Research Capability Funding

Research Capability Funding (RCF) is provided to research active NHS organisations by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

We use these funds to improve local health and care research infrastructure and support the development of co-designed research projects. This ultimately contributes to the health of our population through evidence generation and use within our health system.

Read the principles of our spending decisions in this briefing paper Read how we have spent RCF compared with our spending plan

We divide our budget into separate categories of spend, each with a different aim that contributes to the NIHR and local health system vision.

Please see below for details on each category. Application deadlines, forms and guidance will be shown within the details of each category.

Additional Guidance

• NIHR Guide – How to Calculate the Costs of Involving Interpreters and Translators
• NHS UK Guide for Increasing Diversity in Research Participation
• NIHR Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Toolkit

Responsive Call

Next deadline: 16 June 2025

This is funding provided to support the development of a research project. We are looking to support the co-development of a specific research question relevant to health and care into a strong NIHR grant application.

There are two types of Responsive RCF you can apply for:

• Early ideas (Type 1) = £3,000 to start co-development of research ideas, such as stakeholder engagement and PPI (Patient and Public Involvement) work
• NIHR grant preparation (Type 2) = Up to £20,000 for NIHR grant application writing. This can include activities that will help write a high-quality NIHR application, such as preliminary data collection, and literature review.

Read the guidance for applicants below and please check the list of activities we aren’t able to fund using RCF.

Please submit completed application forms to bnssg.research@nhs.net.

There will be a deadline for applications mid-June 2025, mid-October 2025 and mid-January 2026.

• Research Capability Funding (RCF): Responsive Call Type 1 guidance
• Research Capability Funding (RCF): Responsive Call Type 2 guidance
• Download the Type 1 Application Form
• Download the Type 2 Application Form
• Examples of Activities we cannot fund
• Guide for Increasing Diversity in Research Participation

Early ideas (Type1)

• Research Capability Funding (RCF): Responsive Call Early Ideas (Type 1) guidance
• Early Ideas (Type 1) Application Form

NIHR grant preparation (Type 2)

• Research Capability Funding (RCF): Responsive Call NIHR grant preparation (Type 2) guidance
• NIHR grant preparation (Type 2) Application Form
• Examples of Activities we cannot fund

Further guidance

• Guide Part One- How to Calculate the Costs of Involving Interpreters and Translators
• Guide Part Two- How to Calculate the Costs of Involving Interpreters and Translators
• Guide for Increasing Diversity in Research Participation
• Research Design Service Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Toolkit

Academic Career Award

Next Deadline: TBC Autumn 2025

This award is for academics from the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England.

This award supports Senior Research Fellows and/or Senior Lecturers who are not core funded by their University employer. This award will enable academics to dedicate time to activities that support their career stability e.g. applying for research grants or Advanced Fellowships.

These awards are intended to help reduce the pressures of short-term contracts by awarding funding of £60,000 over 18 months.

Please speak to your line manager about this award if you are interested.

• Academic Career Award (ACA) Guidance
• Academic Career Award (ACA) Application Form

ICB Evidence Fellow Award

Next Deadline: TBC Summer 2025

Please note that applications are invited from ICB employees only.

This award is for ICB employees with ambitions to develop their career to include an academic element. Clinical-academic roles are common amongst health service delivery teams, and they bring benefits to their service, enrich the careers of the post-holders and enhance the quality of research.

We want the same opportunity and benefits within health and care planning.

The ICB is keen to support the development of health and care planning academic roles, and this award is to help colleagues who are planning to apply for an external academic career fellowship award (e.g. NIHR Pre-Doctoral Fellowship). The award can be used to ring-fence some time to dedicate to building the recipient’s academic network, undertake training and/or gain experience of being part of an academic team delivering health and care research.

Activities undertaken via this award should support a future application for academic career fellowships and be able to bring benefits to the recipient’s current work.

• ICB Evidence Fellow Scheme Guidance
• ICB Evidence Fellow Scheme Application Form

Launching Fellowships

Next deadline: TBC Summer 2025

This scheme supports early-career, post-PhD researchers to establish their academic career, enhance their publication record and develop their first research grant application, for example an NIHR Fellowship or RfPB.

We are very proud to be associated with our Launching Fellows who are outstanding individuals who we believe will become research leaders of the future.

We offer up to £60,000 in funding for applicants from University of Bristol and UWE Bristol.

More information can be found in the guidance:

• Launching Fellowship guidance
• Launching Fellowship person specification
• Launching Fellowship application form

Researchers in Residence

Researchers from local Universities are embedded into commissioning teams in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB, thus gaining a thorough understanding of commissioning intentions and how evidence is used in practice.

These roles provide time to foster partnerships with commissioners, co-produce NIHR research applications that are NHS focussed, act as a conduit between NHS staff with research ideas, and the academic community who can develop those ideas into research grant applications.

Further Information

Researcher in Residence posts are a great way to create direct impact, build networks for future work and be a part of how evidence is used in the new health and care system. To learn more about the opportunities, email bnssg.research@nhs.net.

If you are an ICB employee with an opportunity for a Researcher in Residence, please complete the expression of interest form and email it to the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB Research Team at bnssg.research@nhs.net.

Bridging Funding

Next deadline: 1st of each month

Covering salary costs of researchers between NIHR grants, to ensure they do not face redundancy whilst waiting for the next NIHR-funded post to be set up. You can download the application form below.

• Download the RCF Application Bridging Mat and Sick

Maternity Cover/Sickness

Next deadline: 1st of each month

Back-filling key NIHR-grant funded posts left temporarily vacant during the award period by staff taking maternity, paternity, or long-term sick leave, where absence will seriously compromise the success of NIHR-funded research.

• Download the RCF Application Bridging Mat and Sick

Requests for extensions to existing RCF awards

Next deadline: 1st of each month

Providing shorter-term support for researchers whose grant application was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances.

• Download RCF Application Bridging Mat and Sick

Career Development Posts

Next deadline: N/A Internal University process

Funding for an academic to develop and establish a specific area of work within one of our partner University departments. The ICB receives proposals from the University of Bristol and UWE Bristol.

If you are interested in this kind of funding please speak to your relevant contact below:

• University of Bristol: CAPC = Katrina Turner
• University of Bristol: PH = Rona Campbell
• Primary Care Mental Health = Nicola Wiles
• UWE Bristol = Boudewijn Dominicus

Departmental Development Posts

Next deadline: N/A Internal University process

Funding for methodologist posts within departments who will support a wide range of academic colleagues across a range of research interests with their research – recent examples are a Health Economist, a Medical Statistician, and a Realist Methodologist.

The ICB receives proposals from the University of Bristol and UWE Bristol. These are strategic investments to build capacity within University departments and within the local Health Services.

Grant support from the Research Team

RCF contributes to the salary costs of various research-related, administrative and research support staff who work to ensure the quality of grant applications, submitted, and the quality of our grant hosting service.

We have joint posts with our Partner Universities with staff working for the ICB and the University of Bristol or UWE Bristol.

Our job is to make academic health science thrive locally, so if you have ideas of how we could support you better, please let us know as we always seek to improve our services.