Table 1 Research Programmes and Schools of the NIHR

Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME)

Bridges the gap between preclinical studies and evidence of clinical efficacy. The aim is to secure the progress of new technologies and interventions through their early clinical trials and onto larger, later clinical trials.

Health Services and Delivery Research (HS&DR)

Research to produce rigorous and relevant evidence on the quality, access and organisation of health services, including costs and outcomes.

Health Technology Assessment (HTA)

Research about the effectiveness, costs and broader impact of healthcare treatments and tests for those who plan, provide or receive care in the NHS.

Invention for Innovation (i4i)

A translational funding scheme to advance healthcare technologies and interventions for increased patient benefit in areas of existing or emerging clinical need.

New and Emerging Applications of Technology (NEAT) and Health Technology Devices (HTD) are historic schemes, now managed under the umbrella of i4i.

Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR)

Produce independent research findings that will have practical application for the benefit of patients and the NHS in the relatively near future, through promotion of health, prevention of ill health, and optimal disease management (including safety and quality). A particular emphasis on conditions causing significant disease burden.

Programme Development Grant (PDG)

A complementary scheme to PGfAR. This allows investigators to undertake preparatory research that will position them to submit a competitive Programme Grant application.

Public Health Research (PHR)

Research that evaluates public health interventions, providing new knowledge on the benefits, costs, acceptability and wider impacts of interventions outside the NHS, and intended to improve the health of the public and reduce inequalities in health.

Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB)

Inspired by patients and practice to generate high quality research for the benefit of users of the NHS in England. Its main purpose is to realise, through evidence, the huge potential for improving, expanding and strengthening the way that healthcare is delivered for patients, the public and the NHS.

Research for Innovation Speculation and Creativity (RISC)

Provided research of direct benefit to users of the National Health Service (NHS) in England. The RISC programme is a historic scheme that was for potentially paradigm-changing projects in Health Services and Public Health Research.

Schools for Primary Care, Social Care and Public Health Research

The three Schools each aim to: increase and develop the evidence base for practice in the primary care, adult social care, and public health sectors respectively, build research capacity, improve research awareness and create a ‘critical mass’ of research expertise and funding through coordinated and collaborative working across the country.

Systematic Reviews (SR) Programme

Consists of a number of initiatives, including the Cochrane Review Groups and the UK Cochrane Centre, the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination and the Health Technology Assessment Reviews, which provide high quality research evidence to support decision-making.

Trainees’ Coordinating Centre (TCC)

Makes training awards to researchers whose work focuses on people and patient-based applied health research. This research training is funded in order to build a leading NHS Research Faculty, develop research careers, research leaders and collaborators.