31 October 2018, Tim Burton
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TUF has been offering grants to urology professionals since 1996, in which time we have given out 121 major grants to scholars across the UK and Ireland. What difference have these grants made to the urologists who've received them?
Many of the TUF grant recipients have gone on to become leaders in their field. Early award winners such as John Kelly, Marcus Drake, Dan Wood, Mark Emberton, Chris Blick, and Ravi Barod have gone on to successful careers in clinical and academic urology.
Meanwhile, more recent award winners have spoken to TUF about what their grant has meant for their careers.
Sarah Welsh received funding from TUF in 2014 to look at a new treatment option for kidney cancer. She told us, “The funding (and subsequent research) has contributed to me being successful in gaining a Consultant Medical Oncologist position at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, and I am now leading the translational parts of 3 clinical trials investigating novel treatments in kidney cancer.”
Meanwhile, Hide Yamamoto, whose funding in 2014 looked at new treatment options for prostate cancer told us “Your generous funding enabled me to develop a deep understanding of the scientific process and critical thinking. These skills of course helped me to gain a position as consultant but most importantly allow me to continually engage with available evidence and participate constructively in clinical and scientific trials.”
For other award recipients, such as Altaf Mangera (2010) it allowed him a route into the world of medical research that he is now fully immersed in. For Chris Hillary a Urology Registrar at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (funded by TUF in 2014) the funding meant a far greater understanding of how to talk to his patients and develop an ongoing interest within a subspecialty of urology.
TUF offers research scholarships every year, with a deadline for applications at the end of January. Because TUF is committed to investing in all areas of urology, we often provide funding for projects that wouldn’t get noticed elsewhere. These projects, once they’ve produced initial results, often go on to receive larger grants by major grant givers.
The funding we provide goes on to provide new treatments and diagnostic tools for a range of urology diseases and cancers. It can be a catalyst for a successful career in urology and it can provide hope for patients and families.
If you’d like to find out how to become a research scholar, click here.
