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Home > About us > Document library > Scheme Guidance Notes: NIHR Global Health Research Short Placement Award for Research Collaboration (GHR SPARC) Round 4 (2023)

Scheme Guidance Notes: NIHR Global Health Research Short Placement Award for Research Collaboration (GHR SPARC) Round 4 (2023)

Contents

Published: 23 November 2023

Version: November 2023

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Section 1: Introduction

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is funded by the UK’s Department of Health and Social Care. Its work in low and middle income countries is principally funded through UK Aid from the UK government.

The NIHR Global Health Research Portfolio uses UK Aid to fund high quality applied health research and training to meet the needs of the people in low and middle income countries (LMICs). This research aims to:

  • Address the shifting global burden of disease
  • Develop health systems to identify and respond to population needs
  • Build resilience to tackle future global health threats
  • Strengthen research capacity in LMICs through equitable partnerships between LMIC and UK researchers.

Further information on the NIHR Global Health Research portfolio is available on the NIHR website.

Section 2: About the NIHR GHR Short Placement Award for Research Collaboration (NIHR GHR SPARC)

The NIHR GHR SPARC scheme supports NIHR GHR Academy members to undertake a short placement elsewhere in the NIHR.

The placement should optimise and enhance your research training experience as well as your networks, CVs and career opportunities. For example, you could learn a new skill/technique or collaborate with researchers/specialists.

The scheme enables NIHR GHR researchers to collaborate with other parts of the NIHR GHR portfolio and wider UK NIHR Infrastructure (non-ODA funded). The scheme aims to enhance the NIHR GHR Programmes outcomes in achieving direct and primary benefit for patients and populations in LMICs.

Each award consists of a package of up to £10,000 to support a bespoke placement. This may include:

  • funding for travel
  • accommodation and subsistence costs
  • funding for short training courses
  • funding for any relevant placement outputs.

By the end of the placement, a GHR SPARC awardee is expected to be able to show evidence of:

  • Completion of the placement and activities proposed in the application
  • Development of new research or technical skills/technique
  • Increased professional skills
  • Publications/presentations/posters/infographics arising from the GHR SPARC placement/award
  • Involvement in collaborative relationships and increased networks.

2.1 Definitions

NIHR GHR Programme Training Lead 

The NIHR Global Health Research Training Leads from the NIHR GHR Units, Groups and Centres and includes training leads and people responsible for coordinating training under the NIHR RIGHT and HPSR programmes and Global Research Professorship awards.

NIHR GHR Academy Members

An NIHR Global Health Research Academy member is someone who is receiving funding from, or being supported by, an NIHR Global Health Research Programme (including Global Research Professorship Award) to develop their academic career.

‘NIHR Global Health Research Programme’ includes official collaborating institutions. An official collaborating institution (‘Partner’ or ‘Collaborator’) is an organisation which holds a current collaboration agreement with the holder of the NIHR Global Health Research Programme research contract to participate in global health research work, and which may or may not be in receipt of NIHR funds. Those in receipt of co-funded awards administered by a Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) partner organisation will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

NIHR GHR Programmes 

NIHR Global Health Research Units, NIHR Global Health Research Groups, NIHR Global Health Research Centres, Global Health Policy and Systems Research (HPSR), NIHR Research and Innovation for Global Health Transformation (RIGHT) and Global Research Professorships.

NIHR GHR Programme Lead Institution

The contractor and accountable body for the award will be the Institution contracted to lead (‘the GHR Programme Lead Institution’) the NIHR GHR Programme award or NIHR Global Research Professorship award that you are from. The NIHR GHR Programme Lead Institution is the Institution that holds the NIHR research contract with the Department of Health and Social Care ‘Authority’.

Official Collaborating Institution

An official collaborating institution (‘Partner’ or ‘Collaborator’) is an organisation which holds a current collaboration agreement with the holder of the NIHR research contract to participate in global health research work, and which may or may not be in receipt of NIHR funds.

