£6.4 million to support vital health and social care research in Wales

Health and Care Research Wales announces the recipients of its latest funding call awards, with key investments covering a wide range of research topics from promoting mental wellbeing to women’s health.

As a result of the funding calls, 26 new funding awards have been granted with a combined lifetime value amounting to £6.4 million.

Funding high quality research projects

• Research for Patient and Public Benefit Wales

• Research Funding Scheme: Social Care Grants

These two schemes offer diversified levels of support to meet various research project needs. For example, the Research for Patient and Public Benefit Wales supports capacity and capability building in NHS Wales (including Public Health Wales) by funding research related to the day-to-day practice of the health service, whilst the Research Funding Scheme: Social Care Grants support capacity and capability building in social care research.

Nurturing research talent in Wales

• Health Research Fellowships

• Health PhD Studentships

These personal awards contribute to career development. The Health Research Fellowship Scheme aims to support individuals to become independent researchers, whereas the Health PhD Studentship Scheme offers talented individuals the opportunity to undertake research and study leading to a PhD.

In addition to the grant schemes, Health and Care Research Wales has also funded a Health and Care Research Wales / National Institute for Health and Care Research Fellowship Award. Dr Joanna Martin of the Cardiff University is awarded for her study to improve knowledge, awareness, and diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in young women. 

Michael Bowdery, Head of Programmes, Health and Care Research Wales, said:

We were thrilled to see so many high-quality applications this year, both for project grants and personal awards. Our recent funding increase has allowed us to fund a few more awards than usual in a range of significant health and social topics aligned to Welsh Government priorities, including cancer, diabetes, looked after children, care leavers, mental health, emergency response and equality, diversity and inclusion. Collectively these projects are another example of the potential of research to make a real difference to people’s health and wellbeing.”

A full list of funding awards and recipients is below:

Health Research Fellowships

Providing talented individuals with the support they need to become independent researchers while undertaking high-quality research projects benefiting social care in Wales. 

• Dr Emma Rees, Swansea University  

In older people with suspected heart failure, does adding a focused ultrasound scan to the current community pathway improve health care quality? (HF-FOCUS). 

• Mrs Hayley Reed, Cardiff University 

The Identification and Adaptation of an Effective Mental Health and Wellbeing Intervention for Implementation with Welsh Secondary School Students aged 11-18. 

• Dr Bruce MacLachlan, Cardiff University 

Deciphering the molecular rules that govern CD4+ T cell responses to tumour associated antigen peptides to enhance anti-tumour immunity. 

• Dr Naledi Formosa, Cardiff University 

Development of a novel lung-on-a-chip platform to investigate breast cancer metastasis. 

Research for Patient and Public Benefit (RfPPB) Wales 

Funding research related to the day-to-day practice of the health service, with clearly defined patient and public benefit. 

• Dr Magdalena Meissner, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board  

Integration of Liquid Biopsy into Lung Cancer Diagnostic Pathway.  

• Dr Rose Stewart, Betsi Cadwaldr University Health Board 

Collaborative communitY based education program to reduce Inequalities in the uptake of diabetes screening among Minority Ethnic peopLe in WaLes: A Phase I feasibility study (CYMELL).  

• Dr Nigel Rees, Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust 

999 R.E.S.P.O.N.D. (emerRgEncy diSPatch decisiONs in coviD-19). 

• Miss Eirini Skiadaresi, Hywell Dda University Health Board 

Feasibility of an alternative pathway for hospital referrals from Diabetic Eye Screening Wales (DESW) for people suspected with sight-threatening diabetic eye disease (diabetic maculopathy).  

• Dr Ceri Lynch, Cwm Taf University Health Board  

How can immersive virtual reality be used to facilitate recovery and rehabilitation of patients following a stay in intensive care?  

 Research Funding Scheme: Social Care Grants 

Supporting high-quality research projects with clear relevance to health and wellbeing need and/or the organisation and delivery of healthcare in Wales. 

• Professor Sin Yi Cheung, Cardiff University  

Ethnic and religious inequalities in children’s social services in Wales: Patterns and outcomes.  

• Professor Donald Forrester, Cardiff University  

Understanding the Subjective Well-Being of Younger Children Looked After in Wales: A Qualitative Study Designed with Children in Care Using Creative Methodologies.  

• Dr Clive Diaz, Cardiff University  

Parental Advocacy in Wales: A mixed methods evaluation of its effectiveness in supporting parents.  

• Dr Emily Lowthian, Swansea University  

Educational pathways and outcomes for children who are looked after: a population-scale data linkage study.  

• Dr Nina Maxwell, Cardiff University  

What are the service outcomes for criminally exploited children? A case study of criminally exploited children’s service journeys in two local authorities in Wales.  

• Dr Ceryl Davies, Bangor University  

Exploring the barriers and enablers to effective engagement with care leavers.  

• Dr Jennifer Acton, Cardiff University  

A preventative approach for Access to a Sustainable, whole System pathway for older people with vISion impairmenT (ASSIST).  

• Dr Gillian Hewitt and and Sarah Macdonald, Cardiff University  

Mental health provision for children and young people in schools and FE colleges (11-25 years) with experiences of care: Mixed-method study of implementation, acceptability, need and priority outcomes. 

Health PhD Studentships

Supporting capacity building in social care research by funding high quality research projects, the studentship offers individuals the opportunity to undertake research and study leading to a PhD.  

• Professor Marianne van den Bree, Cardiff University 

Investigating physical and mental health multimorbidity determinants throughout the lifespan. 

• Professor Alex Tonks, Cardiff University  

Understanding mechanisms of Nuclear Factor I-C (NFIC) in regulating Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) development and progression. 

• Dr Lisa Hurt, Cardiff University 

Autism and employment: Learning from experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic to improve workplace support. A mixed-methods study. 

• Dr Andrew E Fry, Cardiff University 

Utilising data linkage to investigate the health impact of carrier status for common genetic disorders. 

• Professor Richard Stanton and Professor Eddie Wang, Cardiff University 

Optimising a novel antiviral immunotherapy. 

• Professor Jennifer Davies and Professor Chris Bundy, Cardiff University 

Investigating interactions between physiological, cognitive, and behavioural variables in people experiencing long COVID.

• Professor Jacky Boivin, Cardiff University 

A Realist evaluation of the implementation of a women-centred NHS endometriosis website and tools to support more timely diagnosis and shared decision making with general practitioners. 

• Dr You Zhou, Cardiff University 

Targeting Complement to Treat Fatty Liver Disease. 

 Health and Care Research Wales / NIHR Fellowship Award

Supporting individuals on their journey to becoming future leaders in research. Health and Care Research Wales takes on the funding and management of successful applications to the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Fellowship Programme.  

• Dr Joanna Martin, Cardiff University 

Improving knowledge, awareness, and diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in young women.