the availability of bursaries for 2025 of up to £5,000 each for PhD and £10,000 for Post doctoral researchers to support them in the field of ageing and age-related diseases to train in a new discipline and promote interdisciplinarity across researchers based in institutions who are part of UKAgeNet (see list of Institutions) or are members of the Vivensa Foundation (you can become an academy member of the Vivensa Foundation, by registering here).
The proposed project can be an extension of an existing project of work, a new interdisciplinary angle or a new project. Involvement of the supervisors/line manager is an advantage, but not essential, provided there is a letter of support.
Discipline hopping is defined as traversing the Biological/Biomedical to the Social Sciences, or vice versa, or hopping from academia to policy making institutions (see eligibility criteria below).
Example of a recent successful Discipline Hopping Award can be found here.
The scheme, funded by the Vivensa Foundation Excellence Award for Senior Leadership conferred to Professor Ilaria Bellantuono, aims to:
- Facilitate the development of interdisciplinary skills of the next generation of ageing researchers by immersing them in environments which challenge traditional academic silos;
- Develop vital new research collaborations across disciplines in the main challenge areas related to the field of ageing;
- Facilitate the sharing of insight and learning and establish synergies and connections needed for the integration of the biomedical- and the social- based sciences needed to tackle challenges holistically.
- Allow PhD students and Postdoctoral Researchers to work directly with stakeholders to accelerate impact (i.e. with policymakers and non-governmental organisations.
- Promote equality, diversity and inclusion in environmental research.
If you would like to discuss your project Prof Ilaria Bellantuono is holding open door sessions on 16th September and 14th October 2025. To book a slot in, please book here.
Professor Ilaria Bellantuono and the successful applicant from the last Discipline Hopping Award will be holding a webinar on 21st July ‘25, 14:00 – 15:00 to provide support with the application process and to answer any questions. If you would like to join the webinar, please email ukagenet@sheffield.ac.uk to register your interest.
Eligibility criteria
This is open exclusively to:
PhD students or Post doctoral members of the Vivensa Foundation. You can easily apply to become an academy member of the Vivensa Foundation (see here for details on applying).
OR
A PhD student or Post doctoral researcher based in a founding member institution of UKAgeNet. To check if your institute is a member of UkAgeNet have a look at this list.
- The project/activity must clearly align with one of the broad areas covered by remits of the UKAgeNet network and the Vivensa Foundation, which loosely correspond to:
- Understanding of ageing
- Understanding of treatment of age-related disease
- Delivering and developing evidence-led services, products and interventions that improve our experience of later life
- The project/activity must be of clear benefit to the future career development of the PhD student or Post doctoral researcher discipline hopper.
- The project must demonstrate engagement from members of the teams at more senior levels from the home and host institutions and needs to be signed off by the student’s supervisor
- Discipline hopping is defined for this call as a hop from either;
- a) the biological/biomedical to the social sciences, and vice versa
- c) sector to sector (i.e. academia to policy making)
Placements must be completed by 19th Jan 2027
Eligible costs & activities
Funding covers only directly incurred costs and may be requested to support the following types of activities:
- Extension to PhD studentship or Post doctoral researcher salary for the specific purpose of completing the project output;
- Travel and subsistence costs for the ECR discipline hopper
- Consumables
- UkAgeNet will help you access the funding
To apply
To apply please complete this application form and submit by 5pm on 3rd November 2025 to ukagenet@sheffield.ac.uk
All members of the application team, including the current PhD student supervisor or Post doctoral line manager and the host of the discipline hop, as well as the Head of the Institution/Organisation hosting the researcher must approve the application.
It can take time to gather all the signatures so please start engaging with your supervisors and the host institution early in the application process so they are aware of what is expected and by when.
A disciplinarily diverse panel consisting of unconflicted members from the UKAgeNet network and Vivensa Foundation will rank all applications.
Applications will be assessed on the criteria above, namely:
- The feasibility and quality of the project proposal
- The alignment to the challenge areas
- The proposed benefit to the future development of the PhD student
- The sustainability and potential impact of the new partnership
For further information, please contact ukagenet@sheffield.ac.uk
Timeline
1st July 2025 – Call opens / Launch to UKAgeNet Membership
21st July 2025 – Webinar for applicants
16th Sept & 14th Oct – ‘Open Door’ Sessions with Professor Ilaria Bellantuono
3rd Nov 2025 – Call closes
14th Nov 2025 – Outcome to applicants
19th Jan 2026 – Exchanges can begin
19th Jan 2027 – Exchanges must end
End of Jan 2027 – Report to share outcomes
Successful candidates
Successful applicants will be informed by 14th November ‘25 of the outcome of the applications.
Exchanges can begin from 19th Jan ‘26, and so early conversations with the institution regarding the placement and potential contract extensions are essential.
All funds must be spent by 19th Jan 2027 – there are no opportunities for extensions. All successful applicants agree to participate in a concluding workshop and complete a case study report about their experiences.