Section 3: Eligibility

3.1 ODA eligibility criteria

The NIHR GHR SPARC is funded by Official Development Assistance (ODA) and as such, an individual applying for this award must be able to demonstrate how the award will directly and primarily benefit patients and the public in countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) List of ODA Recipients (OECD DAC list). The meet ODA eligibility criteria, 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
  • How the outcomes of the training activity will benefit 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 must make a clear case for how the research will be of primary benefit to the development challenges of those countries, and how outcomes will promote health and welfare.

Further information can be found in NIHR ODA Guidance for Researchers and in Global Health Research Programmes - Core Guidance for applicants.

3.2 Who can apply

The NIHR GHR SPARC is open to all NIHR GHR Academy Members in NIHR GHR Programmes with an overarching contract end date after 31st December 2024. To apply for an NIHR GHR SPARC award you must be:

  • Currently undertaking a Pre-doctoral fellowship/Masters, PhD or Post-doctoral fellowship or being supported to apply for a formal training/career development award
  • Have been competitively awarded your career development award or your current position
  • Actively pursue an academic research career
  • Have a formal training plan in place (a detailed personalised formal training and career development plan supporting your academic development)
  • Hold a minimum level of qualification at Masters level if not already undertaking a Masters/Pre-doctoral, Doctoral or Post-Doctoral Fellowship
  • ReceivingfundingfromorbeingsupportedbyanNIHRGHR Programme award:
    • NIHR Global Health Research Units (GHR Units)
    • NIHR Global Health Research Groups (GHR Groups)
    • NIHR Global Health Research Centres (GHR Centres)NIHR Research and Innovation for Global Health Transformation (RIGHT)
    • NIHR Global Health Policy and Systems Research Programme (Global HPSR)
    • NIHR Global Research Professorship (GRP)

The scheme is open to all health, public health and social care research and methodology professions.

 3.3 Supportive environment

You must have the support of your NIHR GHR Programme award, including the GHR Programme Lead Institution, to apply for the award.
Your ‘Employing Organisation’ (substantive employer) will continue to support your salary/stipend/fees for the duration of the NIHR GHR SPARC award/placement.

The ‘Placement Host’ will provide supervision and training in collaboration with the Employing Organisation for the duration of the GHR SPARC award/placement.

The ‘Placement Host Institution’ and ‘Placement Host Institution Supervisor’ will support your programme of activities. Your placement must develop research capacity. The Placement Host must be either:

  • an NIHR GHR Programme Lead Institution, or an ‘Official Collaborating Institution’ (overseas partner) that is listed as an ‘Official Collaborating Institution’ and a named party in the NIHR GHR Programme awards current collaboration agreement
  • a part of the UK NIHR Infrastructure (non-ODA funded).

View potential host locations for your SPARC placement.

Section 4: Scope of Award

4.1 Types of placements and activities

You are encouraged to design a placement around you and it should enhance your own work. It should take into consideration your individual research training needs, background, skills/experiences, and academic career trajectory. For example, you may wish to consider:

  • Seeking placements in a NIHR GHR Programme award with a similar specialism to your award
  • SeekingplacementsinanNIHRGHR Programme award that offers research training experiences not available where you are working. This could include:
    • cross-discipline training
    • clinical trials
    • community engagement and involvement
  • Seeking placements within a part of the non-ODAfundedUKNIHR Infrastructure/‘WiderNIHR’ such as:
    • a NIHR Biomedical Research Centre
    • the NIHR School for Public Health Research
    • a NIHR Policy Research Unit.

The placement, however, is not limited to these types of activities. You must clearly demonstrate how this opportunity would enhance your studies, your CV and academic career development opportunities and how it meets ODA compliance requirements.

