Frequently Asked Questions

Remit of Public Health Research programme

1.1 What is the aim of the Public Health Research programme?
1.2 What areas of public health are considered?
1.3 How is the Public Health Research programme managed?
1.4 How tightly defined is 'outside the NHS' and 'non-NHS'?
1.5 What happens if my proposal is considered to be out of the remit of the Public Health Research programme?
1.6 Does the Public Health Research programme fund research outside England?
1.7 How does NIHR relate to the National Prevention Research Initiative Phase-4 call for proposals?
1.8 Does the Public Health Research programme fund development studies?

1.1 What is the aim of the Public Health Research programme?

The aim of the programme is to evaluate public health interventions: specifically, it provides new knowledge on the benefits, costs, acceptability and wider impacts of non-NHS interventions intended to improve the health of the public and reduce inequalities in health.

1.2 What areas of public health are considered?
Public health interventions, delivered outside the NHS, that seek to improve the health of the public, prevent disease or reduce inequalities in health will be considered. These interventions could include aspects of health protection.

1.3 How is the Public Health Research programme managed?
The Public Health Research programme is managed from the NIHR Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NETSCC). It follows National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) governance processes. The Programme Director, Professor Catherine Law, is responsible to Professor Dame Sally Davies (the Department of Health Director General for Research and Development), via Professor Tom Walley, (NIHR Director of Evaluation, Trials and Studies). The Programme Director receives advice from the Programme Advisory Board and the Research Funding Board.

1.4 How tightly defined is 'outside the NHS' and 'non-NHS'?
The Public Health Research programme has been set up by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to complement the work of the long-established Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme (http://www.hta.ac.uk/funding), which has a growing portfolio that evaluates public health interventions delivered within or commissioned by the NHS. The Public Health Research programme creates new opportunities for the evaluation of public health interventions delivered outside the healthcare setting.
Researchers wishing to evaluate interventions that sit both inside and outside the NHS, or that sit in a boundary zone, should consider the following:

• What are the NHS and non-NHS components, funding and organisational support? 

• Will the outcomes of the evaluation research be predominantly of interest to NHS or non-NHS decision makers/service commissioners?

• Where will the intervention be delivered if it was fully developed and implemented?

Taking these factors into account, you should then consider the following for the intervention:

• If the primary setting for the intervention is within the NHS/healthcare system, your proposal is likely to fall within the remit of the HTA programme.
• If the primary setting for  the intervention is outside the NHS/healthcare system, your proposal is likely to fall within the remit of the PHR programme.
• If the primary setting for the intervention is outside the NHS/healthcare system but the intervention receives NHS partnership funding, your proposal is likely to fall within the remit of the PHR programme.

Examples of NHS-funded interventions which would fall within the remit of the HTA programme and not the PHR programme, regardless of their setting, include:

• Screening programmes or components of screening programmes
  
• Interventions delivered by midwives or health visitors
• Interventions delivered by community pharmacists
• Research involving prison health services
• Smoking cessation services 

Whichever programme you choose to submit to, your proposal should clearly describe how it relates to the information above to help us assess your application.   Staff at NETSCC are happy to advise applicants (info@phr.ac.uk) on which programme would be more appropriate. We will make sure that applications do not fall in the gaps.

1.5 What happens if my proposal is considered to be out of the remit of the Public Health Research programme?  
If a submitted proposal is not accepted as being within the remit of the Public Health Research programme, the applicants will be informed as soon as possible after the decision has been made, which would normally be 2 to 3 weeks after the closing date for outline proposals.  Should the programme directors feel that the proposal is within the remit of one of the other NETSCC programmes, the proposal may be transferred into another programme and considered for funding by that programme.  We will notify the lead applicant if a transfer takes place.  If the proposal is accepted as being within the remit of one of the other programmes this does not give an indication that it will ultimately be funded.    

1.6 Does the Public Health Research programme fund research outside England?
The NIHR Public Health Research programme is funded by the NIHR, with contributions from the CSO in Scotland, NISCHR in Wales, and HSC R&D, Public Health Agency, Northern Ireland.  Researchers in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are eligible to apply for funding under this programme.

1.7 How does NIHR relate to the National Prevention Research Initiative Phase-4 call for proposals?
Please see the explanatory text on the NETSCC website.

1.8 Does the Public Health Research programme fund development studies?
The remit of the NIHR Public Health Research (PHR) programme is to evaluate public health interventions and currently does not explicitly include developmental studies in public health. However, applications focused on developmental work may be considered on a case by case basis where clear plans for the subsequent testing/evaluation of any such interventions are provided.