Integrated Funding Scheme - Arm 2: Health and Social Care Services and Public Health Research

Health and Care Research Wales is pleased to announce the launch of the new Integrated Funding Scheme - Arm 2: Health and Social Care Services and Public Health Research

This arm will fund research focused on the organisation and delivery of health and/or social care services or public health issues, including prevention and population health, of importance in Wales.

N.B: the funding scheme is assessed via a two-stage application process.

Integrated Funding Scheme – Call 3 Timeline

Stage 2 launch: Wednesday 18 December 2024

Stage 2 close: Wednesday 5 March 2025 at 13:00

The arm will have two application points a year (autumn/spring). An arm for commissioned research calls is being planned for launch next year as part of the Integrated Funding Scheme.

The call will close to Stage 2 applications on Wednesday 5 March 2025 at 13:00.

Apply now using the Research Management System

Remit and eligibility of the Integrated Funding scheme

Arm 2: Health and Social Care Services and Public Health Research

Purpose and remit

The Health and Social Care Services and Public Health Research arm will fund research focused on the organisation and delivery of health and/or social care services or public health issues, including prevention and population health, of importance in Wales.

Projects could, for example:

study the provision and use of NHS and/or social care services
examine resource utilisation or alternative means of health service or social care service delivery
address issues related to service quality and safety
evaluate service organisation or delivery innovations
carry out evidence synthesis and meta-analysis in relevant topic areas
evaluate integrated models of health and social care
explore issues related to health behaviours
explore issues related to public health
explore issues related to health and care inequity and inequality.

Please note, however, that this arm will not fund:

laboratory-based research or basic science research, including research using animals
applications better suited to the translational and clinical research arm
the setting up or maintaining of research units
applications which are solely service developments
applications which are limited to audit, survey or needs assessment.

For the avoidance of doubt, while the scheme will fund research aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of a service intervention, it will not fund the costs of providing the service or intervention itself.

Please refer to the Health and Care Research Wales Social care research guidelines for a definition of social care research.

All applicants must demonstrate the need for, and importance of, the research proposed and describe clearly the likely impact of their findings in the short to medium term and the likely benefits for public, policy or practice.

Where relevant, applicants will be expected to provide details on the potential impact and scalability of effective interventions and research findings.

With particular regard to social care research, applications from suitably qualified Lead Applicants not previously active in social care research are welcome.

General remit of the Integrated Funding Scheme

In addition to the remit considerations specific to each arm above, there are some additional points below that apply to both arms.

Well-scoped applications that produce findings to inform later research funding applications are welcome, as are applications for projects which will produce ‘impactful’ findings in their own right.

However, please note that while applications to undertake research to inform subsequent applications to other funders for larger and/or definitive studies are encouraged, we will not fund applications that are already suitable for submission to the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) programmes to which Health and Care Research Wales contributes.

Applications from early-stage career researchers and those who have not led research before but who are looking to build research portfolios and gain experience of leading research are welcome.

Within the overall parameters of the call, applications of various length, size and cost are welcome. Applicants should be mindful that applications often fail at the assessment stage because they are considered overambitious.

Applicants will need to show they have considered the relevance and impact of their work on groups with protected characteristics. Those developing trials should be aware of and consider the INCLUDE Ethnicity Framework – Trial Forge, to help support the improvement of trial delivery for under-served groups.

Engagement with relevant stakeholders, and especially service provider organisations, is strongly encouraged throughout the research process to maximise the potential for knowledge exchange and impact.

Applicants should demonstrate how public research partners will be involved over the course of the project. Health and Care Research Wales expects appropriate and well-designed involvement of public research partners in the research it supports, so please refer to the UK Standards for Public Involvement in Research. It is essential in the application form to show plans for involving public research partners at each appropriate stage of the research project life cycle.

All applicants will be required to produce a dissemination plan that shows clearly how the key messages from the research will be effectively communicated to relevant audiences, including policymakers, service providers, service users, carers and researchers.

Scheme eligibility

Lead and joint lead applicants must be based at an institution or organisation in Wales at the time of applying (or be in receipt of a job offer such that they will be based in the host institution before the project starts).

Lead and joint lead applicants must have a PhD, UK MD or other research-based professional doctorate in health or care-related research (applications will be accepted from those who have recently submitted their PhD thesis, or equivalent, to their institution for assessment, as long as the doctorate is awarded before the grant starts) OR have an equivalent track record of research experience at the time of applying.
Applications must have the support of the host organisation.