4.2 Identifying a Placement Host and Supervisor

4.2.1 Identifying a Potential Placement Host/Location

Potential applicants might want to explore spending a short period of time with a particular researcher or research team in one of the following:

One of the NIHR GHR Programmes

Including the NIHR GHR Programme Lead Institution and any of the associated ‘Official Collaborating Institutions’):

A part of the UK NIHR Infrastructure or ‘Wider NIHR (non-ODA funded)’

4.2.2 Helpful Resources/Documents Available to Potential Applicants

4.2.3 Advice for identifying a Potential Placement Supervisor

To identify a Potential Placement Supervisor, we advise that you:

  1. Get in touch with your ‘Primary Supervisor’ and NIHR GHR Training Lead early (using the Find your NIHR GHR Training Lead list) to get support and permission.
  2. View the NIHR GHR Training Programme awards Placement and Collaboration Guide. You need mutual support and agreement between your ‘Employing Organisation’ and ‘Placement Host Institution’ for your placement.
  3. Once you have identified a potential ‘Placement Host’; you should get in touch with the Training Lead at the Placement Host Institution or relevant colleagues to discuss potential placement ideas, or activities/training.
  4. You will also need to identify a ‘Placement Host Institution Supervisor’ at the placement organisation. With your Placement Host Institution Supervisor, you should develop both training needs and career development plans. You both may want to think about how you might want to work together in the future.

You must have discussed and sought agreement/permission from the Placement Host Institution before you submit an application. You are responsible for liaising with your NIHR GHR Training Lead and Placement Host Institution Supervisor to agree the scope of the placement before submitting an application.

4.3 Award duration

We recognise that placements must be flexible. There is no minimum or maximum duration for the placement/taster opportunity. Placements can range from 2 weeks to 6 months. The placement period can also be broken up.

If you are undertaking a pre-doctoral training award or are a Masters student, you must ensure your placement doesn’t detract from your current studies.
Awards must start on the first of the month, starting from 1 July 2024 to 1 February 2025. The placement must be completed before 28 February 2025 and at least two months before the end of the NIHR GHR Programme research contract to which you are based (whichever is soonest).

4.4 Award Management

An NIHR GHR SPARC ‘Award Contract Letter’ will be put in place with the Lead Institution contracted to lead (‘the GHR Programme Lead Institution’) the NIHR GHR Programme award or NIHR Global Research Professorship award that your’ Employing Organisation (substantive employer) is partnered with (for some applicants the ‘Employing Organisation’ and ‘NIHR GHR Programme Lead Institution’ may be the same institution), and the Department for Health and Social Care (the ‘Authority’).

The contract will outline that NIHR will reimburse the Lead Institution contracted to lead the NIHR GHR Programme award or NIHR Global Research Professorship the awarded amount after the placement is complete. Successful applicants must:

  • Notify the NIHR when the placement/SPARC award has come to an end
  • Submit a written report within 2 months of the completion of the placement or by 30 April 2025 (whichever is soonest), detailing the placement, achievements, impacts and outputs
  • Complete a pre-award/pre-placement questionnaire, post-award/post-placement questionnaire and a questionnaire a year on.

Your NIHR GHR Programme Lead Institution may need to transfer funds to your ‘Employing Organisation’ to enable the activities to take place. NIHR will reimburse the NIHR GHR Programme Lead Institution after a final invoice is provided.

Your NIHR GHR Programme Lead Institution (‘contractor’) will:

  • Within 2 months of the completion of the placement or by the 30 April 2025 and at least 2 months before the end of the overarching NIHR GHR Programme award or NIHR Global Research Professorship award research contract (whichever is the soonest) submit an invoice to the NIHR for incidental expenses incurred during the placement, up to the limit of the amount awarded
  • Confirm sight and approval of all supporting documentation (i.e. receipts) for expenses incurred and that the costs incurred are as described in the NIHR GHR SPARC application form and approved by the Selection Committee. The NIHR reserves the right to request copies of supporting documentation
  • Take responsibility for ensuring the institution that has borne the cost will be repaid and will inform NIHR as to how much of the funding is disbursed to LMICs.

The NIHR GHR SPARC award is a personal award and assessed on the individual’s experience and capacity. Consequently, the award is non-transferrable to another student or NIHR GHR Academy Member.

