Alopecia UK has up to £30,000 of funding available for research on 'causes and cures' for alopecia areata. This funding call is open to applications on biomedical, clinical and psychological research, which address the biological and physiological processes, as well as the psychological impacts, of alopecia areata. Please note, due to a specific clause in the legacy funding, this call is not open to research projects relating to other types of alopecia or experimental topical treatments.

Key information

• Proposals should be for standalone projects, such as pilot or pump-priming projects, and not extensions of existing projects. 
• Funding amount: up to £30,000.
• Funding period: up to 2 years.
• The primary applicant should be UK-based.

Eligibility

• Primary applicants should hold a contract for the duration of the award at a UK host institution (such as a university or NHS trust), at which some or all of the research funded by the award will be carried out and which takes responsibility for the management of the research project and the accountability of funds provided. 
• Applications for which the primary applicant does not hold a tenured academic position require a second applicant who agrees to take responsibility for the project if the primary applicant were to be unable to complete the project.
• No more than 10% of the budget should be allocated to equipment costs.
• The maximum duration of award is 2 years, and successful awards should be activated within 12 months. No 'top-ups' are available for any reason. 
• A report including lay summary should be submitted on completion and at the 12-month mark for projects exceeding this length.

Support with your application

We encourage the active involvement of people with lived experience of alopecia in all stages of research, including proposal development. To make the most of these types of activities, please see our PPI guide: 

Good practice guide to involving people affected by alopecia in research

To request patient and public involvement support with your application, please complete the relevant section of our request form and return it to [email protected].

Patient and Public Participation, Involvement and Engagement request form

How to apply

Before making an application, please read our Terms and Conditions of Award, policies and other useful information on our Information for Applicants page. 

To apply, complete the application form and email it to [email protected] by the closing date of Monday 16 March 2026 at 17:00.

Application Form for Research Pots 2026

For any queries, please get in touch via [email protected]. 

Timeline

• Call opens: November 2025
• Deadline for applications: Monday 16 March 2026 at 5pm
• Research Committee to meet in May
• Outcome communicated in June

Previous rounds

Information on previous funding awards, including success rates, is available here.