NIHR Global Research Professorships Guidance Notes - Round 6

Published: 27 September 2022

Version: 1.0 Sept 2022

Introduction

The vision of the NIHR is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. Since 2015, NIHR’s expertise is also being used to address issues affecting people in low and middle income countries (LMICs).

The effective translation of research into practice in LMICs remains a high priority. Research leadership gaps exist at two key stages in the innovation pathway; firstly, in translating new fundamental discoveries into improved treatments for patients/service users, and improvements in public health and care; and secondly, in evaluating promising ideas to drive into routine clinical and care practice.

In order to address this, the NIHR is making available a limited number of prestigious NIHR Global Research Professorships. The objective of these awards is to fund leaders in the early part of their careers to lead research and to strengthen health, public health and care research leadership at the highest academic levels.

Up to five NIHR Global Research Professorships will be available in this sixth round.

Each award will consist of a package to support a professorship, including support post appointments, research running costs, a travel fund, a leadership and development programme, including access to the NIHR Leadership Programme, the opportunity to request a sabbatical and the basic salary costs of the individual.

NIHR Remit

All research funded by the NIHR as part of a training award managed by the NIHR Academy must fall within the following remit:

The overall remit of the NIHR is early translational (experimental medicine), clinical and applied health research, and social care research.
NIHR does not support basic research or work involving animals or their tissue.
If the work involves biomarkers:

research that tests whether application of new knowledge can improve treatment or patient outcomes, and has obvious direct potential benefit, is within remit; this might include application of known biomarkers, or other prognostic factors, to refine and test novel therapeutic strategies
research that aims only to elucidate mechanisms underpinning disease, or identify risk factors for disease or prognosis (including search for biomarkers) is out of remit.

Eligibility

NIHR Global Research Professorships

This scheme is open to all professions employed by:

Higher Education Institute (HEI) or Research Institutes in low and middle income countries who are already partners in NIHR Global Health Research funded Units, Groups, Global Health Policy and Systems Research (GHPSR) and Research and Innovation for Global Health Transformation (RIGHT) programmes and previous rounds of NIHR Global Research Professorship. The full list of eligible LMIC organisations is available on the NIHR website.
All Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) based in the UK (England and the Devolved Administrations).

Host organisations can nominate health, public health and social care researchers and methodologists with an outstanding research record of clinical and applied health, public health or care research and its effective translation for improved health and welfare of people in LMICs. For this scheme, the partner organisation(s) can be based in a relevant LMIC. The nominating (lead) organisation must be on the list of eligible LMIC HEIs or Research Institutes or a UK HEI.

A maximum of two nominations will be permitted per HEI or Research Institute for the NIHR Global Research Professorships.

The NIHR Global Research Professorship is funded by Official Development Assistance (ODA) and as such, any nomination must be for a candidate undertaking research which aims to directly and primarily benefit patients and the public in countries on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee List of ODA Recipients (OECD DAC list).

The following conditions apply:

Where two nominees are put forward for consideration for the NIHR Global Research Professorship, at least one of these must be female;
Where only one nominee is put forward for consideration for the NIHR Global Research Professorship, this could be male or female.
The applications must fulfil ODA eligibility criteria with the research focussed on people in LMICs. Applications must demonstrate:

Which country or countries on the OECD DAC list of ODA eligible countries will directly benefit;
How the application is directly and primarily relevant to the development challenges of those countries; and
How the outcomes will promote the health and welfare of a country or countries on the OECD DAC list.

Where researchers wish to work with middle-income countries on the OECD DAC list the application should demonstrate how the research will benefit the health and welfare of the poorest and/or most vulnerable groups of people in those countries and how their findings could have wider applicability to other low-income countries.

Support will be available for any field of applied global health, public health and care that meets the NIHR Remit and ODA eligibility criteria outlined above, however, we particularly encourage multidisciplinary applications addressing under-funded and/or under-researched areas which could have a significant impact on mortality and/or morbidity in LMICs.

Research can be conducted in the UK or LMIC(s), providing the research outputs are of direct and primary relevance to the health and care challenges of LMICs. It is expected that in the vast majority of NIHR Global Research Professorship nominees undertaking research in a LMIC will be a primary component of the proposal. Funds for research activity taking place in LMICs will need to be routed through the lead HEI or Research Institute at which the nominee is employed.

NIHR Global Research Professorship nominees will be required to have existing strong collaborations or links with collaborators or partners in institutions in countries on the OECD DAC list in which they plan to conduct research. The award should plan to strengthen these and where relevant support training and capacity development/mentorship in these partners.

General

It is recommended that nominating HEI or Research Institute undergo an internal selection process to prioritise which candidates to take forward for nomination. If more than two applications are submitted, the host institution will be instructed to prioritise two and the others will be removed from the process.

Competitive candidates will demonstrate a steep career trajectory over the last 5-10 years (taking in to account any relevant breaks in employment such as statutory leave), on course to becoming an outstanding research leader.

For candidates applying from the UK, they will have spent no more than five years at their current level of seniority at the time of application (whether as a Professor, Reader, Senior Lecturer/Fellow, Clinician Scientist, Group Leader or similar). We will take into account any relevant breaks in employment such as statutory leave and will also consider personal circumstances that have impacted on career progression. If you have a query regarding your circumstances and the eligibility then please contact the NIHR Academy on academy-awards@nihr.ac.uk.

For candidates applying from a LMIC, they can be a Professor, Reader, Senior Lecturer/Fellow, Clinician Scientist, Group Leader or similar but they should have spent no more than five years as a Professor at the time of application. We will take into account any relevant breaks in employment such as statutory leave and will also consider personal circumstances that have impacted on career progression. If you have a query regarding your circumstances and the eligibility then please contact the NIHR Academy on academy-awards@nihr.ac.uk.

Nominees at/close to the Professorial level should be qualified for a Professorship within the coming few years or recently have been appointed as a Professor (full Professor, not Associate or Assistant). They should not already be established leaders in their field, but be on an upward trajectory to become leaders after the period of the award.

NIHR Senior Investigators are not eligible to apply as they are considered to be already beyond the scope of this scheme.

Nominees should be working in the fields of experimental medicine, public health, health services research, social care research or methodological research. They should have a demonstrable record in effective translation of research into improved health, public health or adult social care.

Nominees who were unsuccessful in previous rounds of the NIHR Research Professorships or NIHR Global Research Professorships schemes, will be eligible to be re-nominated by the HEI or Research Institute, if they meet the criteria.

Applications would be particularly welcomed in this round from a broad range of clinical and non-clinical professional backgrounds including public health and social care.

We have previously received applications from some public health, social care and non-medically qualified healthcare professions; however these numbers have been small and we would like to see these increase. These include, but are not restricted to:

Health economists, medical statisticians, methodologists, epidemiologists, nurses, midwives, allied health professionals (speech & language therapists, occupational therapists etc.), dentists, health care scientists, social workers, social care staff, social scientists, non-medical public health practitioners, clinical psychologists, analytical chemists, anthropologists, pharmacists, research scientists, nutritionists, medical physicists, medical engineers, radiographers, bio-mechanical engineers, bio-statisticians and bio-informatics.

For those not directly involved in delivering clinical, public health or care services, you will need to demonstrate how you will link with clinical, public health or care practice colleagues in order to deliver your research for the benefit of patients, public health or adult social care users.

Scope of funding

NIHR Global Research Professorships are personal awards and are not project or programme grants; therefore, extensions to the duration of awards to allow for completion of research and/or leadership and development are not permitted. This doesn't affect suspensions of awards to allow for periods of maternity, paternity, adoption or sickness leave for the Professor only.

NIHR Global Research Professorships are fixed term 5 year appointments (a maximum of 60 months).

Nominees may undertake the award on a part-time basis; this should be discussed with the NIHR Academy before submission of the application. Global Research Professorships are awarded for a maximum duration of 5 years, whether full time or part time.

The award will consist of a package to support a professorship, support posts, research running costs, a travel fund, access to the NIHR Leadership Programme, the opportunity to request a sabbatical, as well as the basic salary costs of the individual (plus indirect costs, for the host organisation, if applicable).

The full cost of a clinical trial will not be met by this award; nominees must seek grant funding from elsewhere to cover these costs.

Nominee

NIHR Global Research Professorships

The majority of NIHR Global Research Professors’ time will be spent on research; however a continuing link with service delivery will be an essential part of leading research translation, pulling through ideas into the clinical, public health or adult social care arena.

NIHR Global Research Professors will be funded to spend up to 2 sessions per week delivering services directly in the relevant LMIC or have relevant collaborations which can be supported to fulfil this. Equally, if the nominee is not a health professional, an equivalent time collaborating with others to facilitate service delivery in the relevant LMIC.

The nominee should make clear how support for service delivery will be maintained alongside the research commitment.

The award will release the NIHR Global Research Professor from all local and regional administrative and managerial roles.

Support Posts

Typically, three support posts are available to accompany the Professorships. We appreciate that the team required for the Global Research Professor will vary depending on the local research community and may be a mixture of post doctoral, doctoral and pre-doctoral posts. We have provided an example below of support posts for reference. It is also an option for successful applicants to review the requested support posts at the point of award. In any case, applicants are advised to speak to NIHR Academy for guidance if they are unsure what would be appropriate.

Post-Doctoral post (5 years)
This post will be available for the full 5 year period of the Professorship and attracts a £3,000 contribution towards training and development, including conference costs. Where employed by an LMIC HEI or Research Institute where full economic costing does not apply NIHR will fund the salary for this post at 100%. Where employed by a UK HEI, the post will be funded at 80%as it attracts full economic costing.
Post-Doctoral post (3 years)
This post is only available for 3 years within the 5 year period of the Professorship. NIHR will only fund the salary for this post (Basic + National Insurance + Superannuation); however this will be at 100%, as this post does not attract full economic costing. The post does not attract any project costs nor training and development costs from NIHR.
Doctoral Post (3 years)
This post is only available for 3 years within the 5 year period of the Professorship. NIHR will only fund the salary for this post (Basic + National Insurance + Superannuation); however this will be at 100%, as this post does not attract full economic costing. The post does not attract any project costs nor training and development costs from NIHR. If a Doctoral support post is requested then a contribution to PhD fees should also be included in the costs for this post; For UK based posts, these are capped at the UKRI rates, which are currently set at £4,596 pa. For LMIC based posts, full PhD fees will be funded. In cases where the application includes LMIC student fees at a High Income Country (HIC) institution (often charged at higher rates for international students), it is expected that the Lead Applicant will negotiate with the HIC institution for reduced fees for the LMIC candidate to bring them in line with those paid by nationals. Application for funding should show evidence of fees being reduced. NIHR would require justification where only partial or no LMIC student fee reductions have been achieved.

All of the above posts, including any associated funding, will terminate with the end of the Professorship, therefore early recruitment is recommended. Should any of the appointments extend beyond the fixed 5 year term of the Professorship, including for statutory reasons (maternity/paternity, adoption or sick leave), the nominating organisation will be expected to continue to provide ongoing support.

The NIHR Global Research Professor must have an employment contract that is maintained and managed through the host HEI or Research Institute, however they do not have to be based at the host HEI or Research Institute.

Staff normally employed in a partner organisation to the nominating HEI or Research Institute would require a sub-contract or collaboration agreement between the host and partner organisations.

