Up to £35,000 for Research into Racial Inequalities in Maternity & Neonatal Care

The RCN Foundation is offering funding for an organisation to undertake a midwifery or nurse-led research study exploring the barriers Black and Asian women experience throughout maternity and neonatal care in the UK. The research forms part of its Listen, Understand, Act programme addressing racial inequalities in maternal and neonatal health.

Here’s what you can expect:

• Up to £35,000 in funding

• Funding for a 12-month research study

• Research exploring barriers experienced by Black and Asian women throughout maternity and neonatal care

• Focus on ensuring women's experiences are heard and reflected in care

• Exploration of what effective personalised maternity care looks like

• Research must use a four-country UK approach

• The study should identify examples of effective practice

• Proposals should include an evidence-based approach for measuring the impact of interventions.

Who can apply?

• Applications are sought from organisations

• The proposed research must be midwifery or nurse-led

• Applicants should be capable of undertaking primary research over a 12-month period

• Research must address maternal and neonatal health inequalities experienced by Black and Asian women in the UK

• The work needs to consider evidence and practice across all four UK nations.

Application deadline: 18 September 2026 at 5:00pm.