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Research and Innovation for Global Health Transformation - Call 4 Stage 2 Application Form Guidance for Applicants

Contents

Published: 16 June 2021

Version: 1.0

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This document provides guidance on filling in an online application form for Stage 2 of Call 4 of the NIHR Research and Innovation for Global Health Transformation (RIGHT) programme. Information provided at Stage 1 will be used to automatically complete some sections of the Stage 2 application form.

Section 1: Application summary information

Contracting Institution (which will administer any award)

Provide details of the organisation that will be the contractor (i.e. the organisation who will sign the contract with the Department of Health and Social Care) if the research is funded. To select the Contracting Institution, enter a minimum of 3 characters and select from the list. If your organisation does not appear on the list, contact the NIHR

Research title

The research programme title should state clearly and concisely the proposed research. Any abbreviations should be spelled out in full.  Your response will be pulled through from your Stage 1 application. 

Research type

Select the appropriate research type. If your proposed programme is predominantly primary research, please select ‘Primary Research’. If you are not sure which category to select, choose the closest match to your project as this can be adjusted later. Your response will be pulled through from your Stage 1 application.

Proposed start date

Please note: The start date should be on the 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. Your proposed start date for RIGHT Call 4 cannot be before 1st June 2022.

Research duration (months)

Ensure you include sufficient time to complete all aspects of the research including applications approvals (where required) and the final report. This can be a maximum of 60 months.

End date

This field will automatically populate once you have entered the start date and research duration information.

Total (Stage 2) research costs 

This field will automatically populate once you have completed the detailed budget section.

Note that if there is a significant change in the costs between Stage 1 and Stage 2 applications, this would need to be clearly and strongly justified in the ‘Justification of Costs’ section.

Total (Stage 2) external intervention costs

If you are conducting research that requires an intervention to be delivered in the LMIC, you are permitted to claim for External Intervention Costs. These are the costs additional to routine clinical treatment in the local setting. For comparison, in the UK these would be NHS support costs. This will be automatically pulled through from the budget section. Enter the total amount of external intervention costs associated with this proposal.

Section 2: CV - Contracting Institution (joint) lead applicant

Some of the responses required in this section will have been pre-populated, any remaining fields must be completed.

To update your CV details, please visit the Manage My Details section in your RMS account by selecting 'Save and Close' at the top of this screen and accessing the left hand menu toolbar.

Please note that the Contracting Institution (Joint) Lead Applicant must be the same as your Stage 1 application.

Section 3: CV - Non-contracting institution joint lead applicant (if applicable)

Some of the responses required in this section will have been pre-populated, any remaining fields must be completed. Please note that the Non-Contracting Joint Lead Applicant will need to confirm his/her participation in the application before submission.

To update your CV details, please visit the 'Manage My Details' section in your RMS account by selecting 'Save and Close' at the top of this screen and accessing the left hand menu toolbar. Please note that the Non-Contracting (Joint) Lead Applicant must be the same as your Stage 1 application.

Section 4: Research Background – Contracting and Non-Contracting Joint Lead Applicants and Co-applicants

Some of the responses required in this section will have been pre-populated based on your Stage 1 application. The Contracting and Non-Contracting Joint Lead Applicants and Co-applicants’ CV details and any remaining fields must be completed. Completed CVs (including an ORCID iD) are a mandatory requirement for submission for all applicants (except CEI Co-applicants). CEI Co-applicants are not obliged to complete a standard CV but are required to provide a summary of any knowledge, skills and experience relevant to their role in the application.

To update CV details, please ‘Save and Close’, select ‘Manage My Details’ and then ‘Update My CV’ from the left hand menu. Once in Manage My Details, the publications and grants are available via the Update CV section of your account. 

Each applicant should select the publications and grants that they would like to appear in the CV section of an application. Publications and grants are pulled in from individual ‘My Details’ pages. For further guidance and instructions, please refer to the System Help.

