1. An Introduction to the NIHR & the Public Health Research Programme
Phil Taverner, Assistant Director, PHR programme
2 May 2014

2. Overview Introduction to the NIHR programmes
Introduction to NIHR Themed calls
The PHR programme
What makes a good application

3. An introduction to the NIHR www.nihr.ac.uk

4. What is the NIHR?
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) aims to ‘improve the health and wealth of the nation through research’
Commissions and funds NHS, social care and public health research to develop the research evidence to support decision making by professionals, policy makers and patients.
Large, multi-faceted organisation encompassing faculty, research, infrastructure and systems

5. Faculty Infrastructure Research Systems
Investigators & Senior Investigators
Associates
Trainees
Universities
Infrastructure
Research
Clinical Research Networks
NHS Trusts
Research Projects & Programmes
Patients & Public
Clinical Research Facilities, Centres & Units
Research Schools
Research Governance Systems
Research Information Systems
Systems

6. The central role of NIHR research in the innovation pathway
INVENTION
EVALUATION
ADOPTION
DIFFUSION
Basic Research
Medical
Research
Council
Development Pathway Funding
Efficacy & Mechanism Evaluation
Invention for Innovation
Biomedical Research Centres
Biomedical Research Units
This pathway covers the full range of interventions - pharmaceuticals, biologicals, biotechnologies, procedures, therapies and practices - for the full range of health and health care delivery - prevention, detection, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, care.
Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres
Clinical Research Facilities
Patient Safety Translational Research Centres
Healthcare Technology Co-operatives
Horizon Scanning Centre
Research Schools
National Institute for Health Research
Research for Patient Benefit
Public Health Research
Programme Grants for Applied Research
Health Services and Delivery Research
Health Technology Assessment
Centre for Surgical Reconstruction & Microbiology
Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health
Research and Care
Centre for Reviews & Dissemination, Cochrane, TARs
NHS Supply Chain
Support for Procurement
National Institute for Health & Clinical Excellence
Guidance on Health & Healthcare
NHS Evidence
Access to Evidence
Academic Health Science Networks
Innovation
NHS Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups
Commissioning
Providers of NHS Services
Patient Care

7. What is applied research?
Research with the capacity to improve patient and public outcomes and NHS services
Multiple methodologies - not only trials
Not
Discovery science
Work involving animals or animal tissue

8. Which programme
should I chose?

9. Which NIHR programme?
EME – exploratory trials, less pragmatic, phase 2-3, efficacy, mechanisms if possible
HTA – systematic reviews, large multicentre pragmatic trials or other studies (phase 3-4), effectiveness in the NHS
HS&DR – organisational, patient experience, qualitative or other
i4i - translational R&D projects aimed at cultivating new techniques or technologies into innovative interventions to address healthcare needs 
PHR – effectiveness and cost effectiveness of non-NHS interventions to improve public health
PGfAR- Up to 5 years, awards made to NHS bodies
RfPB – max £350k for up to 36 months. Encourages proposals for projects covering a wide range of health service issues and challenges which translate into patient benefit locally and for the wider NHS.
Fellowships – doctoral, postdoctoral and senior fellowships

10. What do NIHR do in relation to public health?
EME: preventative and screening services
HS&DR: research into public health/preventative services and workforce issues
HTA: screening programmes or components of screening programmes in a population context, disease prevention or health promotion programmes
PHR: evaluation of interventions outside of the NHS
PGfAR: support priority NHS research that will deliver findings with practical application, typically through improved healthcare, better healthcare delivery, promotion of health and prevention of ill health, within three to five years of a programme’s end.
NIHR School for Public Health Research (

11. Which funding programme?

12. What are NIHR Themed Calls? www.themedcalls.nihr.ac.uk

13. What is an NIHR themed call?
NIHR themed calls are issued to meet an identified health challenge or government priority
Calls are generally issued once a year
Cross NIHR initiative involving all NIHR research programmes
Previous calls have focused on:
Dementia
Surgery
Primary Care Interventions
Very Rare Diseases

