A funding body is an organisation that provides research funding in the form of research grants or scholarships. These include:

Maxine Peake (born 14 July 1974 in Bolton, is an English stage, film and television actress known for playing Veronica in Channel 4's Manchester-based drama series Shameless, Twinkle in Victoria Wood's sitcom Dinnerladies, and, most recently, barrister Martha Costello QC in BBC legal drama Silk.

Peake is the second of two daughters born to Brian and Glynis Peake (née Hall). Her father was a lorry driver before working in the electrical industry, her mother a part-time careworker; Lisa, her elder sister by nine years, is a policewoman. Her parents separated when Peake was nine and she lived with her mother until the age of 15. When her mother moved in with a new boyfriend several miles away, she went to live with her grandfather so she could continue her GCSE studies at Westhoughton High School, before going on to take her A-Levels at Canon Slade School, Bradshaw near Bolton. Her grandfather encouraged to develop her creativity and start acting.

Peake joined the Bolton Octagon Youth Theatre at 13, before a period at the youth theatre of the Royal Exchange, Manchester. She later attended the University of Salford leaving after two years.

Anne Sexton (November 9, 1928, Newton, Massachusetts – October 4, 1974, Weston, Massachusetts) was an American poet, known for her highly personal, confessional verse. She won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1967. Themes of her poetry include her suicidal tendencies, long battle against depression and various intimate details from her private life, including her relationships with her husband and children.

Anne Sexton was born Anne Gray Harvey in Newton, Massachusetts to Mary Gray Staples and Ralph Harvey. She spent most of her childhood in Boston. In 1945 she enrolled at Rogers Hall boarding school, Lowell, Massachusetts, later spending a year at Garland School. For a time she modeled for Boston's Hart Agency. On August 16, 1948, she married Alfred Sexton and they remained together until 1973. She had two children named Linda Gray and Joyce Ladd.

Sexton suffered from severe mental illness for much of her life, her first manic episode taking place in 1954. After a second episode in 1955 she met Dr Martin Orne, who became her long-term therapist at the Glenside Hospital, and encouraged her to take up poetry.

Luke Marcus O'Neill (born 20 August 1991 in Slough, England) is an English footballer who plays right back for Mansfield Town, having graduated from the Leicester City youth academy. He has represented England at under 17 level.

O'Neill came through the youth academy at Leicester alongside the likes of Joe Mattock, Max Gradel, Ashley Chambers and Andy King and was part of the side that won the Premier Academy League in the 2006/07 season. He continued to feature for Leicester's academy and reserves side for the next season before being promoted to the first team squad in July, 2008 making regular appearances in their pre-season games. He was named as a substitute for the first time in a League Cup win over Stockport County on August 12, 2008, however he was unused on that night.

On August 29, 2008 just a few days after his 17th birthday, O'Neill signed his first professional contract, a deal that will see him stay at Leicester until 2011. He then made his debut for Leicester on September 2 against Hartlepool United in Leicester's 3–0 Johnstone's Paint Trophy win.