Innovation Fund to Reduce Demand for Illicit Substances (RDIS) Phase 3

Research Specification

Key features

• There is an increasing prevalence of so-called ‘recreational drug’ use that demonstrates the growing need to do more in the prevention and intervention space to find effective ways to deter people from initiating, continuing, or increasing drug use.
• The funding opportunity has been run over three phases: Phase 1 (funded in 2023 - development), Phase 2 (funded in 2024 - elevation), and this last funding opportunity will be Phase 3 (implementation and further evaluation).
• Phase 3 will be open to proposals up to £500k over 14 months. Phase 3 is intended to focus on implementation of interventions that have shown evidence of effectiveness and positive impact to support wider roll out and subsequent evaluation.
• Successful proposals at Phase 1 and Phase 2 (if successful) are eligible for Phase 3 funding. However, new proposals can also directly apply for Phase 3 funding independently. 
• We are keen to hear from all organisations that have a proposal for primary prevention, early intervention activities that could credibly help reduce demand for drugs. Organisations and individuals looking for potential research or operational collaborators can contact the Industry team and for free help writing your research proposal please contact the Research Support Service - RSS. We recommend that organisations without research functions collaborate to get the best chance of success. 
• Please note, Phase 3 awarded projects are expected to start no later than 01 February 2026, subject to satisfactory due diligence. We won’t be able to accommodate delays on the commencement day.

Background

This research has been funded as part of the previous Government’s response to Dame Carol Black’s Independent Review of Drugs. Dame Carol highlighted the prevalence of so-called ‘recreational’ drug use across society, but limited evidence in what may deter people from using these drugs, and asserted that this can no longer be ignored.

Drug use presents significant challenges for people and communities. Drug use can be associated with crime and violence. Drug-related crime includes the exploitation of vulnerable groups and has an impact on the economy and productivity. Drugs can also increase exposure to health and social harms, including problematic use and  dependence; and are a leading cause of premature deaths. So-called ‘recreational’ drug use can be, or can lead to, harmful use and dependency.

The problem

The latest statistics on drug misuse show that in the year ending March 2024 approximately 2.9 million people aged 16 to 59 years and around 971,000 people aged 16-24 reported using a drug in the last 12 months. Around 2.3 million people reported using cannabis and around 1 million people reported using a Class A drug. Both the proportion of 16-59 year olds reporting using any drug and any Class A drug has remained stable between year ending March 2014 and year ending March 2024. 

Analysis depicted the substantial social and economic costs related to illicit drug use:

• The total cost of harms related to illicit drug use in England was £19.3 billion for 2017-18. Drug-related crime was the main driver of total costs, with recorded offences committed in England by drug users amounting to c.£9.3 billion in 2017-18
• Within this overall crime cost, criminal justice services (CJS) cost £733 million
• Drug-related enforcement costs amounted to £680 million
• The harms associated with drug-related deaths and homicides made up the next largest cost at £6.3 billion
• Drug treatment and prevention only made up a small fraction of the total cost at £553 million.

Cannabis, powder cocaine and nitrous oxide continue to be the most commonly used drugs in England and Wales. In the year ending March 2024, 6.8% and 13.8% of adults aged 16 to 59 years and 16 to 24 years, respectively, reported having used cannabis in the last year.

Whilst the large majority of people who use drugs each year are occasional users, will often stop before their 30s, and will not develop a dependence on drugs, the increasing prevalence of so-called ‘recreational drug’ use demonstrates the importance of early intervention and prevention to effectively deter people from initiating, continuing or increasing drug use. 

Further evidence into the vulnerabilities that lead to drug use, suitable prevention approaches and what works to reduce the demand for drugs is necessary to address the challenges in this space.  As part of their 2022 drug misuse prevention review the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs set out that mass communication strategies, particularly those that rely on approaches that aim to scare individuals into not taking or stopping taking drugs, do not work. Further evidence as to what may and may not be effective to prevent drug use in different age groups was also highlighted within this review.

In 2015, Public Health England published a summary of international evidence on the prevention of drug and alcohol use (.PDF). This includes examples of implementation in England. This report concluded that potential factors for successful interventions include personal and social skills education, multi-component programmes, and staff who are qualified to deliver the interventions. Scare tactics, knowledge only approaches, and peer mentoring without evidence base may lead to negative or no results. 

Summary of the demographics of non-dependent drug users

Statistics below are estimations based on survey data from ONS.

Eligibility

The fund will be open to all organisations which are a legal entity, regardless of size or sector, that have an innovative solution to reduce the demand for drugs.

Organisations can be based anywhere in the UK but the proposed research must show potential, and be appropriate, for rollout in England, or England and Wales where the intervention is focused on policing and/or criminal justice. This includes ensuring that proposals are likely to be supported within the existing UK government policy landscape.

Collaborations between academics and organisations such as police forces, local authorities, youth clubs, schools, universities, and employers are strongly encouraged. In addition, applicants should consider involvement of patients with lived experience and members of the public to inform project development from their perspective.  

Proposed projects should take a population-level approach such as but not limited to:

• Youth club interventions that address issues that drive young people to use drugs
• Education-focused interventions through schools, colleges, universities, counselling, or other services
• Engaging local communities to work together in reducing drug use in their area
• Employer-led approaches to reducing drug use within the workplace and/or workforce
• Social care approaches, including in partnership with other organisations
• Charity model approaches, including in partnership with other organisations
• Youth-led movements and projects
• Policing or enforcement approaches, including in partnership with other organisations
• Social media interventions
• Technological approaches

We would support proposals based on emerging evidence. This could include drawing on evidence on successful approaches in other areas of public health (such as reducing / preventing smoking) or approaches tested internationally. In these cases, we would look for a clear rationale of how this approach is applicable to the challenge of reducing demand for illicit substances in the UK context.  

