Our funding programmes
The NIHR has ten different research programmes that researchers can apply to, each of which funds different types of research.
Types of research, evidence and scale
What programme your research idea might be suitable for depends on your broad research area, whether it will generate new evidence or synthesise existing evidence, and its scale (an individual project or study or a linked programme of research). The Research Design Service provides a free advice service to anyone in England who is interested in NIHR research funding.
Our programmes are open to research of any rigorous study design that addresses a question within their remit, including (but not limited to):
- evidence syntheses
- pilot and feasibility studies
- randomised controlled trials
- quantitative research
- qualitative research.
The type of research and evidence within each programme’s remit is shown in the tables below.
NIHR will not accept the same or substantially similar applications to more than one NIHR programme. If two similar applications are submitted, once the overlap is identified, the application that is most advanced through the funding process will continue and the second will not be taken further.
Similar applications will only be considered by two programmes concurrently if:
• the aims and research proposals are substantially different
• if successful, NIHR would be prepared to fund both proposals
• the successful delivery of one project is not dependent on the other
| Programme | Public health | Health Service and organisation | Clinical Evaluation and translation | Technology Development | Social care |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Evidence Synthesis (ES) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Health Technology Assessment (HTA) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Invention for Innovation (i4i) | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Programme Development Grants (PDG) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Public Health Research (PHR) | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| Policy Research Programme (PRP) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Programmes | Evidence synthesis | Evidence generation | Programmes of research |
|---|---|---|---|
| Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) | No | Yes | No |
| Evidence Synthesis (ES) | Yes | No | Yes |
| Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Health Technology Assessment (HTA) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Invention for Innovation (i4i) | No | Yes | No |
| Programme Development Grants (PDG) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Public Health Research (PHR) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Policy Research Programme (PRP) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) | Yes | Yes | No |
Opportunities to apply and funding limits
We list all funding opportunities online, and you can sign up to funding alerts to be notified of new opportunities.
The number of opportunities to apply for funding, and the funding limits for each research programme, are shown in the table below.
| Calls and competitions (number of opportunities to apply per year) | Researcher-led | Commissioned | Themed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) | 3 | 3 | Frequency as advertised |
| Evidence Synthesis (ES) | 1 (subject to change) | N/A | Frequency as advertised |
| Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) | 3 | 3 | Frequency as advertised |
| Health Technology Assessment (HTA) | 3 | 3 | Frequency as advertised |
| Invention for Innovation (i4i) | 3 | 1 (subject to change) | Frequency as advertised |
| Programme Development Grants (PDG) | 3 | N/A | Frequency as advertised |
| Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR) | 3 | N/A | Frequency as advertised |
| Public Health Research (PHR) | 3 (subject to change) | 3 (subject to change) | Frequency as advertised |
| Policy Research Programme (PRP) | N/A | 3 (subject to change) | Frequency as advertised |
| Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) | 3 | N/A | Frequency as advertised |
| Funding amounts and periods | Funding limit (applicants must fully justify all costs) | Period of funding |
|---|---|---|
| Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) | No limit | No fixed period |
| Evidence Synthesis (ES) | Researcher-led period is 9-12 months with funding limit of £5000. Commissioned-led is every 3 years with a funding limit of £400,000 | Up to 3 years |
| Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) | No limit | No fixed period |
| Health Technology Assessment (HTA) | No limit | No fixed period |
| Invention for Innovation (i4i) | No limit | Up to 3 years - for i4i Connect, the funding limit is £150,000 and the maximum duration is 12 months. For Challenge, the maximum duration is five years. |
| Programme Development Grants (PDG) | £100,000 | 0-18 months |
| Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR) | Period and level of funding depends on nature of proposed work, in particular whether a fully powered evaluative is included – funding above £2.5 million will be unusual. Programmes terminating in feasibility studies will be unlikely to receive more than £500,000. | Period and level of funding depends on nature of proposed work, in particular whether a fully powered evaluative is included – funding above £2.5 million will be unusual. Programmes terminating in feasibility studies will be unlikely to receive more than £500,000. |
| Public Health Research (PHR) | No limit | No fixed period |
| Policy Research Programme (PRP) | No limit - Period and level of funding depends on the requirements of the research specification. | No limit - Period and level of funding depends on the requirements of the research specification. |
| Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) | £350,000 | Up to 3 years |