Parkinson's UK Grants for Non-Drug Approaches

Parkinson's UK Non-Drug Approach Grants

Supports non-pharmacological Parkinson's research in the United Kingdom focused on improving day-to-day quality of life.

Parkinson's UK Non-Drug Approach Grants support creative and innovative research into non-pharmacological ways to help people with Parkinson's live better. Eligible research areas include speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, mental health management approaches, lifestyle interventions such as exercise, dance, and nutrition, aids and devices, and complementary therapies. Awards run for a maximum of two years and are capped at £200,000. The 2026 round preproposal deadline of 4:00 PM on 5 May 2026 has passed; full applications are due 3 September 2026 for invited applicants only.

Lead applicants must be based at UK universities, research institutes, NHS Trusts, or statutory social care organisations. Co-applicants and collaborators may be located outside the UK or affiliated with pharmaceutical or biotech companies. A hard exclusion applies: applications focused on improving healthcare services delivery are not eligible under this scheme. All applicants must work with people with lived experience of Parkinson's throughout the research process and must address equity, diversity, and inclusion across all aspects of the project.

Applications are submitted through Parkinson's UK's online portal at research.parkinsons.org.uk and are assessed by three independent scientific experts from the College of Experts alongside lay reviewers with lived experience of Parkinson's. In the 2025 round, 19 preproposals were submitted, 10 were invited to full application, and 2 projects were ultimately funded — approximately a 10.5 percent overall success rate. Proposals most likely to succeed demonstrate a well-defined population with Parkinson's, a measurable quality-of-life outcome, and a mechanism of action for the non-drug intervention that is grounded in existing evidence.