Where staff will be based remotely from the NIHR Global Research Professor for significant periods of time, whether in a UK or an LMIC HEI or Research Institute, appropriate provision must be set out to ensure sufficient support and supervision.

NIHR Global Research Professors can travel overseas for field work, collaboration and to ensure support and supervision. Support staff may also travel overseas where there is a clear rationale and research need for them to do so. A clear case for how this contributes to their own capacity building should also be defined.

All such options or proposals must be justified in the application from a scientific, career development and finance perspective.

Leadership & Development

The award may also be used in part to meet the costs associated with continuing national and international research leadership and collaboration. As such, other opportunities for international collaboration, such as sabbaticals, may be considered as part of this award, provided that it is justified and relevant. NIHR will consider requests on a case by case basis.

Part of the proposed leadership and development will include mentorship. We believe that senior academic mentoring is vital to allow the development of the nominee as a research leader. In this context, the mentoring role will encompass providing the nominee with support throughout the Professorship in both their (the nominee’s) research endeavours and their overall career development. You will be required to name a minimum of 1 and maximum of 4 named mentors in the Leadership & Development and Research Support section of the application.

Nominating Institutions

Awards will be made by NIHR to the lead HEI or Research Institute within the partnership, as the employing organisation of the Global Research Professor.

Nominations can only be made by eligible LMIC HEI or Research Institute and UK based HEIs (in England and the Devolved Administrations). If the host is a UK HEI then the application should make clear the arrangements with partner organisation(s) which will enable the nominee to work with service providers to translate research into practice in LMICs.

Nominating organisations must demonstrate in specific detail within their application a commitment to the ongoing employment of the nominee beyond the duration of the award. The NIHR Academy will require assurances from the nominating partnership that any existing funds freed up by the award will be recycled to increase research capacity for the Professorship.

In order to address this, host institutions will need to answer the relevant questions in the Leadership & Development and Research Support section and clearly document out how the salary costs will be recycled and what additional support will be provided that will directly benefit the applicant. This will be used as part of the evaluation process and should the Selection Committee deem the support for the nominee to be insufficient, then it is highly unlikely that an award will be made.

By the end of the 5 years of the award, NIHR Global Research Professors will be expected to:

Have demonstrated leadership at a national level;
Have been developed and protected by their institutions, including being relieved of onerous administrative tasks at the local and regional level so that they can concentrate on their Professorship.
Enhance existing collaborations with institutions in LMICs and establish at least two new major international collaborations.
Support training and capacity development/mentorship within LMIC and UK (if applicable) institutions that enhances research capacity for global health and care.

Transfer to a new host institution

The Award Holder may request to transfer their NIHR Global Research Professorship to another eligible institution; however it is not permissible to move within the first 12 months of the award term.

Award holders should contact the NIHR Academy in the first instance when considering a move to another institution.

Clear justification for the transfer to the new host institution will be required.

Specifically, Award Holders may move for the following reasons:

For research purposes;
Where the host institution has been deemed not to have delivered the levels of support agreed, as outlined within the statement of support section of the application.

Permission to transfer the award will be required from the NIHR Academy.

Such a move carries the expectation that the new proposed institution will make an ongoing commitment to the award holder and as such will be required to submit a new statement of support to the NIHR Academy.

Eligible Research

NIHR supports early translational, clinical and applied health research, public health and care research. The proposal must have clear potential for benefiting patients, public health and care users and carers in LMICs. The research can involve: patients, the public, care users and/or carers; and/or their samples or data; populations; health technology assessment; or health services research.

Please note that NIHR Global Research Professorships do not support basic research or work involving animals or their tissue. Any applications involving these areas of work going forward will be deemed ineligible.

Application Procedure

Timetable

Applications must be submitted to the NIHR Academy using the online application system by Thursday 1 December 2022 at 1.00pm (GMT).

All submissions via the online application system must be in English.

28 September 2022 Round 6 applications open

1 December 2022 Closing date for applications

December 2022– February 2023 Assessment of eligible applications by Selection Committee

February 2023 Shortlisting for external peer review

March 2023 – May 2023 External peer review

June 2023 (exact dates TBC) Interviews – Venue TBC

If interviews are face to face then costs of return travel from the applicant’s usual place of work to the interview by the most direct and economic route will be reimbursed.

Assessment of Applications and Outcome

Applications will be considered by a Selection Committee.

The NIHR Academy will inform nominees as soon as possible after a final decision has been taken on their application following eligibility checks and shortlisting.

Nominees who are interviewed will usually be notified of the decision as soon as possible after funding arrangements have been confirmed.

The Selection Committee’s recommendations will be considered by the Chief Scientific Adviser for the UK Department of Health and Social Care to inform funding decisions.

NIHR Global Research Professorships cannot be deferred.

Start Dates

Successful nominees will be expected to start their award on one of the following dates only:

1 October 2023;
1 November 2023; or
1 December 2023.

Assessment Criteria

All applications are assessed on the following criteria:

The likelihood that the nominee will make a long-term contribution to translational research, capacity building and research leadership in their chosen field in the OECD DAC list country or countries in which they are working;
The outputs from and impact of research undertaken to date;
The success of the nominee in securing funds for their research to date;
Demonstration of a steep career trajectory to date over the last 5-10 years;
The projected impact of the NIHR Global Research Professorship on the nominee’s career and future research trajectory;
The quality of the proposed research programme and the likelihood of it securing future external funding;
The suitability of the proposed partnership between the HEI and main partner organisation for the development of the Global Research Professor;
The commitment of the proposed host institution to support the nominee in the short, medium and long term and commitment of the provider to empowering promotion of translation at a local level;
The strategic significance and value of the nominee and their research to the host institution at a local and national level;
The appropriateness of resources claimed and whether the total funding requested represents good value for the use of public/NIHR funds;
Demonstration as to how and why a specific issue or discipline has been identified for research as an LMIC priority area and unmet need (which may include engagement with relevant stakeholders e.g. policy makers, practitioners, patients, service users, carers), and how the research programme and partnerships will address this;
ThefulfilmentofODA eligibility criteria:
- Will the research directly benefit a country or countries on the OECD DAC list of ODA eligible countries?
- Is the proposal directly and primarily relevant to the development challenges of this country/these countries?
- Could the proposal’s outcomes promote the health and welfare of a country or countries from the OECD DAC list of ODA eligible countries?
Where researchers wish to work with/in middle-income countries on the OECD DAC list the application should demonstrate how the research will benefit the health and welfare of the poorest and/or most vulnerable groups of people in those countries and how their findings could have wider applicability to other low-income countries.
A strong track record in global health, public health or social care, and evidence of relevant and substantive LMIC collaborations and partnerships to support the application. Evidence of input by collaborators to the content and design of the proposed research programme, and an outline of how they will be equitably engaged throughout implementation, analysis, reporting and dissemination.
Evidence of the host organisation(s) commitment to creating and maintaining an inclusive and supportive research culture, including evidence of commitment to the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion and research integrity.

Registering, Completing and Submitting the Application

Registering

Please use our online application system to complete and submit your application.

Before you can start an application you will be required to register on the system. You will be asked to supply a valid email address and to complete some basic information. Once this has been submitted you will receive an email confirming your registration and a temporary password. You should follow the instructions in the email to log onto the system.

Once signed into the system you will be able to update various details including your CV (in ‘manage my details’) and apply for any open applications. To start an application you will need to go to ‘My Applications’ and select ‘New Application’. You should then select the level of fellowship you wish to apply for from the list provided.

After answering all the eligibility questions you will be able to start completing the online form. Please make sure you read all available guidance text including this document as well as any online instructions thoroughly whilst you are completing the form.

Completing and submitting the form

Applicant:

You will need to complete all of the mandatory sections of the form and enter under the ‘Participants and Signatories’ section the names and contact details of participants and signatories. Once all other parties have made their contribution, you will be required to ‘Submit’ the application to the signatories for final sign off before the closing date. Please note that you will need to read and be aware of the roles of participants and signatories as described in these guidance notes.

You will only be able to press the ‘Submit’ button, which will send the application for final sign off by the signatories when:

all mandatory sections of the application form are complete;
all participants have agreed to be part of your application;
the signatories have agreed to their role;
the nominating HEI or Research Institute and partner organisations have completed the Support Statement sections.

Please note; when completing the application form, you are advised to validate your application as you go. You will find a Validation Summary button in the left hand menu. This section will detail any points within your application that are either incomplete or incorrect. Failing to validate your answers may result in you being unable to submit your application by the required deadline.

Participants:

You are required to supply the names and email addresses (if not already registered on the ARAMIS application system) of the individuals who will be undertaking ‘participant’ roles as part of your application. Everyone named in this section will be acting as a ‘participant’ to your application and will need to agree to be part of this application. Participants are required to review the declaration for the role before confirming participation as part of the one-click ‘confirm’ process.

By confirming participation, participants are acknowledging their involvement and input into this application and agree to be involved in it before it is submitted. You must ensure all participants are happy for your application to be submitted before submitting it on the online system. Details of the individuals who will be required to approve your application after submission (signatories) should be entered in the ‘Participants & Signatories' section. Please note it is often the case that one or more of the participants named in this section are also named in the "Participants and Signatories" section of the form.

Required Participants

Research Support: The individual(s) providing Research Support (mentorship) must confirm that they have read the application and the guidance notes and are willing to act as your mentor for research and career development and agree to abide by the conditions under which an award may be granted.
Host Organisation Administrative Authority or Finance Officer: The Administrative Authority or Finance Officer for the employing host must confirm that they will ensure the
accuracy of the financial details of the application and that the host organisation is prepared to carry out this research at the stated costs and to administer the award if made.

Signatories

You are required to supply the names and email addresses (if not already registered on the ARAMIS application system) of the individuals who will be ‘signing off’ your application. Once their contact details have been entered, the signatories will be invited to log into the system and confirm their participation. Details of what is required and expected of each of the roles can be found below.

Signatories will be required to agree to the role being asked of them in the application before the application is submitted by the applicant, and then approve the final version of the application after it has been submitted via the online system, i.e. all signatories must have agreed to participate and complete their sections before the applicant is able to press the SUBMIT button and send the application for signatory approvals. Signatories must approve the application after the applicant has selected the SUBMIT option but BEFORE the application submission deadline. The final signatory approval will result in the application being fully submitted to the NIHR. All parties (applicant, participants and signatories) will be notified of this via an automated system generated email.

Required Signatories

Lead Signatory of HEI/Research Institute: You will be required to include the Lead Signatory from your employing host organisation. They must confirm that they support this application and that, if funded, the research and training will be supported and administered in the named organisation and that the applicant for whom they are responsible will undertake this work. As such, the Lead Signatory will be required to complete questions in the ‘Leadership & Development and Research Support’ section of the application.
Senior Representative of Main Partner Organisation: You will be required to include a representative from your main partner organisation. They must confirm that they support this application. They will be required to complete the section in the ‘Leadership & Development and Research Support’ section of the application that refers to support from the main partner organisation.

NIHR will not accept any applications unless fully approved by your signatories prior to the 1pm (GMT) deadline on Thursday 1 December 2022, no exceptions will be made.

Application Submission Process - Flow Diagram

Outlined are the steps for submitting an application. The applicant starts the application and adds participant and signatory details. The participants and signatories can then log in and confirm their participation and signatories can complete the sections of the form as directed. The applicant can continue entering data and completes all relevant sections of the form (step 3). The applicant then presses the ‘Submit’ button. Once the applicant submits, signatories will receive automated emails to approve the application. However, automated ‘out of office’ replies to these emails will not be relayed to the applicant. Once all signatories have approved the application, it is automatically submitted to NIHR for consideration. Rejection of the application by any individual at this stage will return the application to step 3.

