Twins Trust / BMFMS Bursaries

Twins Trust (formerly TAMBA) & BMFMS joint funded bursaries

2021/2022

Twins Trust & BMFMS joint funded bursaries 2021-22 round

For the 2021-22 round of Bursaries, BMFMS and Twins Trust (formerly known as TAMBA) are pleased to announce a joint research bursary to a maximum value of £20,000. The Twins Trust has noted several priority areas for the 2022 award (see below), but all projects related to any aspects of research or quality improvement in multiple pregnancy will be considered.

Twins Trust priority areas for 2022:

interventions to prevent/reduce maternal complications;
management of triplet and higher order pregnancies to improve outcomes;
interventions to prevent/reduce neonatal admission in twin pregnancies.

Applicants must have been members of the BMFMS for at least 6 months prior to the application closing date. The successful applicant(s) will be expected to:

Acknowledge BMFMS/ Twins Trust when presenting their work,
Submit an interim report at 1 year and a final report at 2 years, as appropriate
Present the findings arisen from the bursary at the annual BMFMS meeting(s)

Applications will be received from 15^th December 2021 to 9th February 2022 at 5pm. Applications will be reviewed by BMFMS committee members, with representation from the Twins Trust, and applicants informed of the results in March 2022.

The application form is available for download here

Twins Trust & BMFMS joint funded bursaries 2021 /2022 round

The bursary recipient for 2022 was Dr Lisa Story who was awarded £18,190 for the project 'Evaluation of the impact of fibronectin and cervical length monitoring in triplet pregnancies."

2020/2021

Due to financial uncertainties resulting in reduced income for the Society due to the Covid-19 pandemic, no bursaries will be offered this year. The BMFMS committee will keep this decision under review.

Twins Trust & BMFMS joint funded bursaries 2019-20 round

For the 2019-20 round of Bursaries, BMFMS and Twins Trust (formerly known as TAMBA) are pleased to announce a joint research bursary to a maximum value of £20,000. Twins Trust has noted several priority areas for the 2020 awards (see below), but all projects related to any aspects of research or quality improvement in multiple pregnancy will be considered. Applications will be marked by a panel with representation from Twins Trust and the BMFMS Committee.

Twins Trust priority areas for 2020:

Research around joined up working with obstetric and neonatal teams to reduce neonatal admissions for twin pregnancy (to reflect the theme of perinatal 2020)
Role of a specialist multiples team with multidisciplinary members in improving patient experience, and delivering evidence based care in multiple pregnancies
Research focused on optimising perinatal outcome in higher order multiple pregnancies

Applicants must have been members of the BMFMS for at least 6 months prior to the application closing date. The successful applicant(s) will be expected to:

Acknowledge BMFMS/ Twins Trust when presenting their work,
Submit an interim report at 1/2 years and a final report at 2/3 years, as appropriate
Present the findings arisen from the bursary at the annual BMFMS meeting(s)

Applications will be received from 20th December 2019 to 24th January 2020 at 5pm. Applications will be reviewed by BMFMS committee members, with representation from Twins Trust, and applicants informed of the results in March 2020.

The application form is available for download here

Twins Trust & BMFMS joint funded bursaries 2019 /2020 round

Dr Andrew Sharp was awarded a Joint bursary with Twins Trust of £20,000 for the project 'The role of the vaginal microbiome and cervical length at 16 weeks in the prediction of preterm birth in twin pregnancy'.

TAMBA priority areas for 2019:

How does continuity of carer delivery a better experience for mothers and babies in multiple pregnancy?
The role of ultrasound and Doppler in reduced fetal movements in twins
The effectiveness of different growth charts in multiple pregnancy
New approaches in multiple pregnancy research

Applicants must have been members of the BMFMS for at least 6 months prior to the application closing date. The successful applicant(s) will be expected to acknowledge BMFMS/TAMBA when presenting their work, submit an interim report at 1/2 years and a Final report at 2/3 years, as appropriate.

Applications will be received from 10th October to 22nd November 2018 . Applications will be reviewed by BMFMS committee members, with representation from TAMBA, and applicants informed of the results in January 2019.

The application form is available for download HERE.