14. Current Themed Calls Long-term conditions in Children and Young People
Antimicrobial Resistance

16. Applying to Themed Calls
Applications should meet the remit of the specification document and one of the participating programmes
Provides opportunities to evaluate interventions which cross NIHR programme boundaries and applications which span the remit of one or more NIHR programme will be considered
Engage collaborators, CTUs, RDS as soon as you can
Process steps – timing varies between programmes
However, the programmes will continue to welcome applications in this area after the call has closed

17. NIHR Support Available

18. What is the NIHR Public Health Research Programme www. nets. nihr. ac
What is the NIHR Public Health Research Programme

19. Commissioned and Researcher-led Workstreams

20. The PHR programme
Funds the evaluation of non-NHS interventions intended to improve the health of the public and reduce inequalities in health
Unable to fund intervention costs
National programme open to researchers from across the UK
Includes qualitative and quantitative research which evaluates the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of public health interventions
Primary outcome measure must be health related

21. Developmental studies
PHR will fund studies with a developmental element to them.
The MRC Public Health Intervention Development Scheme has been set up to support early stage development of public health interventions

22. Opportunities Public Health England – new research priorities
Local authority focus – wider determinants of health, community engagement, new partnerships and approaches
UK-wide research programme – shared and different priorities and opportunities
Significant growth in funding for public health research in recent years

23. Challenges
Research disruption - evolving new organisations, functions and roles
Research context – changing budgets, services spread across sectors, culture of evidence-based practice, research priority, divergence between UK administrations
Research capacity – workforce dispersal, supporting functions, training and capacity building

24. What Public Health Research Adds: Evidence for Education
Teacher training and school environment to promote health
Building social and emotional wellbeing
Promoting physical activity
and healthy diet
Preventing smoking, alcohol
and substance misuse

25. What Public Health Research Adds: Evidence for Local Decisions
Urban regeneration and health
Community engagement and disadvantaged communities
Alcohol environment

26. What Public Health Research Adds: Evidence for Environmental Health
Transport – urban motorway, free bus travel, active and sustainable travel
Housing quality and energy efficiency
Effect of reducing street lighting on crime and
road accidents

27. Priorities for the Public Health Research Programme
Maintaining support and funding for high quality public health intervention research across the UK
Building partnerships with new organisations
Understanding and responding to emerging needs for evidence and knowledge
Reaching out to new audiences across sectors

28. What have we funded? http://www.nets.nihr.ac.uk/projects
Health impacts of the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway (Dr David Ogilvie, Cambridge University)
Health impact, and economic value, of meeting housing quality standards (Professor Ronan Lyons, Swansea University)
A feasibility trial of screening and brief alcohol intervention to prevent hazardous drinking in young people aged in a high school setting (Dr Dorothy Newbury-Birch, Newcastle University)

29. What makes a good application?

30. The Application Process
Two-stage application process (outline & full)
External peer and public review (full)
Assessment by Programme Advisory Board (PAB) and Research Funding Board (RFB)
PAB: considers public health importance
RFB: consider scientific quality, feasibility & value for money
‘Needs-led, Science-Added’

31. Process for Assessment of Applications
Screening assessment:
remit
Programme Advisory Board:
public health importance
Research Funding Board:
scientific quality
feasibility
value for money

32. Is the research question in remit?
Is the research question within the remit of the PHR programme?
Is there an intervention?
Are the intervention costs funded?
Is it delivered outside of the NHS?
Is the primary outcome measure health related?
Does it meet the commissioning brief?
Talk to programme staff or consult the NETSCC web pages: for advice 32

33. Is the question important?
The need for the research
Public health ‘need’ should be explicitly stated
Will the research provide the evidence needed by decision makers on a prominent public health issue?
How will the results reduce inequalities in health?
Will the findings be generalisable and transferable?
Has the research question been explained clearly and the importance of topic made? 33

34. Finding existing research
PHR portfolio:
NIHR Journalshttp://

35. Is the research feasible?
Ambitious but realistic
Is the presentation and/or methods appropriate for the research question?
Design complexity
Justify recruitment methods and assumptions
Explain and justify the sample size calculations
Experience, track record of research team and appropriate partners 35

