One of the barriers to advancing our understanding of human milk, breastfeeding and milk bank service provision has been the lack of prioritisation of these fields in the funding models of major funders. Researchers might have a good idea, but can’t get the funds to support the work. Or they might have made some interesting discoveries, but cannot continue their work to confirm findings. This issue has been the case globally, and from the beginning of setting up the Human Milk Foundation was at the heart of what we wanted the charity to help tackle. Science and evidence is at the heart of everything we do.

Within 3 years of launching the HMF, the Trustees have developed our charity’s Research Strategy and announced a Research Committee who will independently select awardees. We are proud to launch today our call for the first pilot grant – a grant of up to £12,000 for research that would be completed within 12 months.

Who can apply? Researchers at any career stage, at a UK institution, working on any aspect of the charity’s priority list of evidence gaps:

1) To investigate the evidence for the use of donor milk and how that impacts on infant health, maternal physical and mental health, and breastfeeding rates

2) To understand the composition and variability of human milk within and across individuals and populations, and how donor milk may be used as a therapeutic tool

3) To understand the health economic, psychosocial and environmental impacts of donor milk availability and use

4) To understand optimal procedures for the preparation and use of donor milk.

The BAPM Report in 2016 highlighted a list of key areas of research, which includes suggestions for research that fall within these four objectives. Full terms and conditions can be found here.

Please apply through the link below, and contact research@humanmilkfoundation.org or info@humanmilkfoundation.org for any queries.