Publications 

Provide details of a maximum of six of your most recent/relevant publications (in the last ten years) relevant to this application (using Vancouver or Harvard citation format). Please include DOI reference numbers, if applicable  Information in this field is populated when you select publications from the ‘Manage my details’ section of your RMS account, which should be updated and edited prior to submission. Please select and order what you consider to be your 6 most recent/relevant publications to date (in the last 10 years) and use the save button to save the selections. In the case of the Contracting (Joint) Lead Applicant, this information will be pulled through from the Stage 1 application.

Research grants held

Please select research grants held (as a named applicant) currently or in the last 5 years – as well as any additional previous grants, relevant to this application, stating who the grant is with and the amount of each grant. If no grants are held, please enter N/A (as this is a mandatory field). Information in this field is auto populated when you select grants from the ‘Manage my details’ section of your RMS account, which should be updated and edited prior to submission. In the case of the Contracting (Joint) Lead Applicant, this information will be pulled through from the Stage 1 application.

Has this application been previously submitted to this programme, other NIHR programmes or any other funding body?

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ from the drop down box to indicate whether this or a similar application has previously been submitted to this programme, other NIHR programmes or any other funding body, including applications to other ODA-funded programmes such as Global Challenges Research Fund. 

Applications submitted to this programme, other NIHR programmes or any other funding body

Where this application or a similar one has been submitted to this or another NIHR programme or elsewhere, please click the ‘Add’ button and complete the necessary information.

You must inform us if the application has been submitted elsewhere. This includes, but is not limited to, any facts that, should they come to light at a future date, would harm the reputation of  either the programme or the individual who withheld the fact (e.g. if a member of the team holds a patent or has a financial interest within the research area).

Failure to disclose accurately or fully will be considered as academic misconduct and treated accordingly. You should also include in this section information on whether this or a similar application has been submitted to any programme previously, or to any other funder including other NIHR programmes. You should name, and provide dates and outcomes of these. Please indicate whether you hold or have ever held an NIHR programme contract, which has been terminated prior to completion, extended in time or in terms of funding.

Section 5: The research team

In the following sections you will need to provide details of the Contracting (Joint) Lead,  the Non-Contracting Joint Lead (if applicable) and Co-applicants including their roles and equitable contributions to the project and FTE commitment. Do not include collaborators, who should be mentioned (if appropriate) in the Detailed Research Plan section of the form.

Definitions and requirements: 

(Joint) Lead Applicants are normally researchers employed at an eligible LMIC or UK-based HEI or research institution, with appropriate reputation and standing within their employing organisations and have demonstrable ability to lead and manage a substantial large-scale programme of global health research. 

Where the contracting organisation is a UK institution with a UK Joint Lead Applicant, it is mandatory for an LMIC Joint Lead Applicant to be included on the application, with the expectation that the joint leadership/partnership is equitable. Where the contracting organisation is an LMIC institution, a UK Joint Lead Applicant is not a mandatory requirement. LMIC Lead Applicants may propose joint leadership partnerships with a Principal Investigator from another eligible LMIC or UK institution, or lead the application without a Joint Lead Applicant.

Co-applicants are those individuals with responsibility for the day-to-day management and delivery of the project who form your project team or consortium. Co-applicants are expected to share responsibility for its successful delivery. 

Collaborators are those who provide specific expertise on particular aspects of the project and form part of your wider research team. They do not share in the responsibility for the delivery of the project.

Allow sufficient time for your co-applicants to complete their sections of the online form before the application deadline.

Role of the Contracting (Joint) Lead Applicant in the research

Please explain in addition to your role as Contracting (Joint) Lead Applicant, the role that you will be undertaking in the research, e.g. coordination and project management, analysis, methodological input etc. 

This information will be pulled through from your stage 1 application.

% FTE commitment

Please give the percentage of your time that you will commit to this project. 

Role of the Non-Contracting (Joint) Lead Applicant in the research

Please explain in addition to your role as Contracting (Joint) Lead Applicant, the role that you will be undertaking in the research, e.g. coordination and project management, analysis, methodological input etc.

% FTE commitment

Please give the percentage of your time that you will commit to this project.