TAMBA & BMFMS joint funded bursaries 2018-19 round

Dr Brenda F Narice

Academic Unit of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, University of Sheffield

£19,614.1

Exploring Novel Techniques for the Prediction of Spontaneous Preterm Birth in Multiple Pregnancies.

Lindsay M Kindinger

Department of Fetal and Maternal Medicine, Institute for Women's Health, University College London

£19,608.00

Quantitative fetal fibronectin, cervical length and vaginal microbiota for the prediction of preterm birth in twin pregnancies undergoing fetal laser surgery.

This bursary was awarded in memory of Eva Boyle, a much-missed, forever-loved twin.

TAMBA & BMFMS joint funded bursaries 2017-18 round

Dr R. Katie Morris

Academic Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology,Birmingham Women’s Hospital

£18,375

Development of a core outcome set (COS) for multiple pregnancy studies: part of the ‘COMET’ initiative to standardise outcomes collected in research. Please see progress report here

Prof. Alexander Heazell

Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre, University of Manchester

£19,878

Evaluating Risk Antenatally in Twin Pregnancies – A Pilot Study . Please see progress report here Please see final report here

TAMBA & BMFMS joint funded bursaries 2016-17 round

Dr Asma Khalil

Fetal Medicine Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St. George's Hospital, London

£19809

Emergency Cerclage in Twin pregnancies at Imminent Risk of Preterm Birth: an Open-Label Randomised Controlled Trial. Please see the interim report HERE.

Dr Andrew Sharp

Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Liverpool Women’s Hospital.

£19880

Examining the myometrial transcriptome in twin pregnancy. Please see interim report HERE

Applicants were asked to meet some/all of the following TAMBA recommended research themes.

Comparing different approaches to the implementation of the NICE multiple birth guidance with a focus on outcomes, cost, skill mix and service model.
Use of cerclage (cervical stitch) in multiple pregnancies.
Fetal medicine developments aimed at improving the management of multiple pregnancies.

TAMBA & BMFMS joint funded bursaries 2015-16 round

Dr Katie Morris Senior Lecturer Maternal Fetal Medicine, Professor Mark Kilby, Professor of Fetal Medicine ,Centre for Women’s and Newborn’s Health, Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, University of Birmingham & Professor Marian Knight, NIHR Professor of Maternal and Child Population Health, NPEU, University of Oxford

£20,000

A prospective observational study using UKOSS of cases of single twin demise (SIUFD) (>14 weeks) in MC twin pregnancies in the UK, including adverse maternal, fetal and perinatal consequences and prognostic factors. Please see interim report HERE.

Dr Asma Khalil

Consultant in Fetal Medicine and Obstetrics, Fetal Medicine Unit, St George's University of London

£19,809

A case-control study of neurodevelopmental outcome in twin pregnancies with complications. including twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome single intrauterine death, selective intrauterine growth restriction, twin reversed arterial perfusion sequence and twin anaemia polycythemia sequence. Please see interim report HERE.

Dr Therese Hannon

Consultant in Fetal Medicine and Obstetrics, Department of Fetal Medicine, Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust

£19,972 – this bursary is fully funded by TAMBA

A retrospective study to determine the prevalence of MCMA twin and triplet (any chorionicity) pregnancies using population-based NorSTAMP and STORK data for 2000-2013, and to compare birth outcomes and clinical management of these pregnancies across the NE and with those from the STORK multiple pregnancy cohort and also before and after the publication of the NICE guidelines. Please see Dr Hannon's interim report HERE. Please see published report HERE

Applicants were asked to meet some/all of the following TAMBA recommended research themes.

Commission clinical research that seeks to identify if additional information and emotional support improves outcomes in twin and triplet pregnancies.
Commission research that seeks to identify if specialist twin pregnancy growth charts have an impact on clinical outcomes.
Establish the role of Doppler ultrasound in the management of sIUGR, TTTS, TAPS and ‘term’ pregnancies.
Commission research that seeks to identify if specialist antenatal care for women with twin and triplet pregnancies improve outcomes for women and their babies.
Commission research that identifies if an emergency cerclage is effective in delaying very premature (before 24 weeks) delivery.
Commission research that identifies the incidence of monochorionic monoamniotic twin and triplet pregnancies, and the most effective clinical management strategies for them.
Commission research that identifies the most effective long term treatments for Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS), sIUGR, and the surviving twin following the death of the co-twin.