Application Form Guidance

1. Application Summary Information

Host Organisation

Please give details of the organisation who will be the contractor if the award is funded. Please note that this must be an:
HEI or Research Institute in an LMIC on the list of eligible organisations, or:
HEI in England or the Devolved Administrations.

Please note that we expect the applicant’s proposed host organisation (substantive employer) to act as the contractor.

Please also bear in mind that:

The contractor is expected to respond to quarterly financial reconciliation exercises, provide the final financial reconciliation statement for the award and to provide ad hoc requests for financial information during the lifetime of the award.
In the same way, the contractor is expected to respond to any queries relating to Intellectual Property, commercialisation and benefit realisation.

If the name of your host organisation does not appear in the pre-populated list please email academy-awards@nihr.ac.uk. It can take up to three working days to add an organisation so this should be done as early as possible to avoid any delays in the application process.

Partner Organisation (where applicable)

Please give details of the main partner organisation who will be supporting this application (for which a signatory will be required). If the name of your main partner organisation does not appear in the pre-populated list please email academy-awards@nihr.ac.uk. It can take up to three working days to add an organisation so this should be done as early as possible to avoid any delays in the application process.

You can also list other relevant partner organisations but a signatory is only required for the main partner organisation.

Research Title

The programme title should state clearly and concisely the proposed research. Any abbreviations should be spelled out in full.

Research Type

Select the appropriate research type. If you are not sure which category to select, choose the closest match to your project as this can be adjusted later. NIHR definitions of these terms can be found on the Glossary.

Proposed Start Date

Note this should be from 1st of the month regardless of whether this is a working day or not. Please be realistic about your possible start date taking account of the necessary contracting, and staff recruitment prior to starting your project.

WTE of Award

Awards can only be undertaken with the WTE options given. Global Research Professorships can only be undertaken over 60 months.

2. Applicant CV

Please note some of the responses to these questions are automatically pulled through from information you have entered in the ’Manage My Details’ page.

Degrees and Professional Qualifications

Please give the full details of any completed higher degree(s) and, where relevant, the full details of any higher degree(s) you are currently undertaking.

Present and previous positions

When entering details of your current and previous positions please indicate at what percentage (WTE) in each post you were undertaking research. For example, if you were a Clinical Lecturer and undertook research for 2.5 days a week and clinical or teaching/administrative work for 2.5 days per week; please enter 50% for that position. If you have worked part time at 60%, and undertook research for half of that time, please enter 30% for that position.

Research grants held

Details of all grants obtained in the last five years should be provided, including personal research training awards or fellowships, plus any additional previous grants relevant to this application. Please indicate clearly any co-applicants and provide brief details of the nature and full extent of your involvement (e.g. project design, project management, day to day running, data collection, data analysis, writing papers for publication, etc.).

Please also include in the ‘Role in Research Grant’ box for each entry: registration number and name of registry and the DOI of the main related publication. Where the study is still ongoing or final results have not yet been published, please provide an estimated publication date. This is in line with the NIHR policy on clinical trial registration and disclosure of results.

These details relate to the nominee only. Information on the grants/awards held by the nominating institutions is no longer required.

Please note that your research grant record must be completed within the application form and not via the CV section on ARAMIS.

Publication Record

Please download and complete the word template from the NIHR Global Research Professorships webpage. Please do not list all publications in the ‘Manage My Details: Update CV’ section.

Peer Reviewed Publication Summary

Please provide details of the most significant 20 original, peer-reviewed publications that would be of relevance to this application from the last 5 years. Please list in date order, with the most recent first. No additional rows may be added to this table. If more than 20 publications are listed in this section, only the first 20 will be taken into account. The Selection Committee assesses each publication on its merits, particularly in relation to patient, service user, carer or public benefit. Different disciplines vary in the journals that they use and journal impact factors will only form a part of the assessment.

Publication – please state the publication title.
Journal – please state the journal that the output was published in.
Year – please state the year published.
Current Journal Impact factor – given that these change, please list the most current Impact factor for the journal listed.
Number of Citations – please list the number of times that the publication has been cited.
Source of Citation Information – please state where you obtained the citation information from for each publication, e.g. Scopus, Google Scholar etc.
Number of authors – please list the total number of authors associated with the publication.
Key Authorship Position – please state your authorship position for each publication, e.g. first, last or corresponding author.
Interdisciplinary research – please choose either yes or no from the drop down list.
URL – please provide the web link to the journal (where available).

Other significant publications or outputs

Please provide details of any other significant publications, outputs or products that would be of relevance to this application, which provide evidence of influence and leadership in the nominee’s field. Items in this section should include the following headings (where appropriate):

Books and/or book chapters;
Papers in conference proceedings;
Research reports to government departments, charities, the voluntary sector, professional bodies, industry or commerce;
Monographs;
Intellectual Property (patents, patent applications or other forms of IP);
Other applied research outputs (new materials, software packages, images and devices, research derived from development, analysis and interpretation of bio-informatic databases, work published in non-print media, Cochrane reviews and NICE Guidelines) or equivalent for Global Health such as WHO SAGE.

Please complete the overall summary tables at the start of this section. Please state whether you have used Web of Science, Google Scholar or Scopus as the source of the information. Please do not use any other system.

Once completed, please upload onto the online application system. If you do not upload the publications document your application will be deemed to be incomplete and will not be processed.

Relevant Prizes, Awards and other Academic Distinctions

Please provide details of any awards or distinctions that would be relevant to your application including details of what the award was for.

ORCiD

The NIHR is an ORCID member and encourages all researchers to obtain this persistent digital identifier that distinguishes you from every other researcher. Lead applicants must include an ORCID iD in their application. Without it, your application will not be validated and you will not be able to submit. For more information and to register please see the ORCID website.

3. Applicant Research Background

Professional background

Select the one option which best describes your professional group. This will determine the options that appear below for your professional background.

Please describe your research career to date - 1000 word limit

Please use this question to describe your research experience and career to date and how this makes you suitable for this award. The following items should be included, however please note that this is not an exhaustive list:

Track record of research and its translation;
Track record of driving collaboration and partnership in research
Contributions towards research leadership;
Developing translational research capability;
Track record in training researchers;
Previous involvement of patients/service users, carers and public in research.

Please do not duplicate any information that will be included within the Detailed Research Plan section. Please do not include any web links, as they will be disregarded by the Selection Committee.

The option to upload one document for this section is only for the inclusion of charts, diagrams, tables and images that relate to the text in this section. Any other information/documents uploaded here will be removed. The document must be in either Word or PDF format.

Please do not leave this section blank on the online system in order to upload a document with text and images combined, as this will be removed and your application will be deemed incomplete.

Impact of Professorship

Please describe the impact this Professorship will have on your career, noting that this should provide you with a step change in your career trajectory.

Has this application been previously submitted to this or any other funding body? 500 word limit

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to indicate whether this or a similar application has previously been submitted to this or any other funding body. This must include any previous submissions for an NIHR research training award, even if the proposed research has changed. Please detail the title of any previous submission(s), the funding body and scheme, the outcome and the date this is due if a decision is pending. If the application was unsuccessful please indicate why and detail how this application differs from previous submission(s) and how any feedback received has been used to inform this application.

Mitigating Factors - 500 word limit

Please use this question to detail any mitigating factors you wish to make the Selection Committee aware of. NIHR wants to know about any circumstances so that they may take them into consideration during the assessment of your application. Mitigating factors may include:

Career breaks due to parental leave, or periods of illness.
Reduced time spent undertaking research due to a disability or caring responsibilities. This could include any physical or mental difficulty that may have impacted your research career. These are situations that have a significant impact on your ability to undertake research.
Reduced opportunities to career support e.g. mentorship, and limited opportunities to undertake prior research and training, for example due to high levels of administrative and teaching responsibilities.

Please also use this section to detail any other factors that may have impacted your research career not listed in the examples provided. The impact on your career to date will be specific to your particular circumstances but could include such impacts as limited opportunities to obtain grant funding, or fewer publications. In general terms, mitigating factors should be significant, and relevant.

NIHR acknowledges that you may be reluctant, or uncomfortable disclosing relevant information that is sensitive. However, you should bear in mind that that we are unable to take into account factors that you do not disclose. Please be assured that information provided by you is sensitive and will be treated confidentially and in line with General Data and Protection Regulations (GDPR).

4. Plain English Summary of Research

The importance of a plain English summary - 600 word limit

A plain English summary is a clear explanation of your research.

Many reviewers use this summary to inform their review of your funding application. They include clinicians, practitioners and researchers who do not have specialist knowledge of your field as well as members of the public. If your application for funding is successful, the summary will be used on NIHR and other websites.

A good quality plain English summary providing an easy to read overview of your whole study will help:

those carrying out the review (reviewers and board and Selection Committee members) to have a better understanding of your research proposal;
inform others about your research such as members of the public, health and care professionals, policy makers and the media;
the research funders to publicise the research that they fund.

If it is felt that your plain English summary is not clear and of a good quality then you may be required to amend it prior to final funding approval.

It is helpful to involve patients/service users, practitioners, carers and members of the public in developing a plain English summary.

Content

When writing your summary consider including the following information where appropriate:

aim(s) of the research;
background to the research;
design and methods used;
patient and public involvement/community engagement and involvement;
dissemination.

The plain English summary is not the same as a scientific abstract - please do not cut and paste this or other sections of your application form to create the plain English summary.

For further information on writing in plain English take a look at our guidance for Plain English summaries.

5. Scientific Abstract - 500 word limit

The scientific abstract should be a clear and concise scientific summary of the Detailed Research Plan / Methods.

The following is a list of potential elements / headings that might be included depending on the design of the proposed research, the setting and programme being applied to, and whether it is for primary research or evidence synthesis. It will be for researchers to decide the appropriate elements to be included in the scientific abstract and could include elements outside this list. Applicants may find the guidance on the EQUATOR Network website useful.

Research question
Background
Aims and objectives
Methods
Timelines for delivery
Anticipated impact and dissemination

6. Detailed Research Plan - 5000 word limit

Using the headings (in the order presented) and guidance below, please use this section to clearly explain your proposed research. As this is the main part of your application detailing your proposal which will be considered by the Selection Committee you should ensure that the information is accurate, succinct and clearly laid out.

The NIHR expects appropriate and relevant involvement of patients, service users, carers and the public and other key stakeholders in the research it supports. It is essential to set out your plans to involve patients/service users, carers and the public in this application. Your patient and public involvement/community engagement and involvement plans will be assessed by the Selection Committee including patient and public members.

In this section it is important that you identify all stakeholders who are relevant to your research proposal. For each stakeholder group you need to be clear about how they benefit from your proposed research and, where appropriate, how they have been involved in the development of the application, as well as the plans for their involvement in the proposed research.

There is no standard model for appropriate community engagement and involvement for NIHR Global Research Professorships, however, you will need to explain why your approach is appropriate for the proposed research, outline who will be involved and why. You may find it helpful to refer to Mesh: a collaborative open-access web space that provides resources, encourages networking and shares good practice to bridge the gap between the research community and the general public in LMICs.