Co-applicant role and % FTE commitment

Add details of all co-applicants and their specific role and % FTE commitment in the programme. Do not include collaborators or partners, who should be mentioned (if necessary) in the ‘Research Plan’ section of the form.

Co-applicants are those individuals with responsibility for the day-to-day management and delivery of the project and can include patients, carers and service users. Co-applicants are considered part of the project team and are expected to share responsibility for its successful delivery. In contrast, collaborators normally provide specific expertise on particular aspects of the project but who do not share in the responsibility for the delivery of the project.

We strongly encourage the inclusion of community co-applicants, where appropriate. Please include a clear description of their role in the team.

Members of the team previously invited to participate as co-applicants during Stage 1 will still need to confirm their participation in the Stage 2 application before the submission deadline. New team members will need to be invited via email to participate as co-applicants and confirm their participation before the submission deadline. Once a colleague has confirmed their participation, their CV details will populate the application; the application cannot be submitted without doing so.  

Please note completed CVs (including an ORCID iD) are a mandatory requirement for submission for ALL applicants (except for CEI-Co-applicants) and will be ‘pulled through’ from your Stage 1 application. To update these details, you should visit the ‘Manage My Details’ section by selecting 'Save and Close' at the top of this screen and accessing the left hand menu toolbar.

Co-applicants who are community representatives, patients or carers are not obliged to complete a standard CV but are required to provide a summary of any knowledge, skills and experience relevant to their role in the application.

We recognise and value the varied perspectives that community representatives, patients and carers bring to a project as applicants. In this section, please provide a summary of any relevant knowledge, skills and experience that you will draw upon to contribute to this project.

This could include information about:

  • Previous or present work (paid or unpaid) with any relevant organisations
  • Links with any relevant groups, committees, networks or organisations
  • Experience of particular health conditions, treatments, use of services - or as a member of a particular community
  • Knowledge and experience of research including previous research undertaken
  • Knowledge and experience of community and public involvement
  • Skills from any other roles that are transferable
  • Relevant qualifications, training and learning

The bullet point list above is not exhaustive.  Please include anything else that is relevant to the application.

Please allow sufficient time for your co-applicants to complete their sections of the online form before the application deadline.

A maximum of 15 co-applicants (in addition to the Contracting Lead Applicant and Non-Contracting Joint Lead Applicant if applicable) is permitted.

Section 6: Other supporting roles – signatories (electronic)

The following supporting roles from the Contracting Organisation must be added to the application:

  1. Director of Finance 
  2. Head of Department or Senior Manager 

Upon assigning these contacts, an email will be sent to each of them by the system. They will be required to tick a check box indicating that they have read and understood the terms on which they have been nominated for this proposal and accept this role. Ticking this box constitutes an electronic signature of the supporting role for the full application.

At the time of adding the necessary supporting roles required to approve your application you are advised to inform the R&D office of the Contracting Organisation for your proposed research. The aim is to help speed up the permissions process should your application be successful.

The Contracting Lead Applicant will also be required to tick a check box to indicate that they have read and understood the terms on which he/she has been nominated as Contracting Lead Applicant for this proposal, and accept this role.

Once everyone has approved the application you will be able to proceed to submit.

No original or ‘wet ink’ signatures are required for this application.

Section 7: Scientific abstract

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 useful.

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

Section 8: Plain English summary

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

Many reviewers/assessors use this summary to inform their review of your funding application. They include clinicians, other 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 made available on NIHR and other websites. 

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

  1. those carrying out the review (reviewers and committee members) to have a better understanding of your research proposal
  2. inform others about your research such as patients, members of the public, health  professionals, policy makers and the media
  3. 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 / carers / 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
  • 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.

Section 9: Changes from first stage

Please list the feedback received at first stage, and under separate headings indicate what has changed as a result.

Please describe and explain any additional changes that have been made to this proposal since the Stage 1 application (e.g. in the light of new research or in developing equitable partnerships with LMIC researchers and community and public representatives).

