Scope
The Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) Programme, in partnership with Diabetes UK, is inviting applications to understand how services can be improved for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In particular, the Programme is interested in applications which (1) look to address the challenges of delivering integrated services to support the mental health of people living with diabetes (including adults and children and young people) and (2) those that look to understand how care can be improved to help people manage their diabetes as they get older.
Research in these areas should address inequalities in access and experience of services, including intersectional differences and disadvantage. To build capacity and address geographical and other disparities in research funding and activity, we welcome partnerships between research active institutions and others less active to date, and located in geographical areas of deprivation and/or high disease burden.
Background and areas of interest
Diabetes is one of the fastest growing health challenges in the 21st Century, costing the NHS around £10 billion per year. Around 80% of the total cost is spent on treating complications of diabetes which places significant demand on health and social care services. There is also a high burden on individuals who must constantly manage this life-changing condition.
Diabetes is a national priority and a key focus of the NHS Long term plan which recognises the need for more person-centred care to support people to manage their own health. NIHR recently published an evidence collection on the challenges facing diabetes services and highlights how taking account of individual needs, wishes and differences can improve services. But, there continue to be large inequalities across the country in access to (and provision of) integrated and individualised services to support people with diabetes throughout the life course.
In collaboration with Diabetes UK, two thematic areas have been identified where research is especially needed to help improve services, and are the focus of this funding call. Other areas of interest within each of these themes may be proposed along with suitable justification;
Theme 1: Diabetes and mental health
- evaluation of interventions to improve access and engagement with existing mental health support for people living with diabetes
- evaluation of stepped care models which monitor and manage the mental health of people living with diabetes
- evaluation of innovative models of integrating diabetes and mental health services and teams to support people living with diabetes
- identifying the service-improvement needs, user experience and/or evaluation of tailored interventions for specific under-served communities and vulnerable groups
- what is the optimal model of diabetes care for those living longer term in mental health settings?
Please note, the Programme Grants for Applied Research Programme also has a funding call currently open in partnership with Diabetes UK for research which aims to improve the understanding, prevention and management of diabetes distress. Applicants may also wish to consider the suitability of their research proposal to this NIHR funding call.
Theme 2: Ageing well with diabetes
- how are services to care for older people living with diabetes currently delivered in primary, secondary and social care, both for their diabetes and other conditions?
- how can we optimise and streamline the process and ensure everyone gets the best care that recognises the wide-ranging health and social circumstances, needs, and aspirations of people living with diabetes?
- what resources, training or support might be needed for non-specialist staff in a range of settings e.g. care homes, people’s own homes, community, acute wards and others to better understand and care for older people with diabetes?
- how can access to virtual experts or centres be improved and most effectively provide access to specialist multi-disciplinary team (MDT) expertise for older people living with diabetes and the health and care staff caring for them?
- what are the benefits of models of peer support for older people living with diabetes, both when living independently and when in care?
Please refer to the supporting information document for further detail relating to the background and areas of interest highlighted in this funding call and examples of relevant NIHR studies.
Further information about applying
The Programme expects to fund more than one project addressing research gaps in the areas mentioned above.
Applications addressing other important areas of diabetes related research (not highlighted by the themes mentioned here) are welcomed and can be submitted through the researcher-led workstreams of any of the NIHR Programmes.
This research will complement and add to existing and ongoing work funded by the NIHR and elsewhere in these areas (see the supporting information document for links to relevant NIHR projects).
Equality, diversity and inclusion
The NIHR is committed to actively and openly supporting and promoting equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). All NIHR research proposals need to demonstrate that they have met the requirements of the Equality Act (2010) by embedding EDI throughout their research study, ensuring that there is no discrimination across the following domains: age; disability; race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin); religion or belief; sex; sexual orientation; gender reassignment; being married or in a civil partnership; and being pregnant or on maternity leave. Applicants are expected to pay attention to populations that have been underserved, to conduct research in locations where the need is greatest, and to promote the inclusion of diverse participants.
General guidance
The HSDR Programme supports applied research with the aim of improving both health and social care services across the nation and is open to any appropriate methodological approaches to answer the proposed research question(s); the approach must be fully explained and justified. In order to enhance the success of a research proposal, a clear theory of change and pathway to impact, with links into the NHS and social care services delivery, is suggested. It is useful to consider in the research study design how outcomes could be scaled up to maximise impact and value for money across the NHS and social care services – the focus is on applied research with tangible impacts that improve the quality and organisation of health and social care services. This includes stakeholder engagement and the development of processes, tools and guidelines to strengthen workforce capacity.
Research proposals should be co-produced with national organisations, professional bodies, health and social care service professionals, and service users. Links with health and social care planners and professional bodies are required to ensure impact and scaling up of research findings to benefit the wider health and social care system.
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a significant impact across the health and social care system. As this research may be conducted during the COVID-19 response and recovery period, applicants should consider how the impact of the COVID-19 response and recovery may affect the deliverability of their research.