Guidance for applicants on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for study participants:

Every person eligible to take part in research should be offered the same opportunity of taking part in that research regardless of:

Age
Disability
Gender reassignment
Marriage and civil partnership
Pregnancy and maternity
Ethnicity
Religion or belief
Sex
Sexual orientation
Geographical location
Socioeconomic status
Access to health or social care

Applicants should demonstrate how these factors have been considered and addressed in their proposal, including steps taken to ensure the research sample is representative of the population the study is targeted at. Applicants need to explain who they are planning to recruit to ensure inclusivity of study participants and justify and explain any exclusions, for example by completing an Equality Impact Assessment. Additionally, applicants should demonstrate that all potential recruiting locations have been considered and the research is deliverable to those areas.

Find out more about how NIHR is promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in research

Format of the Detailed Research Plan

In this section, you are required to provide details of your future research and translational plans over the 5 year time period. Please include a case for how an NIHR Global Research Professorship would enable you to make a significantly increased contribution towards translation into practice and developing translational research capability.

Please note that NIHR Global Research Professorships are aimed at those undertaking translational research and do not support basic research or work involving animals or their tissue. Any applications involving these areas of work going forward will be deemed ineligible.

Please do not replicate any information that has already been included within this application form.

Contribution to, or collaboration with, service

The nominee should make clear how support for service delivery will be maintained alongside the research commitment.

Please detail the projected impact that the Professorship will have on your career and research trajectory. Please note that by the end of the 5 years of the award, NIHR Global Research Professors will be expected to:

Have demonstrated leadership at a national level;
Have been developed and protected by their institutions, including being relieved of administrative tasks at the local and regional level so that they can concentrate on their Professorship.
Enhance existing collaborations with institutions in host or partner LMICs and establish at least two new major international collaborations.
Support training and capacity development/mentorship within LMIC and UK (if applicable) institutions that enhances research capacity for global health and care.

Please do not include any web links in the application, as they will be disregarded by the Selection Committee.

Please do not leave this section blank on the online system in order to upload a document with text and images combined, as this will be removed and your application will be deemed incomplete.

The research programme should have clear patient benefit within the lifetime of, or shortly after the completion of, the award. All implementation plans need to be clearly defined and a Gantt chart setting out what will be achieved and when should be included within the uploaded document for this section.

If including a feasibility study, it has been deemed appropriate by the Selection Committee to expect the nominee to undertake and complete this within the duration of the 5 years of the award (ideally within 1 year) and then move the research forward.

1. What is the problem being addressed?

Provide a clear explanation of the health or care problem to be addressed, the impact on patients/service users, carers as well as health and care services, and how this research would fill a demonstrable evidence gap.

2. Why is this research important in terms of improving the health and/or wellbeing of the public and/or to patients/service users, carers and health and care services?

It is essential that you clearly identify the health and care need your research meets or contributes to. Please outline the anticipated value or contribution the study will provide.

3. Review of existing evidence - How does the existing literature support this proposal?

Explain why this research is needed now, both in terms of time and relevance. We will only fund primary research where the proposed research is informed by a review of the existing evidence.

4. What is the research question / aims and objectives?

Please summarise the research question / key aims and objectives.

5. Project Plan

Provide an expert description of the project plan of investigation plus any additional points required to support statements made in the previous sections, and include any key references required to justify the points made (e.g. in the use of particular outcome measures or methods of analysis). You should include where applicable; study design, justification of sample size, selection and exclusion criteria, methods of data collection and analysis, and justification for your choice of methodology.

Summary of patients/service users/carers/public as research participants: The successful recruitment and retention of study participants is strategically important for the NIHR. If your proposed study involves patients/service users/carers/public as research participants please use the following bullet points to summarise their characteristics and what would be expected of them throughout the research project lifecycle. The potential burden on study participants can then be understood as well as whether or not the proposed strategies are practical, inclusive and feasible. Please also signpost to where further information on these points can be found in the detailed research plan and application.

Points to cover:

Inclusion and exclusion criteria to help ensure that certain groups were not being excluded without justification
Recruitment method and consent process to ensure it is practical and fair
Type and content of participant information materials
Overview of research methods to capture data from participants and their frequency e.g. questionnaires/tests/intervention/focus groups/ interviews
Study participant support to consider how drop-out and issues of participation would be handled/helplines/ other access arrangements required
Methods for sharing study progress and findings with study participants
Payments, rewards and recognition for study participants.

Setting/context: Please describe the health or social care service setting or context in which the study will take place (such as the organisation or service type,).

6. Dissemination, Outputs and anticipated Impact

The purpose of this section is for the applicant to describe what the outputs of the research might be, how and who they will talk to and what impact there might be. NIHR understands that the impact of any research may take time to be realised and will likely involve other funders and institutions. In many cases it may be difficult to provide definitive answers or any guarantees. However, addressing the below questions will allow you to describe what you hope or expect the pathway to impact to be, what might prevent impact and who else might be involved.

What do you intend to produce from your research? This could include but is not limited to: Conference presentation or other workshop events; Publications (academic or otherwise); Guidelines (clinical, service or otherwise); Other copyright (e.g. questionnaires, training aids, toolkits, manuals, software, etc.); New or improved design of medical devices or instrumentation; New or improved diagnostic; Trial data that could be used to support a CE mark, market authorisation or equivalent; Trial data that could be used to shape or influence a healthcare or social care market or government; Potential new drug or healthcare intervention; Other. Please provide brief details of each of the anticipated outputs.
How will you inform and engage patients/service users, carers, relevant health and care system and the wider population about your work? Describe your plans for disseminating this research. If you have not yet made plans, please outline at what stage in your project you intend to start formulating these.
How will your outputs enter the health and care system or society as a whole? Describe how any new or improved outputs generate through the proposed research will be recognised, captured, managed and use directly in the health and care service or wider society. This might be through commercial exploitation or other non-commercial routes or means. If the output(s) from your research are likely to be commercial, describe the proposed route to market and by whom, or how you plan on developing this.
What further funding or support will be required if this research is successful (e.g. from NIHR, other Government departments, charity or industry)? This should be linked to the responses in questions 2 and 3 above.
What are the possible barriers for further research, development, adoption and implementation?
- Will the proposed research data, technology, materials or other inventions that are subject to any form of intellectual property protection (e.g. copyright, design rights, patents) or rights owned by another organisation(s)? If yes, provide brief details including how such third party IP will be accessed (e.g. collaboration agreement, drug supply agreement).
- What are the key current and future barriers to uptake of any likely output or innovation directly in the health and care service, through commercial exploitation or other means, e.g. potential regulatory hurdles?
What do you think the impact of your research will be and for whom? In describing the anticipated impact of the expected outputs on the health and care of patients, the public, and on health and care services, please consider; patient, service user or carer benefit; changes in the relevant health and care system service (including efficiency savings); commercial return (which could contribute to economic growth). Indicate the anticipated timescale for the benefits to reach patients, the public and services, providing a quantitative estimate of the scale of these potential benefits, if possible.

7. Project Management

Please outline the processes that will be put in place to ensure the research described will be well managed. For example, it should be clear the length of time your propose to spend in each partner country and a clear justification for this. This should complement your research timetable upload (see ‘Section 8. Uploads’ below).

8. Ethics

Please describe any ethical and/or regulatory issues your research project raises and how you intend to address these. Research requiring ethical approval must have the appropriate approvals in place before it can commence. If there are no plans to obtain ethical review, this must be clearly justified. (Note that work outlined in your application/protocol must adhere to the Research Governance Framework).

The Health Research Authority (HRA) provides further guidance on the approval process as well as a tool to help you decide whether you need ethical approval. The tool was designed by HRA and the Medical Research Council (MRC).

In addition to seeking independent/institutional ethics committee approval for planned research from your HEI or Research Institute, NIHR Global Research Professors should seek ethical review from an appropriate ethics body in each of the LMICs in which there are study participants. Where an appropriate ethics body does not exist, this should be highlighted clearly in your application or raised separately to the NIHR Academy. Applicants may wish to refer to the MRC guidance on research involving human participants in LMICs when preparing their description of any ethical and/or regulatory issues your research project raises and how you intend to address these.

9. Success Criteria

Please set out the measurements of success you intend to use and also the key risks to delivering this research and what contingencies you will put in place to deal with them. This section should identify appropriate actions that would reduce or eliminate each risk or its impact.

10. Research Capacity Strengthening

Applicants must include a research capacity strengthening (RCS) component in their application. NIHR recognise that there is no single agreed definition of RCS but highlight the UK Collaborative on Development Research (UKCDR) definition of RCS as ‘Enhancing the ability and resources of individuals, institutions, and/or systems to undertake, communicate, and/or use high quality research efficiently, effectively, and sustainably’. For NIHR Global Health Research Programmes, the objectives and priorities for RCS identified by/with local stakeholders should support or bring sustainable solutions to key national problems within LMICs. Teams should consider and cost activities that will build and help sustain both researcher capacity and support wider finance and research management capacity at institutional level.

Funds can be requested for a range of activities, for example:

- Full or partial formal training posts (including but not limited to BSc, MSc, MPhil, MRes, PhD, Post docs);

- Training in technical research skills, training and support to facilitate effective Community Engagement and Involvement, and personal development skills, such as, but not limited to, grant writing, writing for publication, communication and influencing skills, time management, team working etc.;

- Other wider institutional capacity strengthening activities such as finance management, research management, data management, legal compliance and assurance training.

- Institutional systems for coaching, mentoring and/or peer-mentorship.

NIHR will also fund student fees for LMIC national students who are based in ODA-eligible countries but registered at an institution in a High-Income Country (HIC). In cases where the application includes LMIC student fees at a HIC institution, it is expected that the relevant Lead Applicant will negotiate with the HIC institution for reduced fees for the LMIC candidate. Applications for funding should show evidence of fees being reduced.

Please note: HIC studentship fees or stipend costs are eligible only for ODA-eligible students. Student fees or stipends for HIC students registered at an HIC institution would not be eligible, regardless of the programme of study.

Individuals receiving funding from, or being supported by, an NIHR Global Health Research Programme (including NIHR Global Research Professorships) to develop their academic career become NIHR Academy Members and are eligible for the career development and training support provided by the NIHR Academy.

Applicants may find the following resources useful:

7. Patient and Public Involvement/Community Engagement and Involvement

NIHR is committed to supporting Community Engagement and Involvement (CEI) that empowers communities and fosters co-production of research. Involving communities in LMICs who are affected by the health challenge you are working on will improve the reach, quality and impact of your research. Please read about this commitment on our community engagement and involvement webpage.

Please describe how patients/service users, carers and the public have been involved in developing this proposal - 350 word limit

You should describe who has been involved and why this is appropriate, what role(s) they have they played and what influence or change has happened as result of their involvement.

Patients and the general public within a given community, especially vulnerable groups who are at the greatest risk, will normally be the key group included in CEI activities. Community stakeholders such as community leaders, opinion leaders, non-governmental organisations and civil society, service commissioners and providers, policy and lawmakers are examples of other stakeholders who can be involved.

There is no standard model for CEI. Applicants should demonstrate that their CEI approach is appropriate and effective in the local context and for their study design.

