Funded NIHR Grant Writing Retreat for Kent, Surrey and Sussex

Planning an NIHR funding application and struggling to find the time to write it? NIHR ARC Kent, Surrey and Sussex is offering fully funded places on a three-day residential grant development and writing retreat in Tunbridge Wells from 16 to 18 March 2027. Applications close at 5pm on Sunday 29 November 2026.

Run by the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) and the NIHR Clinical Research Network in Kent, Surrey and Sussex, the retreat combines protected writing time with training in grant development skills. It’s three days away from the inbox to get a proposal moving, with expert support on hand. If you have ever tried to write a bid between meetings, you’ll know how valuable that is.

The retreat takes place at The Spa Hotel, Tunbridge Wells.

What you get

Successful applicants receive a free place on the retreat, including food and accommodation. You’ll need to cover your own travel to and from the venue.

Who can apply

To be eligible you need to:

• be based in Kent, Surrey or Sussex in the UK
• be planning to apply to any of the NIHR funding streams
• apply as a team of up to three for a project grant, or as an individual for a fellowship
• intend to submit your application within the next 12 months

Project teams should include an early career researcher. Priority will be given to applications linked to the ARC’s Health in Places (Wider Determinants of Health) theme, and all applications will be judged on the importance of the research idea for health and/or social care and its relevance to the ARC Kent, Surrey and Sussex themes.

Applied dementia research, from care homes and community support to the social and environmental factors that shape brain health, fits naturally with an applied research collaboration’s priorities, so this is well worth considering if you’re working on a dementia bid in the region.

How to apply

Complete the online application form by 5pm on Sunday 29 November 2026. If you’d like advice before applying, contact the ARC team at ARCKentSurreySussex@spft.nhs.uk.

In the meantime, our 12 top tips for writing a grant application and the grant writing podcast with tips from awardees and reviewers are a good warm-up.

Apply by 5pm, Sunday 29 November 2026.

Apply Now