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Mental health research in Northern England - Round 1 call specification

Contents

Published: 17 May 2021

Version: 1.0 - May 2021

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Summary

  • This call is an important part of the Department of Health and Social Care's ongoing interest in strengthening mental health research in less well supported areas
  • The Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) programme, including the Research for Social Care (RfSC) call, is inviting proposals from eligible research teams to better understand and manage the health and social care consequences of mental health conditions. 
  • We are particularly interested in populations in Northern England where there is a high mental health burden and which has been historically underserved by research activity. Host organisation has to be based in Northern England, however collaborators outside of the North are welcome.
  • The call offers researchers considerable flexibility to focus on any subject area or topic providing that it falls within the Mental Health Call remit.
  • This call is open to researchers at all career stages and standard eligibility rules will apply for both RfPB and RfSC. We are keen to encourage fresh ideas from new researchers and appropriate proposals are welcomed from those with limited research experience (early career researchers) when supported by an experienced, strong and multi-disciplinary team.
  • Our funding decisions are based on a number of criteria including quality, timeliness, potential impact and value for money. 
  • The call is for proposals up to £350,000 for a period of up to 24 months with projects needing to commence in September 2021.
  • Applications are expected to have strong involvement and collaboration with organisations that are responsible for delivering mental health treatment and related social care services e.g local authorities and third sector, where appropriate.
  • This call launches on 01 June 2021 and applicants should submit an expression of interest (EoI) form by 15 June 2021. The submission deadline is on 22 June 2021.
  • A launch event was held on 28 May 2021. Recordings of the event are available on the NIHR Research Design Service North East and North Cumbria website.
  • We will seek further research proposals through a second funding round opening in July, via a highlight notice against RfPB call 46 and a stand alone RfSC call. These calls will have a longer application window, for interested applicants who are unable to meet the timelines of this rapid call.

Call for research proposals addressing mental health problems in Northern England

Mental health problems represent an ever-increasing burden in the UK, to all ages of the population, challenging mental health and health and social care systems. The impact mental health problems can have on individuals and the wider societal and economic consequences is vast and complex and includes increased risk of co-morbid illnesses, social exclusion, socioeconomic disadvantage (e.g. low education, unemployment, poverty or deprivation), loss of productivity, sickness absence and the need for provision of welfare support. The increase of mental health support needs further creates a burden on the resources of local authorities and on social care service sectors. Despite the high prevalence, many populations do not receive the support they need and there are significant inequalities to its access.

Mental health research is an ongoing priority for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and for the NIHR. Much of the current research expertise is concentrated in a small number of geographical locations and the NIHR has ambitions to increase the capacity and capability to conduct mental health research right across the country. This will help to both broaden the research base and also support the drive to see more research conducted in populations with the highest health need.

This call aims to study populations with a high condition burden and which have been historically underserved by research activity or where there is an unmet social care need. There is a mismatch between regional research activities (measured by patient recruitment per 100,000 patients) in mental health and the prevalence of mental health conditions in England in the past 10 years (2010-19; see figure 1 and figure 2).

Analysis of prevalence of common mental health conditions and research activity

The figures and tables below illustrate the mismatch between the level of regional research activity (measured by patient recruitment per 100,000 patients) and prevalence of common mental health conditions in England in the past 10 years (2010-19).

The recruitment per 100,000 prevalence map shows that mental health research activity levels are highest in South London and Thames Valley and South Midlands. However, the weighted prevalence map shows that mental health conditions are most prevalent in Greater Manchester and in the North West Coast.

Recruitment per 100,000 prevalence

This figure and table show where the highest proportion of people with mental health conditions are being recruited into mental health studies. On figure 1, areas of highest recruitment per 100,000 prevalence are shown in dark orange, with the shade becoming paler as recruitment per 100,000 prevalence drops.

Figure 1. Where are the highest proportions of people with common mental health conditions being recruited into mental health studies?

 

Local Clinical Research Network region

Recruitment

Prevalence

Recruitment per 100,000 prevalence

South London

22,101

387,025

57.1

Thames Valley and South Midlands

4,332

222,443

19.5

West Midlands

7,484

568,463

13.2

North West London

2,869

250,377

11.5

Kent, Surrey and Sussex

4,286

426,269

10.1

Yorkshire and Humber

6,145

630,356

9.7

North East and North Cumbria

3,427

383,540

8.9

East Midlands 

3,442

420,127

8.2

Eastern

3,108

418,186

7.4

West of England

1,888

256,886

7.1

North West Coast

2,929

521,317

5.6

Wessex

1,559

289,753

5.4

South West Peninsula

1,251

250,971

5.0

North Thames

2,803

648,839

4.3

Greater Manchester

1,133

430,692

2.6

England total

68,757

6,114,244

11.2

Weighted prevalence per 1,000 population

This figure and table show where common mental health conditions are most prevalent in England in the past 10 years (2010-19). On figure 2, areas of highest prevalence per 1,000 population are shown in dark purple, with the shade becoming paler as prevalence drops.

Figure 2. Where are common mental health conditions most prevalent?