If the GHR SPARC award holder is unable to undertake the award/placement as planned, they must contact the NIHR as soon as they are aware. On a case-by-case basis, the situation will be evaluated to determine if the award can be deferred to a different agreed date or must be declined/terminated on this occasion.

Section 5: Scope of Funding

You can apply for up to £10,000 to support a bespoke placement including:

  • Funding to cover:
    • travel
    • accommodation and subsistence
  • Funding for any specific formal training courses, for example:
    • qualitative research methods course
    • implementation science training
    • CEI/PPI training etc
  • Funding for the production of relevant placement outputs, for example:
    • an infographic
    • informative video etc

Costs which will not be covered by an NIHR GHR SPARC award include:

  • research costs
  • supervisory fees
  • insurance
  • open access fees
  • conference fees.

It is expected the above costs would be funded by your NIHR GHR Programme award or Employing Organisation if required. No support for salary/stipend/fees will be provided by NIHR under this award.

You will remain registered/employed at your ‘Employing Organisation’ who will continue to support your salary/stipend/fees for the duration of the NIHR GHR SPARC award/placement.

Section 6: Selection Criteria

All applications are assessed on the following criteria:

  • The extent to which the placement will provide a high-quality and stimulating research training experience
  • The potential for you to enhance your current research studies
  • The provision of academic supervision and support at both your ‘Employing Organisation’ and the ‘Placement Host Institution’
  • The impact the placement will have on your personal and professional development and academic career trajectory
  • The extent to which the proposed training is not available in your ‘Employing Organisation’ training environment
  • The extent to which the placement starts to shape meaningful collaborations/partnerships with other NIHR GHR Programme awards or UK NIHR Infrastructure/’Wider NIHR’
  • The ‘value for money’ of the training/placement
  • The extent of the support available to you during your placement from the placement host institution
  • The fulfilment of ODA eligibility criteria.

Section 7: Application Procedure

Before submitting the application, you must have received approval and support from your NIHR GHR Programme Lead Institution, NIHR GHR Training Lead and Placement Host Institution. You should all agree on the scope of the application.

The NIHR (via ghrtp@nihr.ac.uk) can advise on eligibility and remit enquiries, and answer queries any party has when completing the application form.

The NIHR GHR Programme Training Lead should liaise with the Programme Director/PI/GRP of the NIHR GHR Programme award that will administer the contract to ensure their support.

You are required to submit an application form via ARAMIS. The application form will need to be signed by your NIHR GHR Training Lead.

All components of your application form and associated CV must be submitted by the deadline. No additional supporting documents will be accepted after the deadline.

Please give yourself sufficient time to obtain your signatory’s approval before the deadline. No exceptions will be made.

All applications will undergo an initial screen for eligibility and remit. The NIHR may contact you, along with contacting your NIHR GHR Programme Training Lead directly and cross check NIHR GHR Programme ‘Official Collaborating Institutions’ with colleagues who manage the NIHR GHR Programme or NIHR Global Research Professorship research contracts.

The NIHR will distribute eligible applications to the members of the NIHR GHR Training Programme Selection Committee. Applications will be reviewed by the Selection Committee, who will make recommendations for funding that will be considered by the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) Science, Research and Evidence (SRE) Directorate. Once confirmed, the funding decisions will then be communicated to applicants. Applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application by email when all required processes are complete.

The selection process and subsequent management of the NIHR GHR CADA awards will be managed by the NIHR.

7.1 Application Timetable

  • Webinar on award: 29 November 2023
  • Applications open: 30 November 2023
  • Closing date for applications: 15 February 2024
  • Assessment of eligible applications by Selection Committee: February - March 2024
  • NIHR GHR Training Programme Selection Committee Funding Recommendation Meeting: March 2024.

Section 8: Completing an online application

Applications will need to be completed and submitted via the NIHR Academy Research Awards Management Information System ARAMIS by 15th February 2024
The application for the NIHR GHR SPARC is a collaborative process and will require participants and signatories to sign into ARAMIS.

