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About the Programme
What counts as Research for Patient Benefit?

RfPB does not specify topics for research and encourages proposals for projects covering a wide range of health service issues and challenges. Projects are selected for funding on the basis of the quality of the research proposal and its likely transition into patient benefit locally and for the wider NHS.

The programme supports:

  • Studies of the provision and use of NHS services.
  • Evaluations of the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of interventions.
  • Examination of the resource utilisation of alternative means for healthcare delivery.
  • The scrutinising of innovations and developments.
  • Pilots or feasibility projects to help reach the next step of a definitive trial.

RfPB particularly welcomes proposals that have benefited from interaction with patients and the public, which relate to patient and service user experience and/or have been drawn up in association with a relevant group of service users. To find out more about patient and public involvement click here.

NB The programme will not fund laboratory-based or basic science research, the setting-up or maintenance of research units, or proposals which are solely service developments or audits, surveys, needs assessments, etc.

Programme management

The Central Commissioning Facility (CCF) administers the RfPB programme under the guidance of a national Programme Director. CCF coordinates the application process, manages the external peer and lay review process and acts as secretariat to the Regional Advisory Committees. CCF also manages the contracting procedures and project monitoring for successful applications.  We have established:

  • An electronic process for making applications to the programme.
  • Ongoing opportunities to apply for funding, with three competitions per year.
  • Ten Regional Advisory Committees, each meeting three times a year, under an appointed Regional Chair, to promote the programme within the region and assess the applications submitted to the region.
  • A preliminary scrutiny process to assess applications for fit to the programme scope.
  • An expert review process, which includes a minimum of two expert reviews and one lay review.
  • Allocations of regional budget on a population basis.