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Supported projects
The ROS is committed to fostering and funding world class research that has a clear and tangible path to benefiting patients through driving system change which will help close this urgent osteoporosis care gap.
We raise funds specifically to support research and, periodically, we make these funds available to researchers through our Research Grants Programme.
The charity is currently funding 13 active research studies which:
- in total are worth a value over £799,000.
- overall have more than 80 people (researchers, technical staff, patient representatives) working on them across 26 institutions
- are supporting the salary costs for 33 research/technical posts to deliver the research
- include four Early Career Researchers, whose career development is being supported by the project
- all include clear public and patient involvement plans with five projects including a formal patient representative on the project team.
Research projects we are currently funding
Highlighted below in blue are the grants awarded in our latest Research Grants Round held in 2022.
Project Grants
The purpose of each project grant is to support an established UK osteoporosis researcher to undertake a pioneering research project that is designed to answer a single question or a group of related questions.
REFRAIN-PD study: REducing FRActures IN Parkinson’s Disease
Principal Investigator: Dr Emily Henderson, University of Bristol
Older adults with neurological conditions, such as Parkinson's, are at higher risk of falling and breaking bones. This study aims to garner the evidence which will transform the recognition and treatment of osteoporosis in people with neurological disease who are particularly susceptible to breaking bones, by updating clinical guidance.
Translation of Vfrac: improving accessibility throughout the UK
Principal Investigator: Professor Emma Clark, University of Bristol
This study aims to translate the effective clinical vertebral fracture screening tool (Vfrac) into the most common non-English languages in the UK, particularly Punjabi and Urdu. This will involve a systematic approach including multiple translations, back-translations, testing and local community group work.
Use of Vfrac in community pharmacies: A feasibility study
Principal Investigator: Arvind Sami, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
This study aims to discover how the effective clinical vertebral fracture screening tool (Vfrac) could be used beyond general practice in other healthcare settings such as community pharmacies, to ensure people are not missed.
PHORM Study: PHarmacist led Osteoporosis Review for optimising Medicines
Principal Investigator: Dr Andrew Sturrock, Northumbria University
There is currently no standard practice for following up people with osteoporosis to address the essential support needed for using osteoporosis medicines safely and effectively. This study will involve patients and healthcare professionals to develop a novel pharmacist led follow-up review delivered in general practice to support a person-centred approach to care and medicines use.
Time is of essence: Revealing the 'bone clock' in humans
Principal Investigator: Professor Susan Lanham-New, University of Surrey
This study aims to demonstrate, for the first time, the existence of a human ‘bone’ clock by assessing the amount of bone resorption and formation over a 24-hour day. Discovery of a ‘bone clock’ would spearhead the design of new drugs to tackle osteoporosis.
Creating an infrastructure to improve understanding and outcome of Pregnancy Associated Osteoporosis
Principal Investigator: Professor Stuart Ralston, University of Edinburgh
This study aims to provide new insights into risk factors and genetic factors associated with Pregnancy Associated Osteoporosis and will form the basis of improved diagnosis and new approaches to treatment.
Implementing improved fracture risk assessment in primary care: enhancing capture and quality of self-reported risk factors in electronic health records in primary care
Principal Investigator: Professor Eugene McCloskey, University of Sheffield
The study aims to address opportunities and barriers to easy assessment of fracture risk and explore ways to efficiently bring this to the attention of GPs.
Using real world audit data to identify the high-risk fracture patients and determinants of effective and efficient secondary fracture prevention
Principal Investigator: Dr Muhammad Kassim Javaid, University of Oxford
This study aims to improve how well Fracture Liaison Services work by identifying key organisational factors and also focus on patients at very high risk to update patient pathways to better manage this group.
Applicability of Vfrac In Men: An Osteoporotic Vertebral Fracture Screening Tool For Use In Older People With Back Pain
Principal Investigator: Professor Emma Clark, University of Bristol
The study aims to address an important gap in our understanding of the experiences of men with osteoporotic vertebral fractures to update existing clinical tools, thereby promoting equity and fairness in delivery of the best quality healthcare for people with osteoporosis.
How can understanding of DXA scans among primary care practitioners & patients be optimised to potentially increase treatment uptake?
Principal Investigator: Dr Laurna Bullock and Dr Zoe Paskins, Keele University
This study aims to create new resources for GPs and HCPs aimed at increasing patient understanding of a bone density (DXA) scan result to improve adherence to osteoporosis medication.
Early Career Grants
The purpose of each early career grant is to support a researcher in the early stages of their career through specific funding of a research project. The scheme aims to invest in the development of the next generation of outstanding osteoporosis researchers, therefore applicants will need to have demonstrated that they are on an upward trajectory with great potential, and are now ready to take the next step towards becoming an independent principal investigator.
Are advanced glycation end products (AGEs) biomarkers of long- term low bone remodelling?
Principal Investigator: Dr Tatiane Vilaca, University of Sheffield
Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are known to affect the ageing skeleton. This study will investigate if AGEs can give us information about bone quality and long-term bone renewal, which will help to personalise osteoporosis treatments in the future.
Innovative Grants
The purpose of each innovative grant is to support a highly innovative pilot study at the cutting-edge, to provide the critical data required to apply for funding from larger funding organisations.
Assessing the validity and acceptability of using smartphones to monitor bone-specific activity (BSA)
Principal Investigator: Dr Victoria Stiles, University of Exeter
This study will assess the validity and acceptability of using smartphones to monitor bone-specific activity in order to inform future App interventions to help prevent osteoporosis.
For more information:
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E-mail research@theros.org.uk or call us on 01761 473125
Accredited by the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC)
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We've been a member of the AMRC for over 30 years, and were awarded a certificate of best practise in medical and health research in the 2020 peer review audit.
Decisions about how we allocate grants are made by our Research and Innovation Grants Assessment Panel following our Research Grants Application Process. The panel considers all applications in line with the aims and priorities of our Breaking the Silence Strategy 2022-2026 and Research Roadmap.
