Gilead UK and Ireland Fellowship and Medical Grants Programme

The Gilead Fellowship and Medical Grants Programme supports local innovation and best practices in caring for people living with:

  • HIV
  • Cancer
  • Invasive fungal disease
  • Viral hepatitis

Since 2008, the programme has funded more than 360 projects, leaving an important legacy in these areas. Applications are invited from healthcare and third sector organisations who are seeking funding for a project that aligns with the goals of the programme.

For an overview of the Gilead Fellowship and Medical Grants Programme, how to apply, and some top tips to help you with your application, take a look at the short video below.



Eligibility Criteria

Applicants are required to demonstrate how their innovative, high-impact project meets the specified, measurable criteria in order to be awarded funding. Successful applicants are expected to communicate progress of their project, and to present their findings at the end of the funding period. Note:- grant funding is provided for only one year of the project’s duration at a time.

Find out if your project meets any of this year’s criteria by selecting your specialty therapy area below. Projects which fall outside of the scope, but which will add clinical value, or which investigate an area of unmet need can also be submitted and will be reviewed on their merit.

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The Kite and Gilead UK & Ireland Fellowship and Medical Grants Programme supports innovative research and best practice sharing to help improve the lives of patients within the field of CAR T cell therapy and haemato-oncology. The Fellowship and Medical Grants Programme is looking to support projects (up to £50,000) that focus on the CAR T cell therapy patient pathway. This can include, but is not limited to, activities such as:

  • Initiatives to facilitate improved efficiency in patient care and shared care pathways between referring and CAR T treatment centres
  • Audits assessing patient profiles, disease outcomes, access to care and treatment patterns
  • Initiatives to improve monitoring of patient-reported outcomes, quality of life measures or educational tools for patients and carers
  • New infrastructure/processes established for better diagnosis or detection of disease, or prediction or monitoring of safety and efficacy outcomes to treatment
  • Investigations into better detection and treatment of specific patient populations and sub-types

Projects which fall outside of the scope highlighted above, but which will add clinical value, or which investigate an area of unmet need can also be submitted and will be reviewed on their merit.

The application window for CAR T is open from Monday 1st April until Friday 28th June 2024.

We are accepting grant applications for projects and initiatives from healthcare and third sector organisations that support the shared ambition of Getting to Zero. Fellowship and Medical Grant funding can be used to support projects and initiatives focusing on the following areas:

  • Zero new HIV transmissions:
    • Testing initiatives including in non-traditional settings to reduce late diagnosis
    • Prevention awareness initiatives or non-traditional healthcare navigators
    • Community-led initiatives to increase engagement in prevention and care
    • Engaging and enhancing the capacity of Faith Communities to tackle HIV
    • Improving wellbeing and reducing stigma towards people living with and at risk of HIV
  • Zero difference in HIV-related stigma, health outcomes and quality of life for people living with HIV:
    • Community outreach and educational programmes: Innovative community outreach projects that reach populations that need greater health support through engagement, education and empowerment
    • Supporting projects that will specifically help tackle inequalities for people living with HIV in healthcare and improve the experiences of people from marginalised communities
    • Establishing novel patient support programmes or tools
  • Zero persons lost to care:
    • Finding and re-engaging people lost to care back within HIV health services
    • Identifying, engaging and supporting communities who are at risk of being lost to care
    • Implementing strategies to improve retention in care
    • Demonstrating the role of a cross sector approach to supporting people to engage in their care
    • Accessing and utilising UKHSA data made available for NHS trusts

The application window for HIV is open from Monday 22nd April until Friday 21st June 2024.

We are inviting applications for audit, surveillance, antifungal stewardship, best practice sharing or registry projects, which aim to assess one or more of the criteria below: 

  • Priority: The incidence and clinical impact of antifungal resistance in patients with IFD
  • The impact of socio-economic status on the incidence and outcomes of IFD
  • The impact of drug-drug interactions on the management of IFD
  • Novel approaches to aid the diagnosis and/or management of IFD including the use of artificial intelligence
  • The incidence and/or outcomes of IFD in patients with a viral respiratory co-infection, e.g. influenza, COVID-19
  • The changing epidemiology and incidence of IFD – new patient cohorts

The application window for IFD is open from Monday 19th February until Friday 10th May 2024.

The Fellowship and Medical Grants Programme is looking to support projects and initiatives, which ultimately lead to an improvement in oncology care.

Projects designed to tackle inequalities in cancer care among patient groups with poorer outcomes and/or access to care are particularly welcome.

The Fellowship and Medical Grants funding can be used to support a variety of projects including, but not limited to:

  • Audits or registry reviews assessing patient profiles, disease outcomes and treatment patterns
  • Setting up new infrastructure for better diagnosis or detection of disease, or prediction or monitoring of safety and efficacy outcomes to treatment, including increased disease awareness in primary care and among members of the public
  • Establishing novel patient support programmes or tools
  • New protocols to facilitate improved efficiency in patient care pathways
  • Frameworks to improve monitoring of patient-reported outcome measures or quality of life instruments or educational tools for patients and careers

Priority will be given to those projects that focus on solid tumours particularly patients with breast cancer.

If you have a project that falls outside of this scope, but will add clinical value or which investigates an area of unmet need in the field of oncology, you may still apply. All applications will be appraised based on their individual merit and focus on driving positive change in patient care. 

The application window for Oncology is open from Monday 13th May to Friday 16th August 2024.

The Viral Hepatitis Fellowship and Medical Grants programme will support innovative projects and initiatives that ultimately lead to an improvement in awareness, diagnosis, linkage to care and/or management of people living with viral hepatitis (B, C and Delta).

The Fellowship programme will also support proposals that implement new initiatives focussed on improving viral hepatitis care in those living with HIV, and those with higher sexual health risk of viral hepatitis acquisition.

The application window for Viral Hepatitis is open from Monday 18th March to Friday 28th June 2024.

Applicant Q&A and Support Clinic

To aid the application process, we will be hosting two live support clinics with Gilead representatives from each therapy area to provide advice on how to submit a high-quality application. The sessions will include an overview of the application process, the application portal and the supporting materials available.

We would encourage potential applicants to join to ask any questions you may have about the Fellowship and Medical Grants Programme (general or therapy area-specific), project eligibility, or the application process.

The first clinic will be held virtually via Zoom on Thursday 11th April at 12:30 - 13:30 BST.

The first clinic will be hosted by Gilead representatives from the IFD, CAR T cell therapy and Viral Hepatitis therapy areas.

A second clinic will be held virtually via Zoom on Thursday 30th May at 12:30 – 13:30 BST.

The second clinic will be hosted by Gilead representatives from the HIV and oncology therapy areas.

To register your interest in attending either Q&A support clinic, please send an email to [email protected] to receive further details and a link to the Zoom meeting invite, subject to availability. Please include the following information in your email:

  • Your name, role and organisation
  • The clinic date and Fellowship and Medical Grants Programme therapy area you are interested in
  • A brief summary of your project/initiative (2–4 sentences)

We recommend that you read the basic eligibility criteria ahead of registering your interest to attend the clinic. If you are unsure whether your project/initiative is suitable or have any questions, please do get in touch and join us.

Contact Us

For more information, general enquiries or questions on a specific application, email us at [email protected] and we will support you with your request.

UK-UNB-5039 February 2024