Applications from early-stage career researchers (here defined as an individual who has no more than 60 months post-doctoral research experience, excluding, for example, career breaks, maternity/paternity leave and illness), and those seeking to become lead investigators for the first time, are welcome.

Applications from early-stage career researchers must have Primary Co-applicant support from a senior researcher. Failure to provide this will prevent your application from progressing. (Early-stage career researchers whose applications are successful may further benefit from membership of the Health and Care Research Wales Faculty.)
Where the lead applicant is an early career researcher, we expect the Primary Co-applicant to come from the same institution unless there is a strong rationale, connected to academic expertise and the development of the early career researcher, why this is not the case.

Applications for projects of varying cost and length are encouraged, as long as a strong case is made for the value and quality of the work. The maximum period for which funding can be sought is 24 months.

Available funding

A funding pot of approximately £1.35m is available for each call (£2.7m in total annually). Health and Care Research Wales expects to fund around four to eight projects across the two arms in each call.
Within the overall funding pot, there is no limit on the upper or lower sizes of awards, though applicants should be mindful of the total pot available and the expectations of Health and Care Research Wales regarding the number of projects it is likely to fund.

Stage 1 assessment criteria

All applicants will need to make a strong case for the need for and importance of their research proposal at Stage 1, in relation to policy, practice and public need.

This will include:

a clear description of the health or care need they are addressing
the placing of the research proposed in the appropriate policy or practice context
a justification of the importance of that need, in terms of the scale of the problem and/or likely impact on those with the health or care need
a demonstration of a gap in the research evidence
demonstration that the methods proposed are suitable for answering the research question.
Please note that strong public involvement in both the development of the research application and delivery of the project is regarded as a pre-requisite of funding.

Stage 2 assessment criteria

Applicants invited to submit a Stage 2 application will need to set out their research plan and methodology in detail. The application will be assessed on its scientific quality, and the Funding Board will consider whether:

The methodology and science are sound
There is a clear demonstration of the necessary skill mix, experience, project management and infrastructure for successful completion of the project
The estimated recruitment rates are well-explained and justified
The ethical, legal and social implications of the research proposed have been considered
There is evidence of public/practitioner involvement in the design and delivery of the project
The costs of the research represent good value for money.

Please note that the above criteria are a guide for assessment, and the discussion will not be limited to these areas.

Assessment process

Both arms of the Integrated Funding Scheme use a two-stage application process.

All Stage 1 (outline) applications will undergo eligibility and basic competitiveness* checks to ensure applications are within call and scheme remit and are suitable to progress to assessment.

Stage 1 applications will be assessed by a panel consisting of public, policy, practice and academic assessors who will review applications for need and importance (against the criteria set out in the ‘Stage 1 assessment criteria’ section above).

The Stage 1 panel will advise Health and Care Research Wales on which applications should proceed to Stage 2. Only applicants whose Stage 1 application is prioritised on the basis of the importance of the question and with sufficiently robust methodology are invited to submit a Stage 2 (full) application.

Stage 2 proposals are checked for remit and competitiveness* and those deemed competitive undergo scientific (and public) peer review and independent Funding Board assessment. The Funding Board makes funding recommendations to Health and Care Research Wales based on the scientific/academic quality of the application (against the criteria set out in the ‘Stage 2 assessment criteria’ section above).

*Please note: ‘Not competitive’ means that an application is not of a sufficiently high standard or not sufficiently well completed to be taken forward for further assessment.

Shortlisted applications will be invited to submit a Stage 2 proposal in December 2024. Stage 2 applications will have a deadline in March 2025 and will be checked for competitiveness, receive external peer review, and be assessed by the Funding Board. Please note that it will be a condition of funding that all successful projects will be expected to start on 1 October 2025.

Further information on how to complete the application form is available in the guidance notes for Applicants Stage 1 below.

Scheme call documentation

Call guidance

Guidance notes for applicants (pdf) Stage 1
Finance guidance (pdf) (for reference only as full costings are not required for Stage 1)
Word version of application form* (docx)
Confidentiality and Disclosure: A Guide for Applicants, Reviewers and Panel/Board Members (pdf)
Conflict of Interest Policy (pdf)

If you are submitting applications relevant to social care research should be aware of the Health and Care Research Wales What is social care research? (pdf) brief.

*For reference only and intended only as a guide to assist with completion of the online application form. Word versions of completed application forms will not be accepted.