Digital weight management services grant

ASO Small Grant for Evaluating Remote and Digital Weight Management Services Research

The Association for the Study of Obesity is happy to announce a call for new research or to enhance ongoing research evaluating remote and digital weight management services. The research is expected to lead to new knowledge or innovations that make a difference to the lives of people living with obesity.

We have secured a grant from Novo Nordisk in order to make funding available for research into digital approaches to obesity treatment.   Novo Nordisk has had no influence over the type of proposals that can be submitted, nor will Novo Nordisk be involved in deciding the awarding of funding to applicants.

We encourage proposals that address any of the following areas:

1. Effectiveness (weight, energy balance behaviours, health and well-being outcomes).
2. Acceptability and patient (user) experience.
3. Understanding barriers to engagement in remote and digital WMS.
4. How ethnicity, age and social deprivation influence acceptability, efficacy and user engagement.
5. Grants should be comparative where appropriate/feasible to maximise insight into what works for who and how, in order to identify modifiable targets that would improve access and reduce inequalities.

The applications will be required to meet the following criteria:

• The proposal is relevant to the call topics
• The proposal should demonstrate how patients are expected to benefit and/or how the quality of care from remote and digital weight management services will be improved as a result of this project.
• The proposal should have a strong patient and public involvement and should be developed in collaboration with people living with obesity.
• The applicants should be linked with a relevant research institution or health organisation that consents to support the delivery of the research project. However, we will not fund university overheads, estates and infrastructure costs.
• The application includes appropriate costing for the research project, approved by the applicant’s supporting institution.
• Applicants have the necessary skills to conduct and deliver the research project as an individual or team.
• One applicant must be a member of ASO.
• Evidence that approval from the relevant ethics committee to deliver the project is/will be sought, where appropriate.
• Include a team/individual with previous experience of successful delivery of research projects in relevant themes. We encourage submissions from early career researchers provided there is clear demonstration of support/mentorship from a more experienced researcher.
• Agrees to terms and conditions set out by ASO regarding the monitoring of the project delivery, reporting and dissemination of findings.
• Feasible project delivery within 12 months.

Awards of up to £75,000 are available. Applications for smaller awards are also welcome.

Deadline for applications is Wednesday, 31st March 2021 (by 23.59 on Wednesday, 31st March)

We support collaborations across disciplines or in a specific research area that could have significant impact for people living with obesity.

We can fund activities between 1st May 2021to 20th May 2022. We will not fund university overheads, estates and infrastructure costs. 

You can apply by downloading and completing the application form and returning it to asooffice@aso.org.uk by the deadline.

This call is open to members of the ASO (one applicant must be a member),who are individuals resident in the UK and liked to a UK organisation which can act as a project sponsor,  clinical teams,  academics and Early Career Researchers. In the case of ECRs a clear supervision plan from a senior academic should be provided.

ASO will ensure that contracts are in place with the applicant’s institutions before awarding the grants. Grant awardees will be expected to provide brief progress reports every 3 months so ASO can monitor project delivery, reporting and dissemination. Funding can be withdrawn if ASO feels that the investigators are not delivering in a timely manner (as per progress updates).

We will not fund industry projects (unless matched funding is provided by an industry partner) or pump priming projects.

All applications will be reviewed by at least two academic referees who are experts in the area of the proposal. The final selection will be made using referees reports by members of the ASO Board of Trustees.