Grant winners – 30 March 2017

Leverhulme Trust

Research Project Grants

Sciences

• Award winner: Steve Armes
• Institution: University of Sheffield
• Value: £161,051

In situ SAXS studies of micellar nucleation during block copolymer syntheses

• Award winner: Matthew Gaunt
• Institution: University of Cambridge
• Value: £119,318

New concepts for activity-based protein profiling (ABPP)

• Award winner: Lesley Cohen
• Institution: Imperial College London
• Value: £216,563

Microwave-induced Andreev bound states

• Award winner: Jane Mellor
• Institution: University of Oxford
• Value: £139,816

Defining the fundamental nature of antisense transcription

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

Research grants

• Award winner: Helen White‑Cooper
• Institution: Cardiff University
• Value: £488,467

Nucleosome positioning and transcriptional regulation in Drosophila differentiated cells

• Award winner: Jayne Hope
• Institution: University of Edinburgh
• Value: £696,488

VACCINE: Defining signature responses at the innate-adaptive interface to inform the design of vaccines inducing cellular immunity

• Award winner: Gary Lye
• Institution: University College London
• Value: £1,395,090

ConBioChem: continuous bio-production of commodity chemicals

National Institute for Health Research

Health Technology Assessment Programme

• Award winner: Patrick Stone
• Institution: University College London
• Value: £1,404,906

Methylphenidate versus placebo for fatigue in advanced cancer (MePFAC)

• Award winner: Ian Douglas
• Institution: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
• Value: £310,726

Real-world effects of medications for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

In detail

Public Health Research Programme

Award winner: Stacy Clemes

Institution: Loughborough University

Value: £413,041

Stand out in class: restructuring the classroom environment to reduce sedentary behaviour – a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial

Technological advances and changes in lifestyles and environments have resulted in children and adults spending the majority of their waking moments sitting – and thus expending low levels of energy. Modern classrooms and offices promote prolonged sitting, which is bad for one’s health. In children, prolonged sitting is linked to obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. In adults, it increases the risks of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. Encouraging children to sit less is vital to reducing their chances of developing such diseases in later life. Previous research has shown that height-adjustable desks (sit-stand desks), which allow children to switch between sitting and standing, are successful in the short term in reducing the time that pupils sit during the school day. The suitability of these as a long-term solution in UK primary schools is unknown. The aim of this project is to assess the acceptability of installing sit-stand desks in classrooms in eight Bradford primary schools over an eight-month period. Children of primary school age in Bradford have been found to spend about 10 hours per day sitting.