Advice for Research Capability Funding applicants

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) allocates Research Capability Funding to our Clinical Effectiveness & Research Team on an annual basis.

We then run calls four times a year to find applicants for the funding.

Research Capability Funding allows us to invest in people who develop or support ideas for patient-based research in primary care. The funding cannot be used to undertake the research itself.

Research Capability Funding can be used to fund:

• the part of a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) faculty member’s salary that is not covered by other NIHR sources
• new staff, who are expected to be faculty members, but who have not yet obtained funding from the other NIHR sources
• existing faculty members who are ‘between grants’ (commonly termed ‘bridging funding’)
• the time spent by faculty members in preparing grant proposals
• the time spent by faculty members in contributing to wider research needs, for example, in peer review panels
• the research-related time of NHS-employed administrative and secretarial staff who are supporting faculty members in their NIHR-related work.

What we want to invest in:

• the proposed work addresses an NHS or local authority health priority (national or local)
• the proposed work will lead to a viable NIHR application
• the Lead Investigator is appropriately experienced or supported
• the work must be feasible (both the work for the grant application and the proposed research project)
• a clear potential benefit/impact of the proposed work, particularly to the NHS and the patient population
• there must be a strong team identified, or plan to achieve this
• appropriate Patient and Public Involvement plan (again for the grant application and eventual NIHR funded research project)
• relevant commissioner engagement or buy-in
• support of your Head of Department
  value for money.

What we do not invest in:

We update our non-exhaustive list of reasons why we have had to reject an application for Research Capability Funding after every round of applications to give you the best information regarding what is not appropriate for our Research Capability Funding.

Please read this list of projects that cannot be funded through Research Capability Funding, as we describe the reason and alternative sources of funding for each rejection reason. It will save you time before applying.

If in any doubt, please get in touch using the details below and ask for the Research Manager.

Get in touch

If you have any questions about Research Capability Funding please get in touch with our Clinical Effectiveness & Research Team:

Tel: 0117 900 2268
Email: bnssg.research@nhs.net