The Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) Programme aims to produce rigorous and relevant evidence to improve the quality, accessibility and organisation of health and social care services.
The Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) Programme aims to produce rigorous and relevant evidence to improve the quality, accessibility and organisation of health and social care services.
The Health and Social Care Delivery Research Programme is funded by the NIHR with specific contributions from the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) in Scotland, Health and Care Research Wales and the HSC R&D Division, Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland.
All of our funded projects are eligible for publication in the NIHR Journals Library. This open access resource is freely available online, and provides a full and permanent record of NIHR-funded research.
The HSDR programme funds evaluative research that has the potential to improve health and social care services. Research may be primary (qualitative and/or quantitative), secondary and evidence syntheses. Typical projects are mixed-methods studies with a clear focus on the organisation and quality of care. There should also be a focus on the experience of patients, staff and service users. Projects will often include an analysis of routine and linked data on service use, activity and outcomes. A variety of study designs are considered and examples include:
Applicants will need to explain how the findings of their research will synthesised together into useful outputs for service, academic, and public audiences. There will also need to be a plan for how these findings will be communicated and demonstrate impact.
In this section you can read more on the people involved in the assessment of applications for the Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) Programme, read the minutes of previous funding decisions and find out more about becoming a reviewer or a Committee member.
A large number of people are involved in assessing the research proposals received by the HSDR Programme to ensure that the projects are assessed in a clear and fair way, embracing the latest expertise, knowledge and opinion.
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. 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 HSDR Funding Committee assesses stage 1 and 2 proposals received through the commissioned and researcher-led workstreams. At stage one, the committee considers applications primarily for need and importance, and at stage two primarily for scientific quality and value for money. The committee is composed of experts from a range of disciplines relevant to health and social care delivery research, and public contributors.
Our community of reviewers play a vital part in maintaining and improving the quality of the HSDR Programme projects and outputs. They are sought from a variety of fields, including from those who work in and use health and social care services.
To demonstrate our gratitude to our reviewers, and acknowledge the important work they do for the programme, the names of the past year’s reviewers can be found on our reviewers list.
We offer a wide variety of assistance during all stages of the research process. If in doubt, please get in touch.
For help with applying for HSDR funding:
Tel: 023 8059 4304
Email: hsdrinfo@nihr.ac.uk
Most research supported by the HSDR Programme will follow the normal two-stage process of assessment before being funded. However, it may sometimes be necessary to accelerate the handling of a topic and in such circumstances researchers may be eligible to apply through the fast-track scheme.
The fast-track scheme provides an opportunity to submit a stage 2 proposal directly, shortening the length of time it takes for a funding decision to be made. However, please bear in mind that proposals accepted onto the fast-track scheme will be considered on equal terms with other stage 2 proposals which have had the benefit of feedback by the Research Funding Committee at stage 1.
If you would like your proposal to be considered for the fast-track scheme, please contact hsdrinfo@nihr.ac.uk. You will be asked to:
convince the secretariat that there is significant benefit to fast-tracking your application, and
submit a written summary of your proposal (usually about one side of A4) in a PICO format if appropriate and/or describe the study briefly in terms of aims, research questions, outcome measures, scale, PPI, inclusion, stakeholder engagement, outputs and dissemination.
The information you provide will then be considered, and you will be informed whether your proposal is eligible for fast-tracking. If it is, you will be provided with more information about submitting your stage 2 application, and the timescales for doing this.
The Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) Programme is accepting stage one applications to this funding opportunity.
The Health Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) Programme is accepting stage one applications to this funding opportunity.
The Health Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) Programme is accepting stage one applications to this funding opportunity.
The Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) Programme are accepting stage 1 applications to their researcher-led workstream.
The Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) Programme is accepting expression of interest applications to this funding opportunity
All HSDR funding opportunities
Information for applicants applying for HSDR Health inequalities in overprescribing call
Public minutes from the HSDR Funding Committee meeting held in March 2022
Information for applicants applying for Health communication and public health messaging
Information for applicants who are applying for HSDR Technology-enabled monitoring - rapid evaluation of innovations team call
Specification document for applicants applying for Social care rapid evaluation research team call