The Research for Patient Benefit Programme

The Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) programme invites proposals for research related to the day-to-day practice of health service staff.

The Research for Patient Benefit is a response-mode funding programme established to provide high-quality research that will be of direct benefit to users of the NHS in England. The programme is for regionally commissioned research. It is coordinated nationally by its Director, Professor Celia Davies.

Applications are considered by Regional Funding Committees. These have a diverse membership drawn from relevant academic communities, the NHS and social care. Patients and members of the public will also be involved in selecting proposals.

The programme funds projects which use quantitative and/or qualitative methods to:

• study the provision and use of NHS services;
• evaluate the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of interventions;
• examine the resource utilisation of alternative means for healthcare delivery;
• formally scrutinise innovations and developments; and
• pilot or consider the feasibility of projects that would require major grant applications to other funders.

Proposals which have emerged from interaction with patients and the public, which relate to patient and service user experience and which have been drawn up in association with a relevant group of service users, are particularly welcome.

For further information and to submit an application please visit the National Institute for Health Research Central Commissioning Facility (NIHR-CCF) website at http://www.nihr-ccf.org.uk

A Registration of Intention (ROI) to submit an application must be completed by no later than 5pm on Tuesday 12 August 2008.

Proposals must be submitted by no later than 5 pm on Tuesday 23 September 2008. Successful applicants will be notified of award in late February 2009