Key points from the NIHR webinar by Dr Chloe Montague (NIHR Consultant Advisor): ## Takeaways - Cannot be intervention development (only refinement) - Non NHS settings - Population level health interventions - needs to inform public health decision making and be sustainable - Requires multidisciplinary and diverse teams - Conflicts of interest must be declared/ managed - Inclusive research across all stages of the research lifecycle is a condition of funding. - Do sex and gender requirements apply? Check. - Public must be involved at all stages of the project lifecycle. Meaningful involvement. Students as co-applicants? - Design the study to minimise bias. Look at health economics. - Consider linked studies. Ensure that there is not too much overlap - want a theory of change. - Ensure considerate of different impacts on subpopulations. - Will it change activity, attitudes, awareness, behaviour, processes? - Use the NIHR Specialist Centre for Public Health ## Notes #### Core Remit (Must Meet All Three) - **Evaluative research of interventions** – not intervention development - **Non-NHS interventions** – funded by sources other than NHS (local government, charity, university) - **Health outcome as primary outcome** – proxy measures acceptable if link to health is specified and justified #### What PHR Wants - **Population-level interventions** (not individual-level) addressing health inequalities and wider determinants of health - Evidence that informs public health decision-making and leads to sustainable population-level change - Multidisciplinary research teams from diverse disciplines #### Assessment Process 1. **Screening:** Remit and competitiveness check 2. **Prioritisation Committee:** Value = Importance + Impact (potential value to population health) 3. **Funding Committee:** Scientific quality, feasibility, value for money #### New Application System Requirements - **New accounts required** for team members in the updated awards management system - Applications now called **Outline** and **Full** (two-stage) - Only **duration** needed (no start/end dates) - Only **high-level costs** before funding decision - Co-applicants must **accept participation** before submission #### Outline Application Structure Download template, complete offline, upload as PDF (Arial 12, **max 5 pages**): 1. **Background and rationale** 2. **Aims and objectives** 3. **Methodology/plan** #### Required Uploads at Outline - **Flow diagram** – study timelines and milestones - **One page of references** - **Logic model** – depicting theory of change - ❌ No letters of support at outline (reference stakeholder support in research plan instead) - ❌ Do not use flexible upload for additional documents – they will be removed #### Team Composition Requirements - **Multidisciplinary teams:** - Academics with subject and methodology expertise - Subject matter experts from outside research (government, third sector) - Relevant public contributors - **Non-academics must be fully costed** as team members - **Conflicts of interest:** Research must be sufficiently and demonstrably independent #### Inclusive Research (Condition of Funding) Must demonstrate inclusion at all stages of research lifecycle: - Research question and design - Participants/target population - Research methods, data collection, analysis - Dissemination and knowledge mobilisation - **Sex and gender requirements** apply (for calls opened after 10 Nov 2025) #### Public Involvement Essentials - Embedded from early stage throughout project lifecycle - Meaningful involvement (not tokenistic) - Consider representatives on study committees and as co-applicants - **Fully cost** public involvement - Have non-academics read Plain English Summary before submission - Use readability checker #### Study Design Considerations - **Design to minimise bias** – non-randomised acceptable if justified - **Include a comparator** where possible - **Health economics** through wider system lens (not just NHS perspective) - **No intervention development** – only optimisation/adaptation (max 6 months) - **Feasibility/pilot studies:** Allowed with clear and robust progression criteria - **Linked studies:** Consider with clear break points #### SWATs and SWARs (Optional) - Methodological sub-studies within trials/projects (SWATs) or reviews (SWARs) - Focus: recruitment, retention, data collection, public partnerships, stakeholder engagement - Maximum funding: £30,000 #### Key Pitfalls to Avoid - Failing to keep to remit without justification - Ignoring health inequalities impact - Not specifying/justifying population choice - Missing health outcome as primary outcome - Weak theory of change - Insufficient public involvement - Not considering different impacts on subpopulations #### Impact Considerations - How will research inform policy and practice? - Engage partners early - Consider: Will it change activity, attitudes, awareness, behaviour, processes? #### Full Application Stage - Respond to **every point** of feedback from outline - May disagree with committee but don't ignore them - Contact PHR if feedback unclear - Full budget breakdown only required if recommended for funding #### Helpful Contacts - **NIHR Specialist Centre for Public Health** (part of Research Support Service) – first point of contact for guidance - **PHR Programme:** [email protected] - **Website:** www.nihr.ac.uk/phr