Programme Grants for Applied Research are prestigious awards of up to £2m over a period of three to five years, directed towards leading researchers who can demonstrate an impressive track-record of achievement in applied health research. Each programme will fund a series of related projects which form a coherent theme in an area of priority or need for the NHS.
Aims
The aims of the Programme Grants for Applied Research funding scheme are to:
· Provide evidence to improve health outcomes in England through promotion of health, prevention of ill health, and optimal disease management (including safety and quality), with particular emphasis on conditions causing significant disease burden, where other research funders may not be focused, or there is insufficient funding available
· Enable NHS trusts to tackle areas of high priority or need for health
· Provide some stability of funding to support the long-term development of top quality applied research groups working in the NHS
· Replace, in part, programmes of research currently supported by the Priorities and Needs (PNF) component of NHS R&D Support Funding for NHS Providers
Funding
The Programme Grants for Applied Research funding scheme will have an annual budget of £75 million once it reaches full capacity. Individual awards will be for a maximum of £2m over a period of up to five years. The amount of funding awarded will, however, be determined by the scale and nature of the research activity to be conducted.
Process
Programme Grants for Applied Research will be awarded by open competition. Application is a two-stage process: firstly, potential applicants are required to complete a stage 1 programme grant application form summarising their proposed research programme. These stage 1 applications will be assessed by an expert Sub-Panel of the Programme Grants for Applied Research Selection Panel, using defined criteria. A stage 2 full application will then be invited from those which meet the assessment criteria and are shortlisted. These stage 2 full applications will then be assessed by an expert Sub-Panel of the Programme Grants for Applied Research Selection Panel, guided by comments from referees. The Sub-Panel’s funding recommendations will then be forwarded for consideration by the main Selection Panel, which will formulate a final list of funding recommendations.
Selection Criteria
The selection criteria used by the NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research Selection Panel at stages 1 and 2 are:
· The track-record of the applicants in conducting high-quality applied health research, as judged by publication output and previous research funding;
· The relevance of the proposed research to the priorities and needs of the NHS;
· The likelihood of significant benefit to the NHS and patients within 3-5 years of the end of the funding period.
· The quality of the outline proposal.
· The value for money provided by the proposal.
Director’s Feedback after Competition 1, 2 and 3
Researchers may find it helpful to consult the feedback provided by the Director of the Programme on the applications for the first funding round, if they intend to apply for the next competition.
Applying
In order to submit an application for the current competition you must complete a Stage 1 application by
5pm, 11th October 2010, firstly
register for the secure extranet. Once registered you will be able log into our secure extranet via the
log in page using the username and password specified during your registration.
For further information about submission deadlines please follow this link
Guidance on completing an application to the Programme Grants for Applied Research programme is available here .
Competitions