Please describe the ways in which patients/service users, carers and the public will be actively involved in the proposed research, including any training and support provided - 350 word limit

a) CEI approach, management and support

Explain why your approach to community engagement and involvement is appropriate for this proposal. In your description you will need to say who will be involved and why.
Please use this opportunity to describe how you plan to manage and coordinate the CEI activities in your project.
Describe how you will support and enable patients/service users, carers, the public and members of relevant communities to contribute to your research (e.g. access, payments, training).
We would also encourage you to outline plans for the capturing, evaluating and reporting the impact of CEI activities.

Patients, carers, service users and the public can be involved in every stage of a research project, from developing a proposal through to dissemination and evaluation.

For more information to support the design of your CEI visit PPI (Patient and Public Involvement) resources for applicants to NIHR research programmes.

b) A summary of CEI activities

Please provide a summary below of the proposed CEI activities embedded throughout the research project lifecycle. Please clearly signpost to other sections of the Detailed Research Plan where the CEI is described further in relation to the relevant project stage e.g. dissemination, intervention design, data collection, analysis.

Applicants may find the following information and resources helpful:

Applicants may also find it helpful to refer to Mesh, a collaborative open-access web space that provides resources, encourages networking and shares good practice to bridge the gap between the research community and the general public in low-and middle-income countries.

Read Global Health Research Programmes - Core Guidance for further guidance from the NIHR.

If it is considered not appropriate and meaningful to actively involve patients/service users, carers and the public in your proposed research, please justify why - 350 word limit

Complete / justify as necessary.

8. Leadership and Development and Research Support

Proposed leadership and development programme - 1000 word limit

The nominee will be expected to participate in a leadership and development programme to support personal and professional development as a research leader. Please detail your existing skills and outline a tailored development programme, which has been designed in conjunction with your nominating partnership organisations to address your future needs. Please provide a clear statement of how the HEI or Research Institute will actively support and develop your leadership and development programme. A strong leadership and development programme will focus mainly on the skills required for progression as a research leader. Successful NIHR Global Research Professors will also be invited to participate in the NIHR Leadership Programme.

As this award may be used in part to build on existing national and international research leadership and collaborations, please include details of any sabbaticals that you may wish to undertake during the 5 years of the award, for consideration by the Selection Committee.

Please detail how you intend to develop research capacity in the next generation of researchers in the LMICs and UK (if applicable), including via your support post appointments and the wider environment.

Please also state clearly where you expect to be on your career trajectory after the 5 years of the award and also what commitment the HEI or Research Institute intends to make towards your future career.

Research support - 250 word per justification of each proposed mentor

Please state the name(s) and institution(s) of your mentors. You will also be required to justify your choice of mentor and how you intend to work with them. A minimum of 1 and a maximum of 4 entries are required on the form.

Although we acknowledge that formal supervision may not be appropriate for the level of award, we believe that senior academic mentoring is vital to allow the development of the nominee as a research leader. In this context, the mentoring role will encompass providing the nominee with support throughout the Professorship in both their (the nominee’s) research endeavours and their overall career development.

At least one of the proposed senior academic mentors should be based in the host institution. They should have a clear understanding of the research process, the demands that the chosen area of research are likely to place on the nominee, and their particular strengths and weaknesses. Nominees may also wish to choose another mentor from another institution, including those in other countries.

Please state why these particular mentors have been chosen and what new perspective/developments they will bring. Clearly describe how the proposed mentorship will support your overall development and provide an initial assessment of the time that will be allocated to the mentoring process.

Funding for research support is available for travel and subsistence only (for the nominee) and does not support any fees the individuals who provide research support may wish to charge the nominee.

Collaborations - 600 word limit

Explain what collaborations you intend to establish to support your research and, if applicable, your leadership and development programme. This may involve short visiting placements (e.g. an International Research Visit), or secondments in new (to the applicant) research environments, e.g. clinical trials units or other NIHR Global Health research projects.

For the NIHR Global Research Professorships, collaboration with researchers in OECD DAC list countries is essential. NIHR Global Research Professorship nominees will be required to have existing strong collaborations or links with collaborators or partners in institutions in countries on the OECD DAC list and the award should plan to strengthen these as well as support training and capacity development/mentorship in these institutions.

It is expected that the principles of equitable partnership will be embedded in the NIHR Global Research Professorship applications across all stages of the research process from research design to dissemination and publication. Where applicants are building on established partnerships, involvement of individuals and organisations based in the relevant LMIC(s) in developing the research proposal and in undertaking the research should be clearly set out.

Further guidance on this is available in the NIHR Equitable Partnerships Guide.

The NIHR is particularly keen to enhance the cadre of researchers equipped to work at the university/relevant health and care system/industry interface, translating ideas into new treatments and products from which patients/service users and carers can benefit. Therefore, where appropriate, you should consider any industry collaborations you may wish to establish during the course of your award. You should include; the leadership and development the collaboration will provide; the facilities and expertise you will have access to; and how the collaboration will strengthen links between academia, industry and the relevant health and care system.

Please provide details of all existing and any future national and international collaborations that you are already part of or that you may wish to be involved in.

Host Organisation support statement

The following sections are required to be completed by the Lead Signatory of the host organisation.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that each point below is covered in the statement of support. Additionally, you may be required to clarify these points or update the details of the support being offered by the host, at interview.

Statement of support - 1000 word limit

The nominating host will need to include within this statement when they expect the nominee to be appointed as a Professor (full Professor, not Associate or Assistant) and, if already appointed at Professorial level, why they consider the nominee is still qualified for this award and how the award will change their potential to become a leader in the field.

As the lead organisation, the HEI or Research Institute must state how the interface with service will be managed to empower the nominee to promote translation, or how the partnership intends to collaborate with service/practice in the case of non-health professional nominees. Please note that NIHR Global Research Professors will be funded to spend up to 2 sessions per week delivering services directly in the relevant LMIC or have relevant collaborations which can be supported to fulfill this. Equally, if the nominee is not a health professional, an equivalent time collaborating with others to facilitate service delivery in the relevant area.

Please state clearly how the partnership intends to work together to support the nominee and support post appointments, including how they will be supported in terms of infrastructure in the short, medium and long term.

Please note that this statement of support will need to be individually tailored to each nominee that the partnership wishes to be considered for a NIHR Global Research Professorship, rather than a generic institutional statement. These statements are critically important and will be used by the Selection Committee to determine whether the support from the host environment for the nominee and the proposed research is suitable enough to allow the application to progress beyond the shortlisting stage of the process.

In addition, the statement should provide evidence of the host organisation(s) commitment to creating and maintaining an inclusive and supportive research culture, including evidence of commitment to the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion and research integrity.

Statements may wish to refer to the principles and best practice outlined within relevant Charters and Concordats in these areas, such as the Researcher Development Concordat and Advance HE’s Equality Charters. For UK HEIs, it should be noted that being a signatory to Concordats or holding bronze/silver status from the Equality Charters isn’t a requirement of funding and evidence can be provided through other means. LMIC HEIs or Research Institutes may wish to refer to relevant charters or other relevant institutional, national, or regional initiatives.

The Statement of Support must also contain, but is not restricted to, information on the following two items:

Support for the nominee at an organisational level

Please provide a clear statement outlining the strategic significance and value of the nominee and their research to the host institution. The HEI or Research Institute must also set out how it specifically intends to value and actively support the nominee at the organisational level both during and after completion of this award.

Support for the nominee at a national/international level

Please provide a clear statement outlining the strategic significance and value of the nominee and their research at a national/international level. The HEI or Research Institute must also set out how it specifically intends to value and actively support the nominee at the national/international level both during and after completion of this award.

In addition, the host institution will be required to answer further questions clearly documenting what additional support will be provided. This will be used as part of the evaluation process and should the Selection Committee deem the support for the nominee to be insufficient, then it is highly unlikely that an award will be made.

For the recycling of the applicant's salary, please state how this will be used to support the nominee. - 1000 word limit

For the recycling of the applicant's salary, please state how this will be used to directly support the nominee. This will be required for all applications with a UK HEI as host but we are aware circumstances may differ for applications with a LMCI HEI or Research Institute around ability to recycle salary. Please note that Global Research Professorships are designed to relieve nominees of onerous teaching, administrative and managerial duties so details of how this will be done can be explained here.

Please state what additional support will be given to the nominee over the short, medium and long term. - 1000 word limit

Please state what additional support will be given to the nominee over the short, medium and long term

Partner Organisations Statement of Support - 1000 word limit

In addition to the statement of support from the host organisation, the main Partner Organisation must provide a separate statement of support and to provide the selection committee with a clear confirmation of the partners’ commitment to the applicant.

Finance Guidance

9. Detailed Budget

Justification of costs

Please provide a breakdown of research costs associated with undertaking the research and provide justification for the resources requested. This should include the following costs: staff costs, travel and subsistence, dissemination costs, equipment (including lease versus purchase costs), consumables, patient and public involvement/community engagement and involvement (CEI) and any other direct costs.
When justifying staff costs you should also provide the % amount of time input of each member of staff and link this to the specific area/work package of the proposed study where this input will be taking place.
You should indicate here how this research will potentially benefit healthcare, social care, or public health in the relevant LMIC(s). For example, where appropriate, describe the likely cost savings or benefits in terms of numbers of patients treated, treatment times, service users or carers supported etc.
You should describe the value for money of the conduct of the proposed research.
NIHR Personal awards are not project or programme grants; therefore, extensions to the duration of awards to allow for completion of research and/or training and development are not permitted. This doesn't affect suspensions of awards to allow for periods of maternity, paternity, adoption or sickness leave.

Detailed Budget Breakdown

The finance section should provide a breakdown of costs associated with undertaking the research as described in the proposal.

General information

The information entered in this section should provide an analysis of the total funds requested to undertake the research proposed and should be based on current prices. These costs will be used to assess value for money.
The average cost of a Research Professorship is between £1.7m to £1.8m. Costs may be slightly higher or lower than this depending upon the research being undertaken and the location where the research is taking place; however any project over £2m will need to be re-profiled to bring it under this figure.
It is in the best interest to undertake a thorough, realistic and accurate costing. You must provide a clear and full justification for all costs including NHS costs. You must also ensure that you include all costs including those required to secure good research management.
Costs must be provided at current prices. An adjustment for inflation will be made annually thereafter at rates set by the Department of Health and Social Care. Whilst allowances for incremental increases should be included on the form, nationally or locally agreed pay increases should be excluded.
Years should be calculated starting from the anticipated start date of the proposed research. For example, if your research is expected to start on 01 October 2023 then its second year starts 01 October 2024.
Further itemisation of costs and methods of calculation may be requested to support the application at a later date.
Payments will be made to the contracted organisation only and the contracted organisation will be responsible for passing on any money due to their partner organisation(s).
Appropriate sub-contracts must be put in place for any element of the research which is to be paid to another organisation.
All applications are expected to have appropriate HEI or Research Institute, commercial and other partner organisation input into the finance section of the application form.
There is no need to individually itemise costs where the total is below £1,000.

In conjunction with the following pages, please review additional information regarding finances for NIHR Global Research Professorships.

Information on different types of organisations

LMIC Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Research Institutes

For applications that include contracting or collaborating organisations based in LMICs (as listed on the OECD DAC list), 100% of direct and indirect costs will be funded.

UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) should determine the Full Economic Cost (FEC) of their research using the Transparent Approach to Costing (TRAC) methodology. For UK HEIs, up to 80% of FEC will be paid, provided that TRAC methodology has been used.

