A new, open, two-stage competition to designate and fund National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Units (NIHR HPRUs) has launched.
In April 2013 Public Health England (PHE) will be established and will incorporate the Health Protection Agency. The scheme aims to enable the NIHR HPRUs to support PHE in delivering its objectives and function for the protection of the public’s health.
For each priority research area, funding will be awarded to a single university working in partnership with Public Health England (PHE). The purpose of the funding is to meet the research costs incurred by the university/PHE partnership in carrying out an approved programme of multidisciplinary research, including the funding of research salaries. NIHR funding will be provided for five years from 1 April 2014.
Research partnerships are sought in the following topic-based and cross-cutting priority areas:
Topic-based priority areas:
- Blood-borne and sexually transmitted infections;
- Chemical and radiation threats and hazards;
- Emergency preparedness and response;
- Emerging infections (including zoonoses) and biological threats;
- Environmental change and health;
- Gastrointestinal infections;
- Healthcare associated infections and antimicrobial resistance;
- Health impact of environmental hazards;
- Immunisation;
- Respiratory infections;
Cross-cutting priority areas:
- Evaluation of interventions;
- Modelling methodology.
20 December 2012 - The HPA have provided information on each Priority Area here
NIHR funding will be provided to a university in England for a five-year period starting 1 April 2014.
The closing date for submission of the Pre-qualifying Questionnaire for those universities that are interested in being considered for an NIHR Health Protection Research Unit is 25 March 2013 at 1.00pm.
A briefing meeting for potential university applicants will be held on 17 January 2013, at the Academy of Medical Sciences, 41 Portland Place, London, W1B 1QH. Up to two people are invited to attend from each institution. To register for this event please email tina.hunt@nihr-ccf.org.uk.
Registration for the briefing meeting has now closed. The FAQs will be updated following the meeting.
The guidance document is available here.
A Frequently Asked Questions document is available here.
The briefing meeting question and answers document can be
accessed here.