8.1 Applicant

You will only be able to press the ‘Submit’ button 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.

Clicking ‘Submit’ will send the application for final sign off by the signatories.

You are advised to validate the application as they work through the application form.

Once all other parties have made their contribution, you must ‘Submit’ the application to the signatories for final sign off before the closing date.

8.2 Participants

You are required to supply the names and email addresses of the individuals who will be undertaking ‘participant’ roles as part of your application.

Participants must agree to be part of the application. Participants are required to review the declaration for the role before confirming participation as part of the one-click ‘confirm’ process.

8.2.1 Required participants:

Primary supervisor

The individual acting as Primary Supervisor must confirm that they have read the application and the guidance notes and are willing to provide support to the named applicant for the programme of activities as detailed in this application and agree to abide by the conditions under which an award may be granted. In addition, you also confirm that if you are a foreign national undertaking a placement in the UK that the candidate will be eligible, for the duration of the GHR SPARC award, to live and work in the UK.

Placement host supervisor

The Placement Host Supervisor must confirm they have read the guidance notes, and that they agree to 'host' and support you for the duration of the placement and support your programme of activities as detailed in this application. They must provide a statement of support that details how the ‘Placement Supervisor’ and ‘Placement Host Institution’ are going to support you to successfully complete your placement, training and activities outlined in the placement plan.

NIHR GHR Programme Director/RIGHT or HPSR Project Principal Investigator/NIHR Global Research Professorship award holder

This individual must confirm that their NIHR contracted GHR Programme award (NIHR GHR Units and Groups, RIGHT and HPSR Programme) or NIHR Global Research Professorship award will be the contract and accountable body for the GHR SPARC award and will administer the award. They agree that in line with compliance requirements under the Official Development Assistance Funds, background checks on you have been undertaken that are aligned with their recruitment organisational policy, and that they are a verified person undertaking a formal training programme or are being supported to apply for a formal training/career development award. They agree that they will take all reasonable steps to ensure that they meet the standards set out in the NIHR Safeguarding Guidance (September 2020) and the due diligence obligations under the NIHR contract.

8.3 Signatories

You are required to supply the names and email addresses of the individuals who will be undertaking ‘Signatories’ roles as part of your application. Once their contact details have been entered, the signatories will be invited to log into the system and confirm their participation. Signatories will be required to:

  • Agree to the role being asked of them in the application before the application is submitted by the applicant
  • Agree to participate and complete their sections. You will not be able to submit the application if this has not been completed
  • Approve the final version of the application after it has been submitted via the online system
  • Signatories must approve the application after you have 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.

8.3.1 Required Signatories

NIHR GHR Training Lead

The individual acting as your NIHR GHR Training Lead must confirm they have read the application and guidance notes and agree that you will benefit from the placement, meet the objectives described in the placement plan and that the opportunity will complement the research training you are currently undertaking.

Image description: Application submission Process Flow Diagram Step 1: Application created, Step 2: Applicant adds participant and signatory details, Signatories and Participants log in and confirm their participation, Signatories and Participants complete sections of the form where applicable, Step 3 Applicant continues entering data completing all the relevant sections of the form, Step 4: applicant presses the submit button, Step 5: Automated emails sent to notify signatories, Step 6 Once all signatories have approved the application it is automatically submitted to the NIHR for consideration (rejection of the application by any individual at step 6 will return the application to Step 3).

Section 9: General Advice

  • All submissions via the online application system must be in English
  • Applications will not be accepted if submitted after the exact closing date and time. The system will automatically prevent this from happening
    It is your responsibility to allow sufficient time to submit an application and signatory sign off
  • You must contact the NIHR Global Health team by emailing academy-awards@nihr.ac.uk or call 0113 532 8444 (Option 4) immediately if you think there is a system problem, whilst attempting to continue with your submission
  • Please see guidance on completing your application form, which also contains guidance on how to write the budget
  • This document should be read with the Global Health Research Programmes - Core Guidance for Applicants for further guidance.