Other Partner Organisations

If you are another partner organisation (e.g. charity or NGO), please fill in direct costs and other partner organisations indirect costs. Indirect costs should be charged in proportion to the amount of research staff effort requested on the funding application form. Up to 100% of costs will be paid.

Direct costs

These are costs that are specific to the research, which will be charged as the amount actually spent and can be supported by an audit record. They should comprise:

I) Details of posts and salaries.

This section presents an overview of salary costs for the applicant and other support/shared staff contributing to the research, including normal salary increments broken down individually.

The Applicant

Please state the proposed salary point and scale at the start of the Professorship. Please note immediate promotion to a higher grade as a result of securing an award will not be funded. Please do not include any Clinical Excellence or Discretion/Merit awards or discretionary points. NIHR agrees to fund consultant salaries at a full-time rate equivalent to 10 Programmed Activities per week.

Support staff

Post-Doctoral (5 years) – this could be for one person at Post-Doctoral level. Where this post is employed by an LMIC HEI or Research Institute, under ‘Type of Cost’, please enter this post as ‘Other’ from the drop down list Where this post is employed by a UK HEI, under ‘Type of Cost’, please enter this post as ‘HEI’ from the drop down list. This post attracts Full Economic Costing and has a training allowance of £3,000. Any conferences, courses etc. must be included within this £3,000 limit.
Post-Doctoral (3 years) – this could be for one person at Post-Doctoral level.. Under ‘Type of Cost’, please enter this post as ‘Other’, even if the post will be based in a UK HEI. This post does not attract Full Economic Costing and will therefore be paid at 100%. If you choose HEI, it will be returned at 80%, rather than the 100% required. There is no training allowance for this post.
Doctoral Post (3 years) – this could be for one person at Doctoral level. Under ‘Type of Cost’, please enter this post as ‘Other’, even if the post will be based in a HEI. This post does not attract Full Economic Costing and will therefore be paid at 100%. If you choose HEI, it will be returned at 80%, rather than the 100% required. There is no training allowance for this post. PhD fees for this post should be included within the Training and Development section.

Please include all members of staff working on the research by clicking ‘add staff details’ or editing a current one. Where applicants are already receiving salaries funded by NIHR, these should be declared in the application. Only the posts described above should be entered as ‘Support Staff’. All proportions of time for other staff should be added as ‘Shared Staff’.

II) Salary costs.

This section specifies the annual costs of the applicant and other staff contributing to the research. You should now allocate the individual staff member costs to each year of the research, allowing for increments. Use current rates of pay, and build in any known annual increments (again at current rates). You will not be able to claim for pay awards retrospectively, once your research is underway.

Please note the salary figures need to be calculated using the current annual costs, % WTE and number of months. If the research lasts for several years and an individual’s involvement varies over the course, it may be necessary to explain fully in the justification of costs section the % WTE and months per year for an individual staff member.

It is important to double check that the % WTE, total months and yearly costs information are consistent with the information presented in ‘Details of Posts and Salaries’ (‘Details of Posts and Salaries’ should show the full current staff costs independent of % WTE etc., whereas the yearly costs in ‘Salary Costs’ depend on % WTE etc.).

Please ensure that you check the ‘Type of Cost’ box which describes the employing organisation for a member of staff as this impacts on the level of funding provided. Staff employed by a Higher Education Institution (HEI) are funded at 80% of cost and staff employed by commercial or other partner organisations at up to 100% of cost.

Please note that this section also includes ‘Shared Staff Costs’ which is located under directly allocated costs in some other funders’ applications. These are costs of an institution’s research resources which can be charged to the research on the basis of estimated use, rather than actual costs. These may include: IT technicians, laboratory staff, and costs of pooled staff efforts. HEI indirect costs cannot be claimed on these shared costs. It is expected that no more than 20% of each individual’s time can be claimed as shared staff costs.

The NIHR Academy reserves the right to question any costs deemed excessive, and will not fund:

Contributions for individuals providing research support (previously referred to as mentors), supervisors and/or other collaborators involved in the research
Administrative or secretarial support
Whole or significant percentages of support posts over and above those permitted by the scheme
Technical or research support staff whose costs are funded through institutional indirect costs (HEIs only)

III) Travel, Subsistence and Dissemination costs.

This section includes journey costs, subsistence and dissemination costs, including conference fees and open access publication costs. Where applicable, you will need to include the travel and subsistence costs of your Project Advisory Group, Steering Committee and/or Data Monitoring & Ethics Committee. Travel and subsistence costs relating to dissemination should also be included here, as should costs relating to overseas travel. Where applicable, you will need to include the travel and subsistence costs relating to meetings with individuals providing research support. Please note that mentors’ (including supervisors and individuals named as providing research support) expenses will not be funded.

If a cost relates to travel, subsistence or fees for a conference please select ‘conference’. Costs relating to conference attendance will be funded at up to 100% for all employing/host organisation types. Conference costs don’t need to be individually itemised for each conference. The justification box should detail the conferences the costs will cover.

Journey Costs

Enter the total cost of transport for all journeys for destination/purpose. If travel is by car, apply your institution’s mileage rates (however this should not exceed HMRC approved mileage allowance payments, which is 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25p thereafter).

Travel by the most economic means possible is encouraged. NIHR programmes do not usually fund first class travel.

Subsistence

Subsistence covers accommodation (if necessary) and meals associated with the travel, excluding any alcoholic beverages.

Conference Fees

There is a limit on the amount that can be spent on conference related costs (including all related travel and subsistence as well as conference fees) depending on the level you are applying for.

Where national or international conference fees are included, a statement naming the conference or purpose of travel and the benefit to the Professorship must also be made; failure to adequately justify your attendance at a conference, will mean the programme will not fund this cost.

NIHR will fund a maximum of £15,000 for all conference-related costs for the NIHR Research Professor only.

Travel, subsistence and conference fees may not be claimed for the two 3 year Support Posts. For the 5 year Support Post, any travel, subsistence and conference costs must come from the £3,000 allowance.

Dissemination costs (in addition to conference costs)
- Open Access Costs

During the course of your project and throughout review and publishing phase you may choose to submit an article based on your research to an Open Access publication. Depending on the publication you may be subject to an article processing charge (APC). APC rates vary but are usually within the range of £300 and £3000. Open Access publications usually list their APC rates on their websites.

Where possible you should include an estimate for any APC in your funding application, since NIHR expects that APCs will be covered by the funding award.

Other Dissemination Costs

Any large costs should be further detailed with a breakdown of constituent parts or a timescale profile of the costs. Meetings to share best practice, training events and events to disseminate research findings must be run at the lowest possible cost with minimal catering. ‘Conferences’ which are described as such are not eligible for funding.

IV) Equipment.

Essential items of equipment plus maintenance and related costs not included as part of estates should be input in this section. These can be lease or purchase costs. The purchase cost of pieces of equipment, valued up to £5,000 excluding VAT, will be considered.

Pieces of equipment costing more than £5,000 to purchase will usually need to be leased. Where applicants are leasing equipment with a purchase price of more than £5,000, a comparison of leasing versus purchasing costs must be provided in the ‘Justification of Costs’ section.

Items of equipment valued at £250 or more must be itemised separately; however grouping same type equipment is permitted. Costs of computers are normally restricted to a maximum of £650 each excluding VAT and a statement of justification must be included, in the relevant ‘Justification of Costs’ section for any purchase above this limit.

Equipment must exclude VAT, but if your organisation is unable to reclaim/recover the VAT on a piece of equipment, you should check the box ‘VAT cannot be reclaimed’.

You will need to seek expert advice from the organisation purchasing the equipment regarding its VAT status. If you check the ‘VAT cannot be reclaimed’ column, VAT at 20% will automatically be calculated into the overall cost of that item.

V) Consumables.

This section includes non-reusable items specific to the research. Please itemise and describe the requirements fully (e.g. postage, stationery, photocopying). These items should be research specific, not just general office costs which should be covered by indirect costs.

VI) Patient and Public Involvement.

Please itemise and describe fully the costs associated with Patient and Community Engagement and Involvement. These are likely to include individual travel, out of pocket expenses, payment for time and any relevant training and support costs. Costs related to study participants should not be itemised here.

If voluntary, charity or community groups are supporting the research via activities such as facilitating contact with potential participants, hosting research activities or providing advice, an adequate budget must be included to compensate for their time and resources.

Applicants may find the following information and resources helpful:

Read Global Health Research Programmes - Core Guidance for further guidance from the NIHR.

VII) Other Direct Costs.

These are costs, not identified elsewhere, that are specifically attributed to the research. For example, costs associated with the use of research facilities, external consultancy costs, computer licensing, recruitment and advertising costs. Please note that for organisations claiming indirect/overhead costs, costs such as recruitment of staff, and general training (e.g. in common IT packages) are costs that should be covered by the indirect costs element of the award being sought and should not appear in this section.

If external consultancy costs are included in this section they must be fully justified in the ‘Justification of Costs’ section. Please specify the hourly rate and the number of hours and note that consultants must not be people who are already employed by the applicant’s institution. If they are, any costs should be entered as direct costs in the ‘Details of Posts and Salaries’ and ‘Annual Costs of Posts’ sections.

Note on CTU costs in Personal Training Awards

Costs claimed should be for the additional support from the CTU for the necessary expertise that the applicant cannot provide themselves. For example, part time support from a trial manager, database manager, and statistician are all costs that could potentially be included. The level of support and input from the CTU will likely vary depending on the level of fellowship and experience of the applicant. For example, doctoral applicants will be expected to be undertaking the majority of the day-to-day tasks involved in running a trial, with oversight from a more senior member of CTU staff (though specialist input in database programming may be needed). For more senior post-doctoral awards it may be more appropriate for other members of staff to be undertaking some of the day-to-day tasks. This also very much depends on the experience and expertise of the applicant and the applicant’s training needs and should be agreed with the CTU before submitting an application. These costs should all be agreed with the CTU and budgeted for. Staff costs should be detailed under the ‘other direct costs’ section. Staff costs should include basic salary and on-costs for each member of staff involved and it should be made clear within the justification section what role each member of staff has within the context of the personal award application and the time they will spend on the award.

Please note that because NIHR Global Research Professorships are personal awards and not project or programme grants we can’t fund whole or significant portions of posts other than that of the applicant themselves and their support staff member (where applicable). We would not normally expect the time commitment of any individual costed into the application other than the applicant or member of support staff to exceed 0.3 WTE. In total we wouldn’t normally expect the total WTE of all staff costed into the application to support clinical trial activities to exceed 1 WTE (excluding the applicant and support staff member) for more junior awards (doctoral and early post-doctoral level awards) and 2 WTEs for more senior awards (this includes any shared staff also costed into the application). The level of additional staff input will obviously depend on the type and scope of the trial and the experience of the applicant. Full justification should be provided for all staff costs requested. Overheads (estates and indirect costs) can be included for CTU staff costed into the application. The justification section should split out the overheads from the salary costs and overheads shouldn’t exceed 40% of the total CTU staff cost.

Any costs must be realistic in order to deliver the trial but must also represent value for money. Applicants can also include non-staff costs for the CTU for example; randomisation service, and license fees for clinical data management software.

VIII) Training and Development.

All costs in this section will be funded at up to 100%. Please itemise and describe fully the costs associated with training and development. Please provide estimates if exact costs are not available at the time of application. Any travel and subsistence associated with training and development including overseas research visits should not be included here and should be included in the travel section of the form.