Section 10: Location of research

ODA-eligible countries

Please select all ODA-eligible countries where the proposed research will be undertaken.

Other Countries

Please list other countries not listed above where the research will be conducted. If not applicable, please enter ‘None’. 

Section 11: ODA compliance statement

Please provide a statement that demonstrates how the proposal meets key ODA funding requirements. It should address the following questions:

i. which country(s) on the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list of ODA-eligible countries will directly benefit;

ii. how the application is directly and primarily relevant to the development challenges of those countries;

and

iii. how the outcomes will promote the health and welfare of people in the country or countries on the DAC list. 

Where all or part of the research is not undertaken in an ODA-eligible country during the course of the award (including where a country graduates from the DAC list during the lifetime of the award or there is a need for specialist expertise) the application must clearly state the reasons for this with due consideration to the benefit of the research to ODA-eligible countries.

Section 12: Detailed research plan

Using all of the headings in the order presented below, please use this section to clearly explain your proposed research. 

Schematics, tables, illustrations, graphs, and other types of graphics can be embedded to clarify the research plan but they should not clutter the central narrative. Images do not count towards the overall word count but inclusion of them to overcome word limits is not permitted. Images may only be included within the 'Research Plan.' Images included in other sections will be removed from the application and not seen by reviewers.

As this is the main part of your application which will be considered by the reviewing panel, you should ensure that the information is accurate, succinct, clearly laid out and provides sufficient methodological detail. This section should not exceed 16,000 words (approximately 20 pages). 

Applicants should therefore aim to reserve a significant proportion of the word limit for the research plan to ensure methodological approaches are fully specified.

Background and Rationale

This section of the application should include why this research is important in terms of improving the health and/or wellbeing of the relevant populations and healthcare services in the ODA-eligible countries.

This should include a brief literature review of previous work and relevant ongoing research. Applicants should provide a clear explanation of the problem to be addressed, the impact on patients and the community as well as health and care services in ODA-eligible countries and how this research would fill a demonstrable evidence gap.

Explain how your proposed research is within the remit of the NIHR RIGHT programme and how it addresses the key aim of the programme to deliver interdisciplinary research in the areas of unintentional injuries and urgent and emergency care in ODA-eligible countries.

It is essential that you clearly identify the applied health and care challenges faced by the ODA-eligible countries relevant to the geographic and scientific area of your research proposal. Please outline the anticipated value or contribution the study will provide.

Please detail the nature and importance of the research question(s) to be addressed.

N.B. Any reference citations should be included in the ‘Supporting Documentation’ section of this application. If a key citation is not freely available, a copy should also be included.

Aims and Objectives

This section of the application should be used to indicate the main aims and objectives of the proposed research.

Research plan and methods

Detailed information on the research design should include (where appropriate) descriptions of the following:

  • target population
  • justification of sample size
  • power calculation
  • inclusion and exclusion criteria
  • method of allocation
  • planned interventions and who will deliver them

N.B. If any questionnaires have been prepared for use in the proposed research, please include a copy in the ‘Supporting Documentation’ section of this application.

Please provide up to 10 keywords that best summarise the proposed research and then describe the overall research design, including strong justification for the proposed sampling strategies, methods of data collection and analysis. In some cases, it will be appropriate to include discussion of dissemination and implementation here in addition to your response to a specific question on this in the ‘Detailed Research Plan. The key is that the reasoning underlying all stages of the proposed research should be transparent.

Research expertise and structure of the team

Explain why the group is qualified to do this research, describing the track record of the research team in the relevant area, including publication outputs, grant income and impact on health service practice and policy. State clearly the particular contribution that each of the applicants will make towards the research and the particular contribution that any collaborators intend to make.

Approach to creating sustainable and equitable partnerships 

For the NIHR RIGHT, partnership with researchers in OECD DAC list countries is essential. The award should plan to create sustainable and equitable partnerships with their LMIC partners. It is expected that the principles of equitable partnership will be embedded in the NIHR RIGHT applications across all stages of the research process from research design to dissemination and publication.

