Collaboration & Innovation PPIE Awards

Anyone with lived experience of severe mental illness (SMI) who is a member of one or more of the MHP hubs. 

You may have lived experience of SMI from a personal or carer's perspective.

You could be a member of the MHP Steering Group, or part of a Lived Experience Advisory Panel or Group (LEAP or LEAG). You could be a researcher at one of the Hubs who also has lived experience of SMI.

You do not need any previous experience of applying for research grants/awards. 

We recommend that you nominate additional co-leads on the application, rather than listing only yourself as the lead applicant. This could help with the cross-Hub aspect of your project, and will also provide peer support throughout the project.

If you have queries about your eligibility you can get in touch before you apply: mhp@ed.ac.uk 

The project must connect at least two of the Hubs to collaborate on the project.

Your project budget must be a minimum of £2,000 and a maximum of £20,000. 

You should plan the project yourself and/or with your co-leads/collaborators. 

The focus of the project should align with the funding themes, which are reviewing annually. In 2026 the Collaboration and Innovation PPIE themes are:

• Improving PPIE best practice
• Evaluating PPIE impact
• Enhancing understanding of people with severe mental illness 

If you receive an Award, you are also responsible for carrying out the project and ensuring you deliver your plan.

You will need to fill out an application form, which you can download further down on this page. 

You will also need to attach letters of support from each of the Hub leads and Collaborators involved. Letters must include information on the level of commitment and type of contribution provided from the Hubs or Collaborators to the project. This means you’ll need to be in touch with Hub leads before you apply to confirm they’re happy to support your project.

Once the application is completed and you confirm your consent to process your data in Part 9, please save your application form with the title "Year MHP PPIE CandI PPIE Awards Full Name" (e.g. 2026 MHP CandI PPIE Awards Jane Smith) and submit it to mhp@ed.ac.uk with the email subject line “MHP C&I PPIE Awards Application”. For more information, please download the application form further down on this current page.

The application form will ask you for the following information:

1. Contact details
2. Project information
3. Theme (one of the PPIE Collaboration and Impact funding themes)
4. Short sections to fill in:
   1. Plain language summary
   2. Team responsibilities and lived experience
   3. Previous PPIE experience.
   4. Outcomes and impact
   5. Diversity statement
   6. Ethical implications
5. Research plan and timeline
6. Budget plan
7. Optional diversity monitoring questions and any reasonable adjustments
8. How you heard about this opportunity
9. Conflicts of interest (if relevant)
10. Consent for the MHP team to process your data

You can find guidance and an example set of documents at the link below

There will be one round of MHP C&I PPIE awards every year. Applications for each round will be open in:

• January 2026 - Round 1
• January 2027 - Round 2
• January 2028 - Round 3

More details on the timeline for the current round are at the top of this page.

All projects must be completed before December 2028.

You can include the following costs in your budget:

• Direct Project Costs: 100% directly incurred and directly allocated project costs can be claimed, including staff time, travel and subsistence on individual projects.
• Costs of networking activities and events, engagement and knowledge exchange, including travel and subsistence.
• Equipment valued < £10,000.

You cannot include the following costs:

• Duplication of other sources of funding that would be more appropriate for the activity to be funded.
  Indirect or estates costs at the research organisation.
• Any costs relating to Intellectual Property protection including but not limited to registering, maintaining, or supporting patents or property rights.
• Equipment valued ≥ £10,000.
• Undergraduate or postgraduate activities or training, or core PhD training including tuition or bench fees.
• Contributions to existing knowledge transfer partnerships.
• The salary costs of investigators and staff employed on existing funded Hub awards are also not eligible for inclusion.

Please read the Budget plan guidance which you can download from the page at the link below

We know that this may be the first time you are applying for and leading a research project. We want the process to be accessible and supportive for everyone. The MHP and the Hubs involved in each project will offer support and guidance in the applications process.

You should find clear notes on what’s expected in each section of the application form.

Please read through all the information on this page, and through the example applications (see link below). 

To help you complete your application, the MHP Coordinating Team will offer a drop-in session as part of the application process - see the top of this page for the date of this session.

You can reach out with further questions: mhp@ed.ac.uk

Expression of Interest

If you have an idea which you think needs further development before you can submit an application, you can outline it in the Expression of Interest form and send it to mhp@ed.ac.uk before 05 January 2026. The Coordinating Team will aim to provide the support you need to progress your idea to application stage. This is not an essential step in the process and also does not guarantee your project will be funded. 

Download the Expression of Interest document further down on this page.

This is a competitive process, and not all projects which are submitted can be funded.

Your application will go through a review process alongside the other projects submitted in the same round. An independent review panel will assess your application. The panel will review all eligible projects and score to decide on which will receive the Awards

How Your Application Will Be Scored

Projects will be reviewed based on their scores in three categories:

1. Team and Cross-Hub Collaboration (30%)
2. Impact and Strategic Alignment (30%)
3. Research Quality and Delivery (40%)

For full detail of the process and scoring criteria, please download the MHP C&I Awards PPIE Review Process and Scoring Criteria document which is avialable further down on this page.

The MHP Coordinating Team in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh Research office (ERO), will initiate the contract exchange with the successful PPIE lead applicant (hereafter, referred as the awardee) and host institution.

If the awardee is associated with a host institution (e.g. academic institution or charity), the institution will be responsible for signing the contract. They will also be responsible for receiving and monitoring the award and paying the awardee for their time in the project.

If the awardee is independent, the ERO will initiate contract exchange directly. A lay summary of the contract may be made available for further information.

The project is expected to start within 6 months of decision being made and within 1 month of the contract being signed.

If your project receives funding, you will be fully supported throughout the delivery of your work. Our aim is to help you stay on track, meet your project goals, and manage your budget confidently.

Onboarding and Early Support

At the start of your project, the PPIE Coordinator, along with the MHP Coordinating Team, will meet with you for an onboarding session.

In this meeting, we will talk through:

• The support available to you
• Any mentoring you may find helpful
• How project meetings and communication will work
• What reporting is needed and when

We will work with you to identify appropriate mentors from across the MHP Hubs who can support you in your role as project lead or co-leads.

Ongoing Project Support

Together, you and the MHP Coordinating Team will agree how often to meet during the project. These check-ins will help:

• Monitor progress against your project plan
• Identify and address challenges early
• Ensure the project remains on schedule and within budget
• Provide space for advice, problem-solving, and learning

You are encouraged to contact the team at any point if you need additional support. 

Project Reporting

To help keep your project running smoothly, you will be asked to submit two brief written reports each year.
These updates will focus on:

• Progress towards your research and engagement aims
• Any operational or practical issues
• Any support you may need going forward

A simple reporting template will be provided for this.

Final Reporting

At the end of your project, you will submit a final report (one month before the project end date).
This will be shared with the MHP Leadership Team and the MHP PPIE Steering Group.