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Our funding programmes

The most suitable programme for your research idea depends on your broad research area, the scale of the study, and whether it will generate new evidence or blend existing evidence.

Which funding programme is relevant to me?

Look through the funding programmes below to explore our different programmes.

Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation

This programme funds studies into the efficacy of new approaches to disease prevention and treatment. It supports clinical trials and other studies which test how interventions may work in practice.

Broad research areas: Public health, clinical evaluation and translation, social care
Types of evidence: Evidence generation
Applicant eligibility: Lead applicant can be from anywhere in the UK.
Call and competition per year: 3 researcher-led and 3 commissioned

Find out more about the Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation Programme

Evidence Synthesis

This programme funds work to identify, review and summarise existing information about the effects of tests, treatments and interventions. It aims to equip health and care decision makers with the best possible information.

Broad research areas: Public health, clinical evaluation and translation, social care
Types of evidence: Evidence synthesis, programmes of research
Applicant eligibility: Lead applicant can be from anywhere in the UK.
Call and competition per year: 1 researcher-led

Find out more about Evidence Synthesis Programme

Health and Social Care Delivery Research

Funding evaluative research to improve the quality of health and social care services. Typical projects focus on the organisation and accessibility of care.

Broad research areas: Public health, health service and organisation and social care
Types of evidence: Evidence synthesis, evidence generation, programmes of research
Applicant eligibility: Lead applicant can be from anywhere in the UK
Call and competition per year: 3 researcher-led and 3 commissioned

Read about the Health and Social Care Delivery Research Programme

Health Technology Assessment

Funding research into the clinical and cost-effectiveness of treatments and tests. Funded studies often compare a new technology's existing evidence with the current methods.

Broad research areas: Public health, health service and organisation, clinical evaluation and translations, social care
Types of evidence: Evidence synthesis, evidence generation
Applicant eligibility: Lead applicant can be from anywhere in UK
Call and competition per year: 3 researcher-led and 3 commissioned

Find out more about the Health Technology Assessment Programme

Invention for Innovation

Funding the development of medical devices, diagnostics and health technologies at both pre-clinical and clinical stages. Innovations focus on areas of existing or emerging patient need.

Broad research areas: Public health, clinical evaluation and translations, technology development
Types of evidence: Evidence generation
Applicant eligibility: Lead applicant can be anywhere from the UK
Call and competition per year: 3 researcher-led and 1 commissioned

Read more about Invention for Innovation

Programme Development Grants

Funding to help researchers carry out work which will support an application to the Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR) programme. Funds can also be used to support development work for existing PGfAR programmes.

Broad research areas: Public health, health service and organisation, clinical evaluation and translations, social care
Types of evidence: Evidence synthesis, evidence generation, programmes of research
Applicant eligibility: Lead applicant can be from anywhere in UK
Call and competition per year: 3 researcher-led

Find out more about Programme Development Grants

Programme Grants for Applied Research

A researcher-led grant programme to fund applied health and social care research. Studies seek to address health and care needs in areas other research funders may not focus. Further support for applicants is provided through Programme Development Grants.

Broad research areas: Public health, health service and organisation, clinical evaluation and translations, social care
Types of evidence: Evidence synthesis, evidence generation, programmes of research
Applicant eligibility: Lead applicant can be from anywhere in the UK
Call and competition per year: 3 researcher-led

Read about Programme Grants for Applied Research

Public Health Research

Funding research to improve the health of the public and reduce inequalities. Research aims to generate evidence to inform delivery of non-NHS interventions and test practical interventions.

Broad research areas: Public health, social care
Types of evidence: Evidence synthesis, evidence generation, programmes of research
Applicant eligibility: Lead applicant can be from anywhere in UK
Call and competition per year: 3 researcher-led and 3 commissioned

Find out about the Public Health Research Programme

Policy Research Programme

Funding policy research to inform policy makers across health and social care. Policy research helps enable evidence-based policies.  

Broad research areas: Public health, health service and organisation, clinical evaluation and translations, technology development, social care
Types of evidence: Evidence synthesis, evidence generation, programmes of research
Applicant eligibility: Lead applicant can usually be from UK, but this is call dependent so check the individual research brief
Call and competition per year: 3 commissioned

Read about the Policy Research Programme

Research for Patient Benefit

Funding research around the day-to-day practice of health service and social care staff. The programme funds studies that aim to increase the effectiveness of services, provide value for money and benefit patients and the public. The programme runs the bi-annual Research for Social Care call. This call funds studies to improve, expand and strengthen the delivery of adult social care. This is one of our programme with set funding limits.

Broad research areas: Public health, health service and organisation, clinical evaluation and translations, social care
Types of evidence: Evidence synthesis, evidence generation
Applicant eligibility: Lead applicant must be from England
Call and competition per year: 3 researcher-led

Find out more about Research for Patient Benefit

Global Health Research Centres

The centres undertake high quality research and strengthen LMIC institutional capacity to undertake, manage and disseminate high-quality applied health research, to provide a sustainable platform for high-quality applied health research in LMIC institutions in order to address local needs and improve health outcomes in the area of Non Communicable Diseases.

