Mentally Fit York funding

*The fund is currently closed but will reopen in the New Year for applications to the spring 2025 round*

Those who can apply to the fund include:

• Staff members of the Institute of Mental Health Research at York (IMRY) and University of York Departments and Schools
• Representatives of Colleges and Professional Services
• Individual students at the University of York (but only with a member of a staff acting as a co-applicant/mentor)
• York University Students Union (YUSU) registered student societies
• Local voluntary/charitable organisations
• Public organisations (e.g. NHS/schools)

To ensure that the money is invested in the most effective and strategic way, the Fund's Disbursement Group will be focusing on three specific areas in 2024/25. These are:

1. Children and young people (aged 0-18 years old and in relation to mental health polcy and practice in e.g. education, health, employment and social care sectors)
2. Workforce and workplace (e.g. mental health workforce, mental health in the workplace, work-based interventions)
3. Heritage, culture and arts and humanities (e.g. cultural/historical records and artefacts relating to mental health, philosophical and sociological understandings of mental health)

We are looking both for applications that seek to translate research findings into mental health policy and practice and for new research to answer policy-relevant questions relating to mental health.

Examples of the types of projects that we would fund are:

• Engagement of clearly identified groups of policy makers with relevant research findings relating to mental health. Proposals should provide a detailed and credible engagement strategy, explaining how the findings align with policy priorities.
  Consultations with end users of research (including patients and carers) to explore how policy-relevant findings relating to their mental health could best be implemented.
• Co-designing innovative research projects with students, staff, service users, alumni, donors and the public, that aim to answer new questions in the area of mental health relevant to policy makers.
• Co-designing creative outputs to help disseminate relevant findings about mental health to policy makers and other stakeholders and end-users.

Funding availability for 2024/2025

There are three levels of awards you can apply for:

• Up to £5,000
• Up to £10,000
• Up to £15,000

For each application round, we intend to fund one award at each level, however, the amount of awards available may vary per application round, depending on the funds available. Preference will be given to applicants who have not previously applied to this fund. If you wish to include salary costs, please note that the fund will only support contributions for time specifically dedicated to the proposed project. Funding cannot subsidise costs associated with PhD or Masters studies. 

How are applications assessed?

The fund disbursement group will meet quarterly to assess applications and allocate the available funding, on the proviso that funds are available for disbursement. Applications must be submitted by the deadline which is typically two weeks in advance of the disbursement group meeting.

The next meeting will take place on Tuesday 10th December 2024 - applications for this have now closed.

Applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application within 5 working days of the meeting.

Subsequent meetings:

• Tuesday 25 March 2025 - applications submitted by Monday 10th March
• Thursday 19 June 2025 - applications submitted by Wednesday 4th June

If you have any questions, please contact the Supporter Relations in the Office of Philanthropic Partnerships and Alumni (OPPA) on oppa-stewardship@york.ac.uk