Leadership Training Programme, short course and workshops

These are costs relating to the applicant’s training programme.

Support Post – Training & Development (5 year Post-Doctoral position only)

NIHR will make a maximum contribution of £3,000 in total (including any identified travel and subsistence) for the duration of this Professorship towards the cost of training and development for the member of staff in the 5 year support post.

While recognising that the NIHR Global Research Professorship primarily represents an investment in an individual, NIHR expects to see consideration of training for those researchers based in LMICs to support capacity building.

Whilst training and development costs for these awards are restricted to the NIHR Global Research Professor and the five year Support Staff post, the NIHR welcomes any additional contributions from host partnerships to the training and development costs for all Support Staff.

Overseas Research Visits

Please provide costs for any overseas research visits that the nominee wishes to undertake during the course of the award. The NIHR Academy will consider overseas research visits on an individual basis and reserves the right to limit expenditure.

Support post – PhD fees

For UK based posts, these are capped at the UKRI rates, which are currently set at £4,596 pa. For LMIC based posts, full PhD fees will be funded. In cases where the application includes LMIC student fees at a High Income Country (HIC) institution (often charged at higher rates for international students), it is expected that the Lead Applicant will negotiate with the HIC institution for reduced fees for the LMIC candidate to bring them in line with those paid by nationals. Application for funding should show evidence of fees being reduced. NIHR would require justification where only partial or no LMIC student fee reductions have been achieved.

Indirect costs and overheads

HEI Indirect Costs

Total HEI indirect costs must be fully justified. HEIs are permitted to claim estate and other indirect costs. These costs are calculated on the basis of TRAC methodology. Proposals from other types of institutions/organisations should leave this section blank.

HEI indirect costs are based on the number of full-time equivalent research staff working on the research and the indirect/estates charges set by an institution. Please note HEI indirect costs cannot be claimed on shared staff costs. Where staff from more than one HEI are working on the research there may be different indirect/estates charges for each one. Please list each institution on a separate line.

The applicant(s) should consult their HEI Finance Departments for the appropriate figures to include in the estate charges and other indirect cost sections

Commercial/Other Partner Organisation Indirect Costs

Commercial/Other Partner Organisations can claim indirect costs which are the costs of resources used by the research that are shared by other activities. Please seek advice from your finance department about the appropriate cost for this section.

Total Commercial/Other Partner Organisation indirect costs must be fully justified.

I) Indirect Costs

Indirect costs will be charged in proportion to the amount of research staff effort requested on the award. Commercial/Other Partner Organisations should calculate them, using their own cost rates.

They comprise:

General office and basic laboratory consumables
Premises costs
Library services/learning resources
Typing/secretarial
Finance, personnel, public relations and departmental services
Usage costs of major research facilities
Central and distributed computing
Charge out rates for shared equipment
Cost of capital employed

Summary of costs

NIHR programmes currently fund UK HEIs at a maximum of 80% of full economic cost.
Please note that whilst these percentages will be used to calculate the maximum grant payable, the programme reserves the right to award a grant for less than this maximum where it is considered appropriate.

Further Information for finances for NIHR Global Research Professorships

Are budget headings flexible?

We will allow requests for relevant flexibility within the budget, particularly with research cost headings such as equipment, consumables, travel, CEI and other direct costs. Successful applicants can make requests during the contracting phase and also during the award should the circumstances require flexibility around the configuration of the budget. Please note that strong justification must be made for any requests to make changes to the budget.

Can funding be disbursed to partner institutions in OECD DAC-list countries?

Yes. We strongly encourage partnerships with LMIC researchers and institutions and would welcome this, at the discretion of the host HEI or Research Institute. The host will act as the contracting organisation, meaning that it will be the recipient of the funds, and will ultimately be responsible for the delivery of the research. All funding must be routed through the host and it will be the responsibility of the host to undertake appropriate due diligence and instigate appropriate and relevant financial controls for any funding to be disbursed to other organisations.

All research costs need to be justified in the application and should reflect the principles of equitable partnerships. Guidance on equitable research partnerships can be found in the Equitable Partnerships Guide.

If the host is UK based, how should the funding be split between the lead UK institution and any LMIC organisation?

Payment will be made to the contracted UK HEI only and the UK HEI will be responsible for passing on any money due to their partner organisation(s). There are no set guidelines as to the percentage breakdown of funding between partnering organisation and any funding split should be discussed and agreed between the UK HEI and the partner organisation(s). However, your research must meet the ODA compliance criteria and all research costs should be justified in the application and reflect the principles of equitable partnerships. Guidance on equitable research partnerships can be found in the Equitable Partnerships Guide.

If the host is UK based, will the award fund staff in LMIC countries?

Yes, staff employed to work in partner LMIC institution(s) may be included in the costings. Where they will be working in the three ‘Support Staff’ posts they should be entered in the Direct Costs as ‘Support Staff’.

The proportions of time for all other staff at LMIC institution(s) who are contributing to the research should be added as ‘Shared Staff’. ‘Shared Staff’ costs are costs of an institution’s research resources which can be charged to the research on the basis of estimated use, rather than actual costs. These may include: IT technicians, laboratory staff, and costs of pooled staff efforts. HEI indirect costs cannot be claimed on these shared costs. It is expected that no more than 30% of each individual’s time can be claimed as ‘Shared Staff’ costs.

Each team member, whether Support or Shared Staff, will need to be fully justified and reasonable consideration given to how much time they will be spending on the associated work.

Can overseas allowances be claimed?

Yes, if the NIHR Global Research Professor and any Support Staff are required to relocate for the purposes of this award, relocation expenses will be considered, provided that these are costed at standard rates according to the host institution’s policy. If the host institution does not have a policy for these allowances, then advice should be sought from the NIHR Academy.

Will travel costs be supported?

There is some flexibility for travel between the country of the host organisation and relevant LMIC(s) for the NIHR Global Research Professor and all Support Staff. For example, regular visits may be required to oversee the research being conducted in different countries, maintain involvement in the conduct and progress of the research and provide training and mentorship.

The NIHR Global Research Professors can travel internationally for research, collaboration and to ensure support and supervision. Support staff can also travel internationally where there is a clear rationale and research need for them to do so. Any costs related to this must be fully justified in the application.

What is considered “value for money”?

The NIHR Global Research Professorship programme considers good value for money as the optimal use of resources to achieve the intended outcomes. ‘Optimal’ being considered as ‘the most desirable possible given expressed or implied restrictions or constraints’. Value for money goes beyond achieving the lowest initial price and includes consideration of Economy, Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Equity (as appropriate) and what these mean in the context of a research professorship application:

Economy: Are we buying inputs of the appropriate quality at the right price? (Inputs are things such as staff, consultants, raw materials and capital that are used to produce outputs)
Efficiency: How well do we convert inputs into outputs? (Outputs are results delivered by us or our agents to an external party. We exercise strong control over the quality and quantity of outputs)
Effectiveness: How well are the outputs from an intervention achieving the desired outcome? (Note that in contrast to outputs, we do not exercise direct control over outcomes)
Equity: the extent to which the outputs of our interventions are equitably distributed

NIHR may challenge proposed costs that it does not consider appropriate or does not offer value for money, for example Business Class travel.

Can large items of equipment over £5,000 be purchased under the award?

Essential equipment costs including maintenance and related costs not included as part of estates should be input in the ‘Detailed Budget Breakdown’ of applications under ‘Equipment’. For applications to the NIHR Global Research Professorship the equipment cost cap of £5,000 does not apply. Instead the proposed cost of all equipment to be purchased needs to be fully justified and all proposed costs should be good value for money. NIHR may challenge proposed costs that it does not consider appropriate or does not offer value for money.

Please note that equipment bought within the NHS cannot be funded by the NIHR. Please ensure no NHS equipment costs are included in your application.

Costs of computers are normally restricted to a maximum of £650 each excluding VAT and a statement of justification must be included, in the relevant ‘Justification of Costs’ section for any purchase above this limit.

Equipment must exclude VAT, but if your organisation is unable to reclaim/recover the VAT on a piece of equipment, you should check the box ‘VAT cannot be reclaimed’. You will need to seek expert advice from the organisation purchasing the equipment regarding its VAT status. If you check the ‘VAT cannot be reclaimed’ column, VAT at 20% will automatically be calculated into the overall cost of that item.

Can full economic costs be claimed for both the UK HEI and OECD DAC-list partner institutions?

UK based HEIs
UK based HEIs should determine the Full Economic Cost (FEC) of their research using the Transparent Approach to Costing (TRAC) methodology. For HEIs in the UK, up to 80% of FEC will be paid, provided that TRAC methodology has been used.
HEIs or Research institutions based in LMICs
All costs including direct and indirect will be supported at 100%. Indirect costs must be fully justified as to why these costs are being requested and how they will contribute to the proposed research.
Commercial/other partner organisations
For a commercial organisation/consultancy, please fill in direct costs and indirect costs. Indirect costs should be charged in proportion to the amount of research staff effort requested on the funding application form. Up to 100% of direct costs will be paid. The NIHR reserves the right to set limits on indirect costs charged.

For other partner organisation (e.g. charity or NGO), please fill in direct costs and indirect costs. Indirect costs should be charged in proportion to the amount of research staff effort requested on the funding application form. Up to 100% of direct costs will be paid. The NIHR reserves the right to set limits on indirect costs charged.

10. Management and Governance

Please complete the check boxes as appropriate.

11. Uploads

To support your research plan you are able to upload the following documents in the ‘uploads’ section of the form:

References: 1 A4 page listing all references cited in the application.
Figures/Tables: Up to 2 A4 pages of figures/tables may be included to supplement your research plan.
Research Timetable: 1 A4 page detailing specific milestones and deliverables (Gantt Chart).
CTU Letter of Support: Where you are working with a CTU please include a supporting letter.
Publications Summary: Please use the Publications Record form downloaded from the NIHR website to include all relevant publications information.

A completed Schedule of Events Cost Attribution Tool (SoECAT) is required to be uploaded and submitted as part of the application submission if your research.

13. Management and Governance

Please complete the check boxes as appropriate.

14. Participants and Signatories

A number of participants and signatories are required to be added to your application and, where applicable, to complete sections of it. Details of the required individuals are provided on the online application form along with details of how they should added. The flow diagram in page 10 goes through the actions required of participants, signatories and the applicant.

15. Acknowledge, review and submit

Conflict checks

Please declare any conflicts or potential conflicts of interest that you may have in undertaking this research, including any relevant, non-personal & commercial interest that could be perceived as a conflict of interest.

Agreement to terms and conditions

Please click the check box to confirm you agree to the Terms and Conditions of submission as detailed on the application form.

Equality and Diversity Monitoring Information

NIHR is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in research and asks applicants to provide Equality and Diversity Monitoring Information (age, sex, ethnicity and race, and disability). By answering these Equality and Diversity Monitoring Information questions, you will help us to better understand the different groups of people that we fund and their experiences of being funded – particularly the groups protected by UK equality legislation. Although it is mandatory to answer these questions, it is possible to select “prefer not to say” as a response. However, the more information you provide, the more effective our monitoring will be. This information will not be used to make decisions about funding.

