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Scholarship support for young people from major health study

Published:

Young participants of a landmark health research project are to receive financial support to study at the University of Bradford.

Six people stand in a line and hold their hands up in the air to celebrate while one of them holds a teddy bear and they all look up to pose for an aerial photo

Sponsored scholarship places are available to Born in Bradford (BiB) participants, now aged 18 and progressing to become students at their home city University. 

BiB is a long-term study of more than 60,000 people, including 13,500 children born at Bradford Royal Infirmary (BRI) between March 2007 and December 2010, whose health is being tracked from pregnancy through childhood and into adult life. 

From September 2026, two BiB participants will join the University each academic year through its Bradford Futures Fund, which supports promising home undergraduate students who are underrepresented. A specific number of places will be ringfenced for these young people over the next few years.  

Four people stand in a line next to each other with a giant teddy bear in front of them

Stories of inspiration 

Professor Prathivadi Anand, Professor of Public Policy and Sustainable Development at the University of Bradford and BiB team member, said: “We are proud to have been partnering with Professor John Wright and the BiB team for several years now and are looking forward to welcoming the young people who were part of the BiB cohort through the Bradford Futures Fund.  

“BiB research has already inspired many scientific studies. I am confident these young people will thrive at the University of Bradford and create their own stories of inspiration.” 

What is Born in Bradford? 

Since 2007, researchers based at BRI’s Bradford Institute for Health Research have been tracking the lives of more than 60,000 Bradfordians to see what keeps them happy and healthy.  

The collected data has helped to make positive changes to the health of families in Bradford and beyond. It is also being used to find the causes of common childhood illnesses and explore the mental and social development of this generation. 

Five people stand in a line while the third person holds a large teddy bear

Important global study  

Professor John Wright, BiB’s Chief Investigator, awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Health in 2020 for his contribution to healthcare and support for the University and wider Bradford community, said: “Over the last 18 years young people in Born in Bradford have created one of the most important health research studies in the world.  

“As a token of our gratitude, BiB is sponsoring a number of scholarship places at the University of Bradford.  

“We look forward to the day when BiB is run by the young people in the study, and we hope these exciting new scholarships will help make this happen.” 

More on the Bradford Futures Fund

Each Bradford Futures Fund student receives a guaranteed annual scholarship of £1,500.  

Those eligible for the Bradford Futures Fund scholarship must meet one or more of the following criteria: have low household income and/or low socio-economic status, are a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) student, young carer, care leaver, disabled, refugee or asylum seeker, estranged from their parents, or an adult learner (aged 25 or over).