Describe your approach to creating sustainable and equitable partnerships; and potential/ feasibility to generate sustainable advances in capacity and capability building in the LMIC. 

Training and Capacity Strengthening in LMICs

Please detail how you intend to develop research capacity in the next generation of researchers, including via your Post-Doctoral and Doctoral appointments and the wider environment.

Dissemination, outputs and anticipated impact 

This includes how your research will generate sustainable advances in capacity and capability building in the ODA-eligible countries.

The purpose of this section is for the applicant to describe the planned outputs, outcomes and impact of the proposed research on the health and wealth of the poorest individuals in ODA-eligible countries; detailing how the research will support sustainable advances in capacity and capability in the ODA-eligible countries. Where possible, quantifying the potential benefits and the anticipated timescale for the benefits to the ODA-eligible countries resulting from the proposed research to be realised. NIHR understands that the impact of any research may take time to be realised and will likely involve other funders, institutions and sustained efforts in practice. NIHR also recognises it may be difficult to provide definitive answers or guarantees on longer term impacts. However, applicants should provide details of the pathway to impact of the proposed research. In completing this section it may be useful to consider the following questions:

a) What do you intend to produce from your research?

Please provide brief details of each anticipated output. N.B. The term ‘outputs’ refers to any tangible product of the research, not just academic publications. Outputs can include but are 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 market or government; potential new drug or healthcare intervention. 

b) How will you inform and engage patients and the wider LMIC community about your work?

Describe who you need to communicate with about your research, and your plans for engaging relevant audiences. For impact, it is unlikely that simply making outputs available will be sufficient.

Please consider, and outline the active approach you will take to engaging key parties (e.g. engaging with beneficiaries, national stakeholders, policy makers, decision makers, researchers, practitioners, forming partnerships and influencing other organisations and countries), or identify the process you will use to identify them and formulate an engagement plan. Consider what resources you might need to conduct these activities.

c) How will your outputs influence the health and care system in the LMIC as a whole?

Describe the process by which the research is expected to influence the healthcare environment in the LMIC, including any known processes through which your outputs will be acknowledged, selected and introduced for use in the health and care service or wider society. Where possible consider how the work will be able to be adopted and implemented longer term. Please describe the proposed route to market (commercial or non-commercial) for your outputs. Describe who is needed to take it forward and the relationship you currently (or propose to) have with these parties. If your outputs are likely to be commercially exploitable, please include details on how you plan to develop this and how revenue will be shared between you and the LMIC partner(s) (in line with the DHSC / NIHR expectation for fair and equitable partnerships).

d) What further funding or support will be required if this research is successful (e.g. from NIHR, other Government departments, charity, industry, or other non- governmental organisations)?

Consider what will happen when your programme of research concludes? Consider what investment or support may be needed at the end of this project to maximise impact. Not all projects will require this but if so, plans should be linked to the responses in questions b and c above. Describe any known or anticipated dependencies on other partners and funding streams for ensuring sustainable impact and the maintenance or continued development of new capabilities in the LMIC arising from your research (e.g. any commitments required from LMIC partners to continue to deliver a service / intervention).

e) What are the possible barriers for further research, development, adoption and implementation?

Describe the difficulties which may be faced in delivering impact-related activities and generating impact from your research. These may be difficulties you will face yourself, or challenges faced by those in the implementing context (e.g. clinicians). Be specific: outline the problems in the specific context of your study plans - do not describe general ODA or development challenges.

Will the proposed research use 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 LMIC, through commercial exploitation or other means, e.g. potential regulatory hurdles?

What are the challenges for getting your research implemented in terms of ethics (in the LMIC and in the UK) acceptability, accessibility and feasibility? How will you address this?

f) What do you think the impact of your research will be and for whom?