Checklist of information to include when submitting a NIHR research application

Applicants should use the list below to check that they have included the necessary information prior to submitting their application:

A good quality Plain English Summary;
A clear explanation of the problem being addressed;
A clear demonstration of the need and importance of the research;
A review of existing literature (primary research);
A clear research question / aim(s) and objectives;
A clear project plan summarising the study design and methods;
Appropriate and relevant involvement of patients/service users, carers and the public;
A clear, appropriate and relevant plan for dissemination;
A single A4 page of references (document upload);
All mandatory additional information has been uploaded to the online application system.

Additional Supporting Information

Background and Foreground IP

Please note that in relation to intellectual property, the NIHR would like the research team to clarify various key points in the application, namely:-

That it will have permission to use any background intellectual property for the purposes of the research and, if necessary due to complicated ownership arrangements, complete schedule C of the NIHR research contract with reference to clause 24.1.5 (a) of the NIHR ODA Global Health research contract;
The proposed ownership arrangements of the Foreground IP, Arising Know How and Research Data. The parties should consider who is best placed to use, disseminate and/or commercially exploit the relevant intellectual property and/or database to maximise the opportunities to deliver patient benefit. There should be license arrangements with collaborators (usually contained within the Collaboration Agreement signed for a project) for research and teaching purposes and/or in the support of the development, promotion or provision of Health Care or for any other purpose that is not a Commercial Use.

Joint IP

With respect to joint IP, please note that the NIHR does not recommend joint ownership of Foreground IP, Arising Know How and/or Research Data arrangements preferring that the research team agrees the IP ownership arrangements at the application stage as above. This is because Joint IP (i.e. owning the IP jointly) can lead to delays about how the IP/data is used, disseminated and/or exploited and we want to avoid this potential barrier to delivering patient benefit. Normally, giving collaborators appropriate licensed rights to use Foreground IP, Arising Know How and Research Data is sufficient to avoid the need for joint IP. If specific circumstances for a proposed project mean that joint ownership of Foreground IP, Arising Know How and/or Research Data may be appropriate, please provide a justification in your application.

Commercial Use

In the event the relevant owner of the IP intends to commercially exploit any Foreground IP, Arising Know How and/or Research Data, then they must seek the NIHR’s prior written consent via IP.Unit@nihr.ac.uk and the relevant NIHR programme manager.

Plagiarism in NIHR funding applications

NIHR expects all content within applications for funding to be original material of the applicant's own work, with the exception of sections that other participants are required to complete. Whilst we anticipate and expect that applicants will get help and advice from various sources when putting together an application, including on occasion input from those previously awarded funding, care must be taken to ensure this does not lead to plagiarism of either published work or other previous applications. If an allegation of plagiarism is raised against an application this will be investigated in accordance with the NIHR Academy’s policy on plagiarism, a copy of which is available on request from academy-awards@nihr.ac.uk

NIHR Privacy Policy

Our purpose for collecting information is to communicate with you about your application and have the necessary information to evaluate you for a grant. The data we collect here is collected in the public interest. Information provided here may be subject to Freedom of Information requests.

The NIHR Academy is part of the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), NIHR. The contracting agent for the NIHR Academy is the Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust (LTHT). The DHSC is the Data Controller and LTHT is the Data Processor under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) EC 2016/679. DHSC NIHR respects the privacy of individuals who share their data and processes it in a manner that meets the requirements of GDPR. The DHSC Data Protection Officer can be contacted by email at: data_protection@dh.gsi.gov.uk

The NIHR privacy policy includes further information including ways we may use your data, our contact details and details on your individual rights regarding how your data is used. Your data may be shared across the NIHR, including with other coordinating centres, to allow the application to be managed and for statistical analysis, and with external grant reviewers as part of the process for managing the allocation of a grant. Information collected from you will not be shared outside the EEA without your consent.

This notice is under constant review and will be updated and / or revised based on that review as appropriate.

International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN)

All primary research studies need to be assigned an ISRCTN. Please note that the remit of this database has been widened to
include all primary research projects, even those that are not randomised controlled trials.

There is no registration fee for NIHR funded trials.

NIHR Carbon Reduction Guidelines

Researchers applying for NIHR funding are asked to consider the carbon footprint of their research and take steps to reduce carbon emissions where appropriate. Advice on how to do this can be obtained from the Carbon Reduction Guidelines.

Transparency Agenda

In line with the government’s transparency agenda, any contract resulting from this tender may be published in its entirety to the general public. Further information on the
transparency agenda is available on GOV Procurement and contracting transparency requirements: guidance.

Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) support

Applicants thinking of including a clinical trial, feasibility or pilot study as part of their application, or are undertaking a research and/or training related to clinical trials are encouraged to consider working with a CTU where appropriate. Further guidance for applicants is available in the Clinical Trials Guide for Trainees. This includes guidance on how to go about approaching a suitable CTU to support your application.

MRC Complex Intervention Guidance

Where appropriate applicants are encouraged to read the MRC complex interventions guidance.

NIHR Research Design Service

The NIHR Research Design Service (RDS) supports prospective applicants to make high quality applications for research funding from the NIHR and from other national research funders. Assistance is primarily focused around refinement of research questions, research design and methodological support. Complementing the advice applicants receive from supervisors and/or mentors. The RDS also assists prospective applicants to understand the scope of the NIHR’s various funding streams and to develop patient and public involvement (PPI) strategies. The RDS may be able to support applicants with small grants to work up PPI plans with, for example, patient and service user groups.

The RDS has regional offices and links with local networks. Further information regarding support that the RDS can provide and contact information for each regional office is available via the Research Design Service.

Ethics / Regulatory Approvals

Research requiring ethical approval must have the appropriate approvals in place, usually in both the LMIC and UK (any other country involved in the research) before it can commence. Applicants should ensure all plans for research follow the UK Policy Framework For Health and Social Care Research, the Concordat to support Research Integrity (.PDF), and the UK HRA guidance Governance Arrangements for Research Ethics Committees, and that research performed in partner countries is conducted in accordance with regulations and to a standard no less stringent than those applicable in the UK. Applicants should provide their plans for ethical review of the proposed activities in the relevant countries (LMIC/non-LMIC). Applicants should anticipate that securing ethical reviews can be a long process in their work plans. NIHR will seek evidence of positive ethics approvals as part of NIHR's standard contract monitoring. If there are no plans to obtain ethical review, the reasons for this must be provided.

Where the research involves vulnerable individuals or groups (e.g. children under the age of 18 or individuals lacking capacity to consent), applicants should describe how they will manage their involvement in the Ethical Consideration section of their Detailed Research Plan

Applicants may find it useful to refer to the following online resources:

Example of host organisation support for a NIHR Global Research Professorship candidate.

Should the Selection Committee consider the host support to be insufficient, then it is highly unlikely that an award will be made.

This example has been based on applications with a UK HEI as a host. We are aware host organisation support may look different for HEIs and Research Institutes in LMICs compared to what is listed in the example below and the selection committee will take this into account when making their assessments.

Question: Please state what additional support will be given to the nominee over the short, medium and long term.

Response: In addition to recycling Professor X’s salary the partnership will provide:

Short term (1-3 years)?

Insert name of new piece of large scale equipment to be used by Professor X + additional computing system for data analysis.
?   Refurbished additional office/analysis space adjacent to new equipment to accommodate staff.
?   Full time clinical research nurse.
?   Additional research management support to co-ordinate meetings and correspondence with co-investigators and oversee regulatory and reporting requirements.
?   1 PhD studentship.
?   1 Clinical PhD studentship.
?   Clinical Governance support to help with study set-up/ethics and sponsorship.
?   IT support to optimise patient management and database development.
?   Research mentoring from high calibre academics within the partnership.
?   Support for training and leadership through personalised development plans enshrining NIHR Professorship goals.

The partnership will continue with the same level of support outlined in the short-term in addition to:

Creation of a clinical research facility in (insert name of specialty) that Professor X will direct.
Appointment of a complementary academic post at chair level and support posts, enhancing critical mass and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Senior Leadership Training to complement external programme outlined in the application.

Long term (5 years +)

Beyond the NIHR Professorship we will ensure continuity of support to Professor X’s research group befitting their standing through providing:

2 core funded support posts (HEFCE).
Development towards theme lead/director.
Institutional support towards any external appointment (e.g. charity/specialty specific chair).
Continued investment in state-of-the-art clinical research facilities to ensure they have a world class environment in which to remain globally competitive.

Question: Where applicable, for the recycling of the applicant's salary, please state how this will be used to support the nominee.

Response: Professor X’s salary will be used to appoint a clinical senior lecturer who will work directly with them on the proposed projects. The new appointment will deputise as required for some of Professor X’s administrative duties, including on executive committees. The new senior lecturer will undertake lecturing duties in lieu of Professor X and will undertake supervisory roles for X-X clinical trainees per year, currently allocated to the applicant.

As the new senior lecturer post will be on a lower scale than Professor X, the remaining money will be used to increase the 0.5 fte personal administrator support to full time.

These appointments will substantially reduce the burden of administration, teaching, supervision and regular meetings that will allow Professor X to focus on research and developing early career researchers.

Contents

Introduction

NIHR Remit

Eligibility

NIHR Global Research Professorships

General

Scope of funding

Nominee

NIHR Global Research Professorships

Support Posts

Leadership & Development

Nominating Institutions

Transfer to a new host institution

Eligible Research

Application Procedure

Timetable

Assessment of Applications and Outcome

Start Dates

Assessment Criteria

Registering, Completing and Submitting the Application

Registering

Completing and submitting the form

Applicant:

Participants:

Required Participants

Signatories

Required Signatories

Application Submission Process - Flow Diagram

Application Form Guidance

1. Application Summary Information

Host Organisation

Partner Organisation (where applicable)

Research Title

Research Type

Proposed Start Date

WTE of Award

2. Applicant CV

Degrees and Professional Qualifications

Present and previous positions

Research grants held

Publication Record

Peer Reviewed Publication Summary

Other significant publications or outputs

Relevant Prizes, Awards and other Academic Distinctions

ORCiD

3. Applicant Research Background

Professional background

Please describe your research career to date - 1000 word limit

Impact of Professorship

Has this application been previously submitted to this or any other funding body? 500 word limit

Mitigating Factors - 500 word limit

4. Plain English Summary of Research

The importance of a plain English summary - 600 word limit

Content

5. Scientific Abstract - 500 word limit

6. Detailed Research Plan - 5000 word limit

Format of the Detailed Research Plan

Contribution to, or collaboration with, service

1. What is the problem being addressed?

2. Why is this research important in terms of improving the health and/or wellbeing of the public and/or to patients/service users, carers and health and care services?

3. Review of existing evidence - How does the existing literature support this proposal?

4. What is the research question / aims and objectives?

5. Project Plan

6. Dissemination, Outputs and anticipated Impact

7. Project Management

8. Ethics

9. Success Criteria

10. Research Capacity Strengthening

7. Patient and Public Involvement/Community Engagement and Involvement

Please describe how patients/service users, carers and the public have been involved in developing this proposal - 350 word limit

Please describe the ways in which patients/service users, carers and the public will be actively involved in the proposed research, including any training and support provided - 350 word limit

If it is considered not appropriate and meaningful to actively involve patients/service users, carers and the public in your proposed research, please justify why - 350 word limit

8. Leadership and Development and Research Support

Proposed leadership and development programme - 1000 word limit

Research support - 250 word per justification of each proposed mentor

Collaborations - 600 word limit

Host Organisation support statement

Statement of support - 1000 word limit

Support for the nominee at an organisational level

Support for the nominee at a national/international level