Frequently Asked Questions

Planning and making your application

3.1 Who is allowed to submit proposals - is it just universities?
3.2 Can I collaborate with someone outside the UK?
3.3 How can I find an academic partner to submit a proposal with?                           
3.4 Do we need to have partners ‘signed up’ at the outline application stage?
3.5 Would the Public Health Research programme accept an application led by a commercial organisation? 
3.6 Will the Public Health Research programme consider funding the UK ‘arm’ of a multi-national study?                                                                   
3.7 Is there a limit to the amount of money you can request for one proposal?   
3.8 Will intervention costs be funded?  
3.9 How should we cost a proposal that we feel requires a feasibility or pilot stage?
3.10 When should we seek ethical approval?
3.11 Can I make changes to my submitted application? 
3.12 Do you accept bids concurrent with applications to other organisations?
3.13 Is there a maximum duration permitted for a research project? 
3.14 Do I need to be registered with the CRD international register for systematic reviews?  

3.1 Who is allowed to submit proposals - is it just universities?
Anyone, anywhere in the UK, who considers that they can carry out high-quality public health-related research, can submit a proposal on an intervention within the Public Health Research programme’s remit.  Applicants from non academic sectors are strongly advised to consider collaborating with higher education institutions or other academic organisations in their application to the Public Health Research programme.

3.2 Can I collaborate with someone outside the UK?
Yes, we will accept proposals that include collaborators outside of the UK, however you should justify in your proposal the rationale for such collaboration. We would usually expect the lead applicant and the bulk of the funding to be within eligible countries. For more information, please contact NETSCC.

3.3 How can I find an academic partner to submit a proposal with?                                                                        
If you are looking for a partner to work with we suggest that you consider looking at the academic literature to see who has published in your field.  Alternatively, you may wish to contact your local Research Design Service or Clinical Trials Unit, or local higher education institutions.

3.4 Do we need to have partners ‘signed up’ at the outline application stage?             
Committed partners add strength to a research proposal; if partners are not yet signed up then you should give an indication in your outline proposal form of the stage that the negotiations have reached.  It is advisable to have all partners committed by the time that your full proposal is submitted in order for the Board to be able to take this into account when considering the proposal for funding. 

3.5 Would the Public Health Research programme consider an application led by a commercial organisation?
Yes – all applicants need to demonstrate that they have the skills and expertise to deliver high quality research.  Commercial applicants may wish to consider partnering with higher-education institutions in preparing their bids.

3.6 Will the Public Health Research programme consider funding the UK ‘arm’ of a multi-national study?
The PHR programme has no objection, in principle, to joint funding.  The PHR programme would, however, need to be clear about where responsibility lay contractually in terms of publication, copyright, and research governance issues etc.  These issues would need to be fully addressed at the full proposal stage by the applicant if the outline proposal was shortlisted.  At outline stage it would be sensible to refer to this arrangement briefly with a clear indication that further information would be provided at full proposal stage if shortlisted. 

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3.7 Is there a limit to the amount of money you can request for one proposal?
No. The Public Health Research programme funds on the basis of the scientific merit of the proposal and the team put together to carry out the study. However, applicants should be aware that although they will not be competing for funds, projects have to demonstrate value for money.  There is no lower limit to the amount of funds you can request, although smaller scale research applications may be better placed with other funders.  For advice on this, researchers could contact their local Research Design Service in England, or their local R&D Department in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

3.8 Will intervention costs be funded?
The Public Health Research programme will fund research costs but not intervention or other non-research costs.  Researchers should not include intervention costs within their proposals. 
Before submitting a proposal, researchers find it useful to form partnerships with stakeholders or other potential funders who may wish to meet the intervention costs within their research proposals.

3.9 How should we cost a proposal that we feel requires a feasibility or pilot stage?
It is important that you are realistic about the costs and time required to undertake feasibility and pilot studies.  You need to ensure that the criteria to progress to the next stage of the study are clearly set out and justified, and that the outcomes are appropriate to each stage of the study.  The definitive study must be within remit for the PHR programme.  If the intervention you propose requires some refinement during the feasibility study this is likely to be a research cost and therefore can be included in the research costings for the proposed study.  If you are not sure if the costs are research or intervention costs we advise that you contact us via email as soon as possible for further advice.

3.10 When should we seek ethical approval?                                 
Not all projects require ethical approval.  For those that do, we realise that this process can take some time.  However, we do not advise submitting materials to the appropriate ethics approval system until you have received notification of funding from the PHR programme as the Research Funding Board may request changes to be made to proposals that have implications for ethics and research governance approvals.

3.11 Can I make changes to my submitted application?
No, once an application has been submitted it is not able to be altered.  You can, if you wish, withdraw your application and resubmit it at a later date.

3.12 Do you accept bids concurrent with applications to other organisations?             
No, we will not accept research proposals that are currently being considered by other funding bodies.  Researchers will, however, need to ensure funding for the intervention costs that may be required for their study as the Public Health Research programme does not fund intervention costs.

3.13 Is there a maximum duration permitted for a research project?
There are no fixed limits on the duration of projects or funding and proposals should be tailored to address fully the identified research question (including long-term follow-up if necessary).  Applicants should balance the need for the information with the need to follow up participants for an adequate amount of time to measure important outcomes. 

3.14 Do I need to be registered with the CRD international register for systematic reviews?
Applicants undertaking systematic reviews should note the commitment of NIHR to publication in the PROSPERO database. PROSPERO was developed by the NIHR’s Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD), and is the first online facility to register systematic reviews for research about health and social care from all around the world. Access is completely free and open to the public. PROSPERO registration is a condition of NIHR funding for systematic reviews that are within the scope for inclusion.
For more details visit the CRD website (http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/). 

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