36. The science Use headings Clear, simple, succinct, logical
Cover all the essential elements relevant to the design e.g.
Participants
Intervention
Control
Setting
Outcomes
Sample size and power
Analysis 36

37. Feasibility & Pilot Studies
Feasibility included or done already? PHR funds feasibility and pilot studies but likes to have sight of the full trial lying behind it including the statistical analysis plan and progression criteria.
Pilot data – include in application. 37

38. Picking your team
Involvement of CTU or RDS from the beginning
Comment on the track record and experience of the team
Roles and responsibilities in relation to the project
Make sure enough statistical support is in place i.e. a statistician as a co-applicant
Some team members are specific to the methodology eg health economist & qualitative researchers.
Other committees eg steering group; IDMC; patient advisory group.

39. How much can I ask for?
There is no maximum limit on the duration and costs of proposals to the programme, but…..
Is the research realistically costed and does it offer value-for-money?
Is the cost to address the disease / health issue in question justified, and does the topic clearly account for the cost requested?

40. Patient and public involvement is of key importance
Researchers need to involve patients and the public during the development and delivery of the research project
Patients and public will be involved at all stages of the assessment process (referees, board members)
Funding boards will explicitly look for evidence of appropriate patient and public involvement 40

41. Useful PPI Resources
INVOLVE
Involvement Cost Calculator
“Were patients and the public actively involved in either identifying the research topic/prioritising the research question and/or preparing this application?”

42. How will your research really make a difference?
Have an imaginative plan for dissemination
How will your research really make a difference?
How will people know about it?
Plan and cost for dissemination at the outset.
Think imaginatively

43. English for mixed audience
Is it clear, logical and persuasive?
English for mixed audience
Methodologists, patients and the public etc
Tell the story well for the non - expert
Plain English summary
Follow the guidance notes
Visible headings
(e.g. sample size, outcomes, technologies)
White space – there should be some (use paragraphs)
Flow diagrams
PROOF-READ SUBMISSIONS CAREFULLY!

44. ‘Feedback from funding boards’
Feedback from funding boards at all stages is meant to be helpful to the applicants
Applicants should respond to all areas highlighted as necessary by the funding board

45. Inadequate detail given on the public health issue
Common pitfalls
Inadequate detail given on the public health issue
Inadequate detail given on the intervention to be evaluated
Application has not stuck to remit and/or the brief
Application has not paid enough attention to board feedback between outline and full proposal
Unrealistic / inaccurate costings (both under and over-costing)
Submissions have not been proof-read

46. Inconsistent accounts of planned research
Common pitfalls
Inconsistent accounts of planned research
Incorrect or inconsistent numbers e.g. sample size calculations
Apparent lack of awareness of major or related work in train
Insufficient detail, or muddled detail particularly in the methodology sections – even at full proposal
Gaps in expertise on the research team – even after feedback from funding board

47. ‘Where can I find help?’

48. NIHR Research Design Services
“To increase the number and proportion of high quality applications for funding …” 48

49. Submitted Outline Applications Submitted Full Applications
RDS National Figures
Year
Projects Supported
Submitted Outline Applications
(% Shortlisted)
Submitted Full Applications
(% Funded)
2009/10
2335
217 (62%)
662 (35%)
2010/11
2328
311 (54%)
839 (37%)
2011/12
2405
418 (38%)
899 (35%)
2012/13
2492
379 (40%)
921 (37%)

50. Working with the RDS Booking an ‘early’ appointment with the RDS
Summary of research idea/s
Face to face meeting
First point of contact with a generalist

51. Initial meeting with the RDS
Assessment
Importance of the question
Existing research
Potential funding streams
Study design – is it a trial
Clinical area
Feasibility of recruitment strategy
Track record of team
PPI
Costs; research, treatment, excess treatment

52. Contacting the RDS http://www.ccf.nihr.ac.uk/Pages/RDSMap.aspx#tab8
22/09/2018

53. How can I get involved? Suggest research topics
Potential new referee
Join our mailing list
your contact details to

54. Where can I find help? For more information, visit:
Enquiries welcome: or
+44 (0) (24 hour answer phone)
Tips for success:
PHR webinars