The Global Health Research Units programme funds collaborations of researchers within universities and research institutes in low and middle income countries (LMICs) and the UK who wish to establish new programmes of applied health research.
Guidance on impact of COVID-19 on NIHR funded and supported research
The Global Health Research Units programme funds research to address locally-identified challenges in LMICs, by supporting equitable research partnerships between researchers and institutions in the UK and those in low and middle income countries (LMICs) eligible to receive Official Development Assistance (ODA).
The Global Health Research Units programme provides funding to support not only delivery of research that will improve health outcomes for people living in LMICs, but also to strengthen crucial research capability and capacity in resource-poor settings, in particular training and capacity building in both academic research and programme support functions.
Global Health Research Unit funding is awarded to partnerships that have an existing track record of delivering internationally recognised applied global health research and wish to consolidate and expand this work.
Global Health Research Units are defined as a well-established research partnership or network of universities and research institutes in LMICs and the UK:
Awards of up to £7 million over a period of up to 5 years are available.
The Global Health Research Units programme holds one-stage funding calls, with a mandatory Intent to Submit form ahead of stage 1.
Applications are reviewed by independent experts and an international funding committee
Research proposals should be online through the Management Information System (MIS). We supply a word document template application form to help researchers prepare their proposal ahead of online submission.
The Global Health Research Units programme funds research proposals from researchers in UK-based (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) higher education institutions and research institutes.
Applications must include a co-applicant or joint lead applicant from a country eligible for ODA funding and relevant to the research proposal.
Applications must demonstrate how the research proposal meets ODA compliance criteria.
Find out more about ODA eligibility
Applications in any field of applied global health research for the direct and primary benefit of people living in one or more ODA-eligible country/ies will be considered.
Global Health Research Units awards will support applications that:
Global Health Research Unit awards will not support applications that:
.Applications to the Global Health Research Unit programme are peer reviewed by professional reviewers, then considered by a funding committee.
The committees recommend projects for funding to the Department of Health and Social Care, which approves which projects should be funded.
Members of NIHR Committees are required to declare any interests which conflict, or may be considered to conflict, with NIHR business, or may be perceived as influencing decisions made in the course of their work within NIHR programmes. All members are asked to complete the Register of Interest form (annually), which is intended to capture long term predictable interests that could be perceived to lead to conflicts of interest. These and other interests are judged on a case by case basis at individual meetings.
The Global Health Research Units Funding Committee is chaired by Professor Stephen Tollman.
View the full membership of the Global Health Research Units Funding Committees for call 1 and call 2.
To date the Global Health Research Units programme has held two funding calls.
The second call for Global Health Research Units opened in June 2020 and will have two closing dates in Autumn 2020 and Summer 2021. The units awarded funding will be announced in 2021.
The first funding call for Global Health Research Units took place between November 2016 and March 2017. Funding was awarded to 13 new Global Health Research Units.
We offer a wide variety of assistance during all stages of the research process. If in doubt, please get in touch.
Email: nihrglobalhealth@nihr.ac.uk
Our operating hours are 9am to 5pm.
The fourth call of the Research and Innovation for Global Health Transformation (RIGHT) programme will fund research on unintentional injuries, and urgent and emergency care, in low and middle income countries.
The first call of the Global Health Research Centres programme will fund and designate NIHR Global Health Research Centres in non-communicable diseases.
This award gives applicants the opportunity to plan a personalised presentation, training (skills/techniques/career development) and networking experience in another part of the NIHR (within the UK or a LMIC).
These awards will provide funding to a well-established, equitable research partnership or network of universities and research institutes in LMICs and the UK with an existing track-record of delivering internationally recognised applied global health research.
These awards will provide funding to collaborations of specialist researchers within universities and research institutes in LMICs and the UK who wish to establish new programmes of applied health research.
All global health research funding opportunities