The Research and Innovation for Global Health Transformation (RIGHT) programme funds interdisciplinary applied health research in low and middle income countries (LMICs) on areas of unmet need where a strategic and targeted investment can result in a transformative impact.
NIHR statement on ODA funding for its Global Health Research Portfolio
The Research and Innovation for Global Health Transformation (RIGHT) programme funds applied health research for the primary and direct benefit of people in low and middle income countries (LMICs).
RIGHT aims to strengthen capacity for research and boost knowledge exchange through funding equitable partnerships between researchers in the UK and those in LMICs.
The programme promotes interdisciplinary approaches to research, including, but not limited to, collaborations between clinical, health economics, statistics, qualitative and social sciences disciplines.
RIGHT funds research on preventing ill health and optimising disease management in LMICs that are eligible for Official Development Assistance (ODA). To date, the programme has funded research on:
RIGHT typically awards funding of £1-5 million (maximum of £5 million) for research with a duration of 3-5 years. Funding awards are made to partnerships led by two joint lead investigators, one from an LMIC institution and one from a UK institution.
NIHR RIGHT funding has allowed us to establish a multidisciplinary team of enthusiastic African clinical academic researchers to innovate clinical practice and strengthen diagnostics services for children with virus-related lymphoma, as well as increase translational research capacity.
Anna Schuh, Associate Professor at the University of Oxford and Chief Investigator of the SEREN initiative
RIGHT runs one or two funding calls a year on commissioned topics in applied health research. See the dates for our funding calls.
RIGHT holds two-stage funding calls. Stage 1 is a shortlisting process that involves submitting an outline application. Stage 1 applicants invited to submit to stage 2 are required to produce a full application that then undergoes peer review.
An independent international Funding Committee considers eligible applications at stage 1 and stage 2.
Research proposals should be online through the Research Management System.
An important aspect of RIGHT funding is the partnership building between researchers in the UK and those in LMICs. Proposal and Partnership Development Awards (PPDAs) of up to £10,000 are available to support partnership development during preparation of a RIGHT stage 2 application.
All RIGHT applicants that are successful at stage 1 and are invited to submit a stage 2 application are eligible to apply for a PPDA.
RIGHT funds research proposals from researchers in UK-based (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) and LMIC higher education institutions and research institutes.
Applications must include a lead, co-applicant or joint lead applicant from a country eligible for Official Development Assistance (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
RIGHT will support:
RIGHT will not support:
The selection criteria used by the RIGHT Funding Committee are:
Applications to the RIGHT programme are peer reviewed by professional and public 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.
View the full membership of the call 1, call 2, call 3 and call 4 Funding Committees.
To date RIGHT has held four funding calls. See the dates for our funding calls.
RIGHT call 5 will support targeted research to strengthen health service delivery and resilience in low and middle income countries (LMICs) in the context of extreme weather events caused by the changing climate.
Call 5 launched in March 2022.
RIGHT call 4 funded research to address the global burden of unintentional injuries (including but not limited to road traffic accidents, falls, burns and drowning, and urgent and emergency care.
Call 4 launched in November 2020.
RIGHT call 3 funded research on interventions to improve outcomes for people with multimorbidity in LMICs.
Call 3 launched in October 2019. A total of £19.3 million was awarded to four projects in November 2021.
RIGHT call 2 funded research on the development and evaluation of interventions to improve outcomes for people in LMICs affected by mental health issues.
Call 2 was announced in October 2018. A total of £20 million was awarded to six projects in May 2020.
RIGHT call 1 funded research on:
Call 1 launched in June 2018. A total of £34 million was invested into eight projects in November 2019.
We offer a wide variety of assistance during all stages of the research process. If in doubt, please get in touch.
Tel: 020 8843 8286
Email: ccf-globalhealth@nihr.ac.uk
Our operating hours are 9am to 5pm.
The fifth Research and Innovation for Global Health Transformation (RIGHT) call will support targeted research to strengthen health service delivery and resilience in low and middle income countries in the context of extreme weather events.
All global health research funding opportunities
