
Case study: addressing Child and Adolescent Musculoskeletal Pain
NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR) funds collaborative, multidisciplinary programmes of applied research to solve health and social care challenges.
Programme Development Grants (PDG) are available for researchers to carry out targeted preparatory work to strengthen a future full PGfAR application (stream A) and to enhance the outcomes of existing PGfAR awards (stream B).
The aim of NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR) is to deliver research findings that will lead to clear and identifiable patient, service user or carer benefits, typically through promotion of health and wellbeing, prevention of ill health, and optimal disease management (including safety and quality).
PGfAR is researcher led and does not commission research on specific topics. However, research proposals must be in an area of priority or need for the NHS, public health or the social care sector, with particular emphasis on health and social care areas that cause significant burden where other research funders may not be focused, or where insufficient funding is available.
The awards fund NHS, public health and social care practitioners to work together with academic partners to tackle health and social care problems, and provide some stability of funding to support the long-term development of top quality applied research groups.
In recognition of the complex biopsychosocial influences at play in many multiple long-term conditions, programmes seeking to address the integration of health and social care to improve patient, service user and carer outcomes, and those that include work packages aimed at tackling the social care dimension of healthcare problems, are particularly welcome.
Programmes that use diverse methodological approaches to demonstrate patient, service user or carer benefits at an individual or population level, and/or include work packages specifically aimed at addressing important methodological issues in applied health and social care research methodology, are also encouraged.
As part of NIHRs drive to develop research capacity, PGfAR is now offering the opportunity to develop and advance health and care research careers.
Applicants to PGfAR can now include funding for research capacity development, across all stages of the academic career pathway (i.e., from internships to Masters to PhD to post-doctoral). Applications that include career development for methodological disciplines are particularly welcome.
Individuals undertaking formal research capacity development within the programme will be a member of the NIHR Academy. Find out more about capacity building in Programme Grants.
PGfAR funds programmes of applied research that generally comprise a number of high quality interrelated projects, usually described in separate work packages, that form a coherent theme, where added value is gained from the combination of the various strands of research.
The research programme should:
All NHS bodies and other providers of NHS services in England may apply for programme awards, in collaboration with an appropriate academic partner or partners. For more information see our tips for applying to PGfAR.
The amount awarded and the length of the funding period depends on the nature of the proposed work. Funding in excess of £2.5 million beyond 6 years will be unusual.
It is anticipated that programmes using novel designs will facilitate shorter, more efficient, less expensive programmes. As a guide, such programmes might be delivered over 3 years with costs of £1-1.5m.
Potential applicants can undertake appropriate preparatory work through a Stream A Programme Development Grant to strengthen their future programme.
PGfAR has three funding opportunities a year that typically launch in February, June and October. See the dates for our PGfAR funding competitions.
PGfAR has a two stage application process. Please see the applicant guidance for stage 1 and applicant guidance for stage 2, and the supporting information, to find out more. For detailed finance guidance, please see the detailed budget section in the guidance for stage 2 applications (section 11). Potential applicants can seek advice on their proposal from the programme team through the pre-submission enquiry form.
Capacity building within PGfAR research programmes should be in agreement with the scope detailed above.
Research proposals are submitted to PGfAR online through the Research Management System. We supply a template application form for stage 1 and a template application form for stage 2 to help researchers prepare their proposal ahead of submission.
PGfAR will support:
The programme will not support:
The selection criteria used by our funding committees include:
PGfAR success rates Stage 1 scoring criteria Stage 2 scoring criteria
PGfAR recommends research proposals for funding through its main selection committee and its subcommittees. Programme Development Grant (PDG) applications are assessed by a separate sub-committee drawn in rotation from the PGfAR Committee membership.
The stage 2 subcommittees are standing committees, whereas the stage 1 subcommittee, PDG sub-committee and main selection committees are convened for each funding competition.
Proposals are first assessed by the stage 1 subcommittee, and then shortlisted proposals are sent for methodological and public review. Stage 2 proposals are sent for peer and public review, before being assessed by the stage 2 subcommittees. The outcomes from each stage 2 subcommittee are then discussed and reviewed by the main selection committee.
Professor Elaine Hay is Programme Director of PGfAR.
Professor Richard Watt and Professor Catherine Hewitt are the Co-Chairs of PGfAR subcommittee A. View the full membership of Subcommittee A.
Professor Kate Jolly and Professor Simon Heller are the Co-Chairs of PGfAR subcommittee B. View the full membership of 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
NIHR
Grange House
15 Church Street
Twickenham TW1 3NL
Do you need help getting started? Contact the Research Design Service.
Do you need assistance running your study in the NHS? Contact the Study Support Service.
COVID-19 has demonstrated the importance of novel and ambitious research designs. Programme Director of NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research, Professor Elaine Hay, explains why bold methodologies should come to the fore as we face another pressing health issue - multiple long-term conditions - and introduces a new initiative for proposals using diverse methods.
Read more about the role of methodological innovation in applied research
All PGfAR funding opportunities