Describe the impacts you aim to achieve as a direct result of the project and those which are anticipated longer term; (particularly in relation to improving the health and welfare of the poorest and most vulnerable people in LMICs). Please consider how any smaller, more immediate effects may mature over time into larger scale or more significant effects, and the steps by which this may be achieved. As far as possible, indicate anticipated timescales for these benefits and a quantitative estimate of their scale. Please consider how you will monitor and identify impacts, i.e. how will you know when the impacts identified have been achieved, or that you are making progress towards your impact goal? Impacts may include, but are not restricted to - LMIC patient benefit; LMIC healthcare staff benefits and service enhancements; knowledge gain relevant to UK NHS service (including efficiency savings); commercial return (which could contribute to economic growth in both the UK and the LMIC); public and community wellbeing in the LMIC.

g) How will you share with study participants the progress and findings of your research?

What strategies will you use to keep your research participants informed of the progress of your project and the findings? Consider the ethical implications of informing study participants and also what the most accessible methods could be, such as newsletters, leaflets, webpages, social media and where relevant different languages and formats. The Health Research Authority provides guidance on the information participants of trials should receive at the end of the study.

Project and research timetable 

It is mandatory to attach a Gantt chart indicating a schedule for the completion of work, including the timing of key milestones and deliverables.

NIHR Global Health RIGHT programme team will monitor project delivery against agreed milestones and deliverables, and in relation to the relative delivery risks associated with your project.  For the purposes of RIGHT calls “deliverables” are defined as tangible products or outcomes (e.g. documents or recorded evidence of outcome/impact). “Milestones” may also be associated with products but can also be key staging points in the research that enable monitoring of the overall delivery against the objectives (e.g. completion of a specific task or activity).

  • All critical enablers for the project (e.g. collaboration agreements, sub-contracts, ethical consent, risk management, due diligence and safeguarding policies) should be considered to be deliverables.
  • Quarterly financial assurance reports detailing actual spend are a mandatory requirement for this call and must be listed as deliverables.
  • Any Stop/Go decision points for research should be clearly reflected in the milestones 

When uploading, applicants must only use the filename description ’Appendix_Gantt Chart’.

Project management and governance (including approach to risk management and assurance/safeguarding) 

Please outline the practical arrangements for managing the research, its constituent components, and governance arrangements. 

Identify the project management processes that will ensure that the milestones are reached in a timely manner. This should include the roles and responsibilities of those individuals undertaking the proposed research and set out reporting lines, steering committee involvement, and the schedule of meetings of the proposed research group to permit coordination, evaluation of progress and dissemination of findings. 

You should also highlight the role of any Advisory or Reference Groups associated with the proposed research. 

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

Please provide clear details on the risks and challenges, as well as mitigating actions, in delivering the proposed work and pay particular attention to the following issues: 

Data protection and information governance 

Describe ethics or governance considerations in relation to the project including use and storage of personnel and sensitive data. 

Financial assurance, ODA compliance, monitoring and auditing of expenditure in the ODA-eligible countries 

Describe arrangements for the allocation of funds from the UK host institution to LMIC partners and the financial processes, controls and audit measures in place to ensure appropriate use of funds, including any specific subcontracting arrangements for compliance auditing. 

NB: There are specific mandatory requirements for monitoring and financial assurance relating to the distribution and use of ODA funding (see detail under selection criteria). To make effective arrangements for risk management and assurance, you should consider the financial systems and financial management capacity of your LMIC partner and the level of risk within the country, and tailor your assurance and monitoring processes appropriately. 

You may find the following online resources helpful: 

Fraud and bribery 

Describe the arrangements or governance mechanisms in place to prevent fraud, bribery and corruption and to ensure compliance for the duration of the Award.

Safeguarding 

Describe the arrangements for safeguarding of study participants and staff. If your Research group is funded by the NIHR, you will be expected to take all appropriate measures to prevent actual, attempted or threatened sexual exploitation, abuse or harassment by your employees or any other persons engaged and controlled by the group to perform any activities under your Agreement with NIHR and adopt robust procedures for the reporting of suspected misconduct, illegal acts or failures to investigate. 