Broad research areas: Call 1 focused on non-communicable diseases. Applied health research that addresses the challenges faced by people and patients in LMICs. Public health, LMIC Institutional Research Capacity Strengthening, LMIC Research Career Pathways Strengthening, Purposeful engagement with LMIC local and national stakeholders to inform policy and practice.
Types of evidence: Evidence generation related to non-communicable disease. Qualitative and Quantitative research. Research questions around gender, age, social barriers to health, economic impact and equity that are directly relevant to the LMICs. Evidence related to Community Engagement and Involvement in research.
Applicant eligibility: Consortia of an LMIC Lead organisation with a UK Co- Lead (which acts as contracting organisation) and up to 3 LMIC Co-applicant institutions.
Call and competition per year: One call commissioned and contracted in 2022. No further calls currently planned.

Read about Global Health Research Centres

Research and Innovation for Global Health Transformation

Funding cutting-edge interdisciplinary applied health research for the primary and direct benefit of people in low and middle income countries (LMICs), where a strategic and targeted investment can result in a transformative impact.

Broad research areas: Public health, health service and delivery, clinical evaluation and translations, social care, capacity strengthening
Types of evidence: evidence generation, programmes of research
Applicant eligibility: Application must include an LMIC (Joint) Lead Applicant. Application may be (jointly) lead by a UK (Joint) Lead Applicant.
Call and competition per year: 1-2 commissioned

Find out more about Research and Innovation for Global Health Transformation (RIGHT)

Global Health Research Units

The Global Health Research Units Programme funds collaborations of researchers within universities and research institutes in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) and the UK who wish to establish new programmes of applied health research.

Broad research areas: Applied health research to address locally identified challenges and improve health outcomes for people living in LMICS, strengthening research capability and capacity in resource-poor settings including training in both academic research and programme support functions.

Types of evidence: Evidence generation and synthesis relating to all relevant areas of health research, quantitative and qualitative research, methodological research, implementation and service delivery research and evidence related to Community Engagement and Involvement in research.

Applicant eligibility: Consortia of a UK Lead organisation with an LMIC Joint Lead

Call and competition per year: To date, the Global Health Research Units programme has held two funding calls. No further calls are currently planned.

Read more about Global Health Research Units

Global Health Research Groups

The Global Health Research Groups programme awards funding to specialist departments within UK universities or research institutions not currently active in global health that want to use their existing skills to build capacity to extend into this field.

Broad research areas: Applied health research to address locally identified challenges and improve health outcomes for people living in LMICS, supporting equitable research partnerships between researchers and institutions in the UK and LMICs, strengthening research capability and capacity in resource-poor settings including training in both academic research and programme support functions.

Types of evidence: Evidence generation and synthesis relating to all relevant areas of health research, quantitative and qualitative research, methodological research, implementation and service delivery research and evidence related to Community Engagement and Involvement in research.

Applicant eligibility: Consortia of a UK Lead organisation with an LMIC Joint Lead

Call and competition per year: To date the Global Health Research Groups programme has held five funding calls. No further calls are currently planned.

Find out about Global Health Research Groups

Global Health Policy and Systems Research

The Global Health Policy and Systems Research (Global HPSR) programme aims to support health policy and systems research that is directly and primarily of benefit to people in low and middle income countries (LMICs).

Broad research areas: Applied health policy and systems research on improving access to appropriate and affordable health services to benefit people living in LMICS, supporting equitable research partnerships between researchers and institutions in the UK and LMICs, strengthening research capability and capacity in resource-poor settings

Types of evidence: High quality, contextually relevant research on health policy, health services and health systems strengthening to inform policy and practice in LMICs, quantitative and qualitative research, methodological research, implementation and service delivery research and evidence related to Community Engagement and Involvement in research.

Applicant eligibility: Consortia with two joint leads, at least one of which is LMIC-based (LMIC-LMIC or LMIC-UK), or for HPSR Projects a Sole Lead who must be LMIC-based. 

Call and competition per year: To date the Global Health Policy and Systems Research programme has held three funding calls. No further calls are currently planned.

Find out more about Global Health Policy and Systems Research

Global Health funding partnerships

We form partnerships with other leaders in global health research to co-fund both research projects and researcher career development. The frequency and type of funding available, as well as the funding amount and duration, vary by partner and funding call. 

Find out more about Global Health partnership funding

Research Programme for Social Care

Funding research that generates evidence to improve and strengthen the way in which adult and children's social care is provided for users of care services, carers, the social care workforce, and the public in the UK.

Broad research areas: Social care
Types of evidence: Evidence synthesis, evidence generation
Applicant eligibility:  Lead applicant can be from anywhere in UK
Call and competition per year:  2 researcher-led and 1 commissioned

Find out more about the Research Programme for Social Care