 

 

Local Clinical Research Network region

Prevalence

Adult population

Weighted prevalence (per 1,000 population)

Greater Manchester

430,692

2,146,470

200.7

North West Coast

521,317

2,707,490

192.5

North East and North Cumbria

383,540

2,296,045

167.0

North West London

250,377

1,505,994

166.3

South London

387,025

2,328,617

166.2

North Thames

648,839

3,952,295

164.2

West of England

265,886

1,644,509

161.7

Yorkshire and Humber

630,356

3,971,913

158.7

South West Peninsula

250,971

1,611,110

155.8

Eastern 

418,186

2,704,008

154.7

Wessex

289,753

2,065,847

140.3

West Midlands

568,463

4,088,391

139.0

Thames Valley and South Midlands

222,443

1,637,712

132.9

Kent, Surrey and Sussex

426,269

3,218,657

132.4

East Midlands

420,127

3,236,427

129.8

England total

6,114,244

39,151,485

156.2

Scope

RfPB and RfSC are inviting proposals that address the following research goals: 

  1. Research to halve the number of children and young people experiencing persistent mental health problems.
  2. Research to improve understanding of the links between physical and mental health, and eliminate the mortality gap. 
  3. Research to develop new and improved treatments, interventions, and support for mental health problems. 
  4. Research to improve choice of, and access to, mental health care, treatment, and support in hospital and community settings.

We welcome proposals that in addition seek to address one or more of the following ambitions:

  • Increasing research capacity
  • Increasing research capability
  • Increasing the range of disciplines involved
  • Increasing the range of research settings
  • Increasing collaborations between regional and supra-regional partners
  • Increasing the number of research active clinicians

The call specification draws on priorities identified by the Mental Health Research Goals 2020-2030. More details on each goal’s scope and example areas that the research may address are available on the Academy of Medical Sciences website

Proposals should be within RfPB or RfSC scope and the scope of the Mental Health Call.

Research methods may involve primary research or evidence synthesis, including systematic reviews, modelling studies, or the analysis of existing datasets.

Proposals have to clearly identify the research context of their proposal in terms of recent and currently funded UK and international research in the area and the potential impact of their proposed research for patients, care users, carers, the NHS, and social care. 

Applications should be co-produced with service commissioners, providers, and service users wherever appropriate to better ensure findings are of immediate utility in policy and practice. Applicants may wish to consult the NIHR guidance on co-producing research.

Call details

Eligibility

  • The call is open to researchers at all career stages and standard eligibility rules will apply, as detailed in the RfPB supporting information for applicants. Early career researchers* are encouraged to apply as lead applicants but it is not considered an eligibility requirement. 
  • The host institution is expected to be in the North of England (North East and North Cumbria, North West Coast, Greater Manchester, and Yorkshire and Humber). Research teams will typically be based from within the North but collaborators outside of the North are permitted.
  • Host eligibility will include an NHS body or other provider of NHS services in England (for RfPB) or a Higher Educational Institute (HEI) or local authority for RfSC. Other relevant organisations and authorities are permitted as co-applicants but not necessarily host/lead organisations. Research teams are encouraged to work with relevant charities, which can be involved in proposals as long as a clear rationale is provided and their role is well justified.
  • Participant recruitment to the study must take place from the North of England region and this can be in conjunction with sites located in other regions, where the burden is high. The choice of recruitment regions and sub-localities has to be justified in relation to the size of burden. Applicants are encouraged to use a mapping tool, such as the Research Targeting Tool, to demonstrate how the planned recruitment sites fit with prevalence/burden. The platform is open to anyone who has an NHS email address or University email address
  • Special consideration should be given to the inclusion of socioeconomic factors and other under-served communities that are more affected by mental health problems.

*For this call we consider any researcher who has not yet been the principal investigator for a substantial award (£100,000+) to be an early career researcher.

Funding

Up to £2 million will be available for this call.

The call is for applications up to £350,000 (100% direct costs for NHS and 80% full Economic Cost [fEC] for HEI) for a period of up to 24 months. Detailed information on eligible costs can be found in the RfPB finance guidance.

RfPB operates a tiered funding system, which reflects the likelihood of achieving patient benefit. Each proposal will need to provide a robust case for value for money.

How to apply

ALL applicants are required to submit an Expression of Interest (EoI) form by 15 June 2021, ahead of submitting a full application.

Applicants must submit their application online via the NIHR Research Management System (RMS).

Word versions of the online forms for RfPB and RfSC are available and can be used to assist research teams developing an application. Please note the Word form cannot be submitted as an application. Only applications submitted online via the RMS will be accepted, however information can be copied from the Word template into the online application form.

A launch event was held on 28 May 2021. Recordings of the event are available on the NIHR Research Design Service North East and North Cumbria website.

Evaluation process

Proposals will be reviewed firstly by the NIHR office for fit to scope and eligibility. Eligible applications within scope of the call will then be reviewed by external peer reviewers. These reviews will then be used by an Expert Funding Committee, which will make recommendations on outcome to DHSC. Applicants will not have an opportunity to respond to committee comments in instances where feedback is provided, except where clarifications and/or changes are required as part of the award process.

Key assessment criteria for the submissions will include:

  • Quality of the research proposed
  • Significance and potential benefit to the NHS and its patients and/or social care
  • Value for money provided by the application.

The decisions of the committee will not be open to appeal, and the funders reserve the right to amend the application process.

Key call dates

Activity

Date

Call launch

01 June 2021

EoI submission deadline

15 June 2021

Call close

22 June 2021

Notification of outcome and project start

August/September 2021

Contact information

Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact their local Research Design Service (RDS) for the initial assessment and advice.

For general and scientific queries relating to the call, including queries relating to the administrative process of applying, please contact rfpb@nihr.ac.uk.