You may find the following online resources helpful:

A risk register may also be uploaded if available, to summarise the detail provided in this section. As described previously NIHR will be looking to act in partnership with applicants, expert reviewers and its programme managers to explore a proportionate and contextually-sensitive approach to monitoring and evaluation. A mutually agreed risk register and schedule of milestones and deliverables will be critical tools in informing our approach to monitoring.

NIHR reporting and monitoring requirements: NIHR recognise the need for flexible and agile project management in the context of global health, and will work with successful applicants to develop a proportionate approach to monitoring and reporting. However, applicants should note that due to mandatory conditions for ODA compliance we will require detailed quarterly finance reports (recording actual spend), associated quarterly updates of research progress (proportionate in detail to the risks, milestones and deliverables associated with the project), annual reports, emerging outputs, including detail in relation to the gender and country location of the authors, and a final report at the end of the award.

Ethics / regulatory approvals 

Applicants should ensure all plans for research follow the UK Policy Framework For Health and Social Care Research, the Concordat to support Research Integrity, 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. 

Outline any ethical issues that require regulatory approvals. 

  • If applicable (e.g. research involving human participants) describe plans for ethical review of the proposed activities in the UK and/or ODA-eligible countries). 
  • If the research involves vulnerable individuals or groups (e.g. children, individuals lacking capacity to consent or those suffering from stigmatising conditions in their community) then please describe how you will manage their involvement. 

You may find the following online resources helpful:

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.

Section 13: 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.

There is no standard model for CEI. Applicants should demonstrate that their CEI approach is appropriate and effective for the particular context(s) of the proposed research. Applicants should ensure that people affected by the research topic are empowered to contribute towards decision-making throughout the research life cycle.

You may find the following Information and resources helpful: 

You may also find it helpful to refer to the Mesh website, a collaborative open-access web space that provides CEI resources, encourages networking and shares good practice within global health research. 

Application development

Please describe how members of the public, patients or carers in LMICs with lived experience of your research area were involved in developing this proposal. This might be through working with civil society organisations/ community groups or direct engagement. This section could include: 

  • Whether you've reached out to people or communities who are often marginalised or particularly affected by your research area(s).
  • How and where people got involved.
  • What changes were made to your proposal as a result of your CEI activities. Please give specific examples where possible.

CEI in the proposed research

Please outline your plans for engaging and involving patients and carers in the proposed research. This could include direct engagement with individuals or engagement through civil society, patient or community organisations. This section could include: 

  • Who will be responsible for leading this work and why have they been selected.
  • How you will reach communities who are most affected by your research topic, as well as those who are often marginalised. What you will do to ensure this is meaningful.
  • How you will support, train and build the capacity of people with experience of unintentional injury/ emergency care to get involved.   
  • How people will be involved throughout the research cycle, from informing the design, involvement in the research activities as well as the monitoring, evaluation and dissemination of the research. Will they have a role as part of the strategic decision making e.g. within governance structures.
  • How your CEI activities will help to maximise the impact of research for the direct and primary benefit of the population in the countries involved. 

Please ensure your plans are fully costed within your budget.

Section 14: Justification of costs

Provide overall justification of costs and details of how it provides value for money. 

Section 15: Detailed budget

Through this call, awards up to £5 million, typical range £1-5 million (maximum of £5 million) over 3-5 years are available for eligible research, starting June 2022 (earliest start date) to September 2022 (latest start date). The amount awarded and the length of the funding period should be fully justified according to the nature of the proposed research.

Justification of costs 

Provide a breakdown of research costs associated with undertaking the research and provide justification for the resources requested, including the following: 

  1. Research staff engaged in relevant research
  2. Research support staff supporting relevant research
  3. Travel, subsistence, meetings, conference
  4. Equipment 
  5. Consumables 
  6. Community engagement and involvement 
  7. Dissemination, including open access publication costs
  8. Risk management and assurance 
  9. Training and development
  10. External intervention costs 
  11. Monitoring, evaluation and learning
  12. Any other direct costs
  13. Other legitimate and reasonable indirect costs (e.g. HR, finance)

Please refer to the RIGHT Call 4 Finance Guidance to assist with preparation of a detailed budget. For help with estimating community engagement and involvement costs, please see the NIHR Payments Guidance for researchers and professionals. 

