NIHR Programme Development Grants (PDG) are designed to enable a research team to carry out targeted preparatory work to develop a competitive Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR) funding application. They can also be used to further develop an existing or ongoing PGfAR-funded programme of research.
Programme Development Grants (PDGs) are available for researchers to undertake preparatory work to develop a future programme of research. Broad ranging development work is permitted, with less detail required about the future programme of research.
PDGs are also available for researchers to develop and enhance the quality and value of an existing or ongoing Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR) award. Applications for such PDGs are only permitted from applicants whose PGfAR contracts are finishing within 12 months or have finished in the past 18 months.
For researchers to undertake preparatory work to develop a future programme of research. Broad ranging development work is permitted, with less detail required about the future programme of research.
For researchers to develop and enhance the quality and value of an existing or ongoing Programme Grant for Applied Research (PGfAR) award. Applications for such PDGs are only permitted from applicants whose PGfAR contracts are finishing within 12 months or have finished in the past 18 months.
Individual grants can be up to £150,000 for between 12 and 24 months. The amount of funding awarded, however, is determined by the scale and nature of the research or development activity to be conducted.
If applying to stream A, applicants can choose whether to enter directly into stage 1 or stage 2 of a future PGfAR funding call.
There is no formal expectation or guarantee that the recipients of stream A PDGs will be successful in obtaining a subsequent Programme Grant award in the future. All future applications for PGfAR will be judged on their own merits against the published criteria.
PDGs has three funding opportunities a year that typically launch in March, July and November. Find out the dates of upcoming funding opportunities.
PDGs have a one stage application process. We offer applicant guidance for both types of PDG: stream A guidance and stream B guidance. Applicants should also consult the supporting information for applicants.
Potential applicants may find it helpful to read the scoring criteria for each stream that results in a successful application:
Proposals are submitted online through the Research Management System. We supply a template application form to help researchers prepare their proposal ahead of submission.
For help and advice on applying for a PDG please refer to the guidance for applicants and supporting information for applicants. If you have any further queries, please contact the Programme Grants team at programme.grants@nihr.ac.uk.
Stream A Programme Development Grants (PDGs) will support preparatory work for a future programme of research, including but not limited to:
Stream B PDGs will also support further development of an existing or ongoing programme of research, including but not limited to:
*It is important that, where relevant, all primary analyses are completed and made available in PDG applications requesting funding for dissemination or implementation activities.
The programme will not support:
Programme Development Grant (PDG) applications are assessed by a PDG sub-committee drawn from the PGfAR sub-committee members.
PDG applications are not sent for peer review; proposals are assessed by a PDG subcommittee. This PDG subcommittee recommends 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.
Professor Elaine Hay is Programme Director of NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research.
Professor Richard Watt and Professor Jonathan Mant are the Co-Chairs of PGfAR subcommittee A.
Professor Kate Jolly and Professor Simon Heller are the Co-Chairs of PGfAR subcommittee B.
We offer a wide variety of assistance during all stages of the research process. If in doubt, please get in touch.
Tel: 020 8843 8056
Email: programme.grants@nihr.ac.uk
Our operating hours are 9.00am to 5.00pm
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PGfAR PPIE public contributor Anica Alvarez Nishio and Steven Blackburn, NIHR Research Design Service West Midlands and Keele University’s Public Involvement Lead, explain in their blog why more innovation is needed by allowing public contributors to take the lead, and introduce an exciting forthcoming PDG call for Developing Innovative, Inclusive and Diverse Public Partnerships to support this change of thinking.
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