What do we fund? 

The Innovation Fund to Reduce Demand for Illicit Substances funds research on developing, evaluating and implementing interventions to reduce and prevent demand for so-called 'recreational drugs' such as powder cocaine, cannabis, ecstasy, ketamine and nitrous oxide. The fund will support the development and piloting of new interventions delivered within local communities, their evaluation and future rollout in the community if found to be effective. 

We would like to hear about projects looking at use of so-called recreational drugs in the following areas:

• Primary prevention and interventions to prevent experimental use among cohorts ages 11-15, 16-24, 25+, or narrower age brackets if suitable for intervention. 
• Early intervention approaches and interventions to prevent problematic or dependent drug use in the future, particularly in the 16-24 and 25+ age ranges

This funding opportunity will not fund

• Proposals aimed at reducing use of crack cocaine or opioids.
• Projects for which there is already substantial evidence, or the evidence base indicates, that there would be no positive effect.
• Proposals that duplicate interventions already being funded at local or national level, such as through the drug strategy treatment and recovery funding within local authorities or the Addiction Healthcare Goals run by the Office for Life Sciences.
• Interventions which have previously been shown to be ineffective or counterproductive
• Survey research or clinical trials that do not lead to a tangible population-level intervention during the period covered by the fund. 

Assessment criteria

Please read our Domestic Funding Programmes Assessment Criteria which contains a full overview of how the outline and full applications will be assessed. Please ensure you have read this thoroughly and address the criteria throughout your application(s). 

In addition to the criteria listed above, applications will be reviewed against the following RDIS Phase 3 criteria. Your application must:

• Demonstrate the potential for the work to develop unique and innovative primary prevention and deterrent interventions to prevent experimental drug use, and early intervention approaches to prevent use and/or dependency.
• Include a clear rationale for the choice of intervention and evidence for the intervention's ability to reduce use of so-called recreational substances. 
• Explain the expected societal impact and plan for effective rollout in England (England and Wales where the intervention is focused on policing and/or criminal justice).
• Focus on implementation and evaluation of implementation in a larger cohort than the intervention is currently available in. This may, but does not necessarily need to, include a larger geographical area. This does not need to be a national rollout but must show an expansion of availability. 

Application guidance 

Please read our Domestic Outline Application guidance to help you complete all aspects of your application. You must read this alongside the information below, which details specific application requirements for this funding opportunity. Please disregard the programmes listed in the Domestic Application guidance. This is because a number of our Domestic programmes are taking part in this funding opportunity. Projects can cross boundaries between the remit of different programmes. You do not need to make a separate application to an individual NIHR programme, or specify which of the programmes’ remit your project falls under.

Outline application requirements

While many aspects of the application form will look familiar to those who have applied to the NIHR through the Research Management System, there are many differences too. As an example, instead of putting your research plan into the system directly, you will be asked to upload your research plan as a PDF. With this in mind please note the below requirements:

• Please ensure that all applicants have agreed and signed up for an AMS account as they will need to approve being included as an applicant. 
• Do not upload a research plan that is more than 4 pages. We will not accept applications with a research plan that is more than 4 pages.
• In the funding required box please do not request more than £500,000. We will not accept applications that have asked for funding which exceeds the funding cap per project. 
• Inclusive research design has now become a condition of funding, so please bear this in mind as you are preparing your application. 

Application process

Find out how to apply for this funding opportunity and what you need to do to get your application ready.

How to apply? 

Phase 3 will operate a two-stage application process. Successful applications at the outline application phase will be invited to submit a full application. 

When you are ready to apply, you will need to log in to our application system to apply. This funding opportunity is on our new Awards Management System and you will need to create a new account to apply. The online form in the new Award Management System (AMS) will be made available when the funding opportunity opens on 11 December 2024. 

The closing date is 23 April at 1pm. Applications received after 1pm on the closing date will not be considered. 

Please read the following guidance before submitting an application:  

• all the information highlighted in the ‘Application guidance’ tab of this funding opportunity.

Application to each stage will consist of the following process: 

• Initial scope check and triage by NIHR secretariat and Committee chair/members
• External peer and public review (for full detailed application)
• Pre-Committee assessment
• Committee assessment

The Department of Health and Social Care and the Joint Combating Drugs Unit, with input from other relevant Government Departments, will ratify proposals recommended for funding.

Download application form template

You can download a Word document template of the application form below. Please use this template as a guide only, to help you prepare your application. For example, to see how many characters are accepted in each section and to see how information in the form is laid out. Please do not try to use this as an application form; it cannot be submitted as an application. You must submit your application online via our Awards Management System.

Research inclusion and reasonable adjustments

At NIHR we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive culture. We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and communities bringing diverse skills and experiences. If you need any reasonable adjustments throughout the application process, please contact the programme team via the information in the Contact Details tab.

Research Support Service

Got a research idea and not sure how to turn it into a funding application? The free NIHR Research Support Service (RSS) supports researchers in England to apply for funding. It can help you develop and deliver clinical and applied health, social care and public health research post award. 

Frequently asked questions

We have created a set of FAQs for the Phase 3 funding opportunity which may be applicable to your questions about any phase of the funding opportunity or the application process. If you still have questions please contact us at rdis@nihr.ac.uk .

Contact details

• We offer a wide variety of assistance during all stages of the research process. If in doubt, please get in touch via email rdis@nihr.ac.uk
• Do you need help finding collaborators? Please contact the Industry team via their contact page. 
• Got a research idea and not sure how to turn it into a funding application? The free NIHR Research Support Service (RSS) supports researchers in England to apply for funding, and to develop and deliver clinical and applied health, social care and public health research post award. Find out how the RSS can help you.