Section 16: Uploads

Mandatory

  • A list of references cited in the application (maximum 3 pages A4)
  • A signed letter of support for the Non-contracting (Joint) Lead Applicant from an appropriate senior individual at the Non-Contracting (Joint) Lead Applicant’s institution
  • Delivery Chain Risk map

Non-mandatory

The following file(s) are considered non-mandatory to submission; please number your files and attach:

  • Supporting documentation, including protocols, questionnaires, logic models, flow diagrams, pictures, charts 
  • Other Letters of support (see mandatory uploads above)
  • Papers in press 
  • Risk register 

N.B. The total file size should not exceed 10Mb. Total file sizes larger than this may not be considered as part of the submission. All supporting documentation must be uploaded with a clear and concise filename description, preceded by a numbered ‘Appendix’ reference. Uploads must be provided as a Word or PDF document or you may not be able to submit your application or it may be difficult for the panel to view the required information in order to assess your application. 

Section 17: Administrative contact details

Please provide the details of an administrative lead as a secondary point of contact for any queries relating to the application, should it be supported.

Note: This person does not need to be a co-applicant.

Section 18: Research and development office contact details

Please provide the contact details and job title of a person in the R&D office, so that we are able to notify them of the outcome of this application including any associated feedback.

Note: Please note this person does not need to be included as a co-applicant.

Section 19: Acknowledge, review and submit

Conflict of Interest (COI) checks 

Please declare any conflicts or potential conflicts of interest that you or your co-applicants may have, including any facts that, should they come to light at a future date, could lead to a perception of bias. Include any relevant personal, non-personal & commercial interest that could be perceived as a conflict of interest. Examples include (this list is not all encompassing) secondary employment, consultancy, financial or commercial gain (pensions, shareholdings, directorships, voting rights), honoraria, etc. In a case of commercial sector involvement with the application or the study, please state clearly the relationship to ownership of data, access to data, and membership of project oversight groups. 

Agreement to terms and conditions

As Lead Applicant, please tick the box to confirm that the information given on this form is correct and that you will be actively engaged in this research and responsible for its overall management. In addition, you will accept responsibility for ensuring that the host institution and interested parties are kept informed.

N.B. Ticking this box constitutes an electronic signature of the lead applicant with regard to this application.

Checklist of information to include when submitting a NIHR RIGHT Stage 2 research application

Applicants should click the checkboxes to indicate that they have included the necessary information prior to submitting their application.

  • GANTT CHART (mandatory upload)
  • A full and accurate detailed budget breakdown (mandatory upload)
  • References (mandatory upload)
  • Delivery Chain Risk Map (mandatory upload) 
  • Letter of support from the Non-contracting (Joint) Lead institution (mandatory upload) 
  • A clear description of team member roles and contribution 
  • A clear description of the changes from first stage 
  • A clear scientific abstract 
  • A good quality Plain English Summary
  • A clear Detailed Research Plan outlining the study design, methods, dissemination etc. 
  • A flow diagram illustrating the study design / flow of participants, if appropriate 
  • Governance Structure 
  • Appropriate and relevant community engagement and involvement 
  • A clear justification of costs / value for money 
  • The support and agreement from the necessary supporting roles / signatories 
  • Other Supporting documentation (non–mandatory upload) 

Section 20: Validation summary

Please follow the next steps in order to complete your application submission process:

  • Validate all mandatory/required fields listed below (that are required to be completed/amended before submitting)
  • Check all co-applicants have completed their CV details as appropriate and review the PDF final version for any formatting issues
  • Click 'Save and Close'
  • Click the 'Submit' option (this must be completed by 1 pm (UK time), 29 September 2021).

Please note that your submission will not be considered complete until all applicants have confirmed their participation in the application and the 'Submit' button becomes available and is then used.

You will receive an automated email containing the acknowledgment that we have received your application.