UKPRP-Consortium-outline-case-for-support-form-020919

The Second UK Prevention Research Partnership (UKPRP) funding call has now gone live

18 October 2019 (Mandatory Intention to Submit and topic area of interest) via email for both Consortium and Network applications

14 November 2019, 4pm (Outline applications) via Je-S

UK Prevention Research Partnership (UKPRP) Second call for proposals: Consortium and Network Awards
https://ukprp.org/how-to-apply/call-2-scope/

Applicants must notify the UKPRP Secretariat (UKPRP@mrc.ukri.org) of their intention to submit a proposal and the topic area of interest no later than 18 October 2019.

This call seeks to complement the portfolio funded in the first UKPRP call (4 Consortia and 4 Network awards https://ukprp.org/what-we-fund/) to support research into the primary prevention of NCDs.

The UKPRP vision is to generate evidence on actionable, sustainable and cost-effective ways of modifying the upstream systems and environments that influence NCDs, and of reducing health inequalities, through population-level action. The UKPRP is a new model of funding in the UK that aims to:
• build and support interdisciplinary research teams to develop, implement and evaluate generalisable and scalable preventive policies, practices, designs and interventions which will enable change within complex adaptive systems to prevent NCDs.
• deliver solutions for large-scale and cost-effective improvements in health and the prevention of NCDs that meet the needs of providers and policy makers and are responsive to the challenging timescales of policy making. This involves co-production of research with the public, policy makers, professionals and those likely to implement the intervention.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to use systems thinking and, where appropriate, systems science when developing and evaluating interventions to prevent NCDs and reduce health inequalities.

Remit and Scope
UKPRP now seeks to complement what has already been funded, in the following areas:
• Preventing poor mental health and promoting mental wellbeing.
The UKPRP covers physical health, mental health and wellbeing in the UK, but we have highlighted mental health as it is a particular area of need. Research could include the development, design and evaluation of strategies or technologies to reduce mental health problems during key life-course transitions.
• Reducing health inequalities (where this forms the primary focus of an application).
Research could include developing and testing strategies most likely to reduce inequalities in health (for example by socio-economic status, deprivation, ethnicity, gender etc.) at different stages of the life course.
• Using fiscal and economic interventions to prevent NCDs and reduce health inequalities.
Research could include the evaluation, by natural experimental and/or big data methods, of population level policy changes relevant to the primary prevention of NCDs (e.g. congestion charging, soft drinks levy, changes in the child benefit system etc.).
• Modifying other social and economic determinants of health and wellbeing.
Research could cover welfare systems, poverty alleviation, occupational settings, gambling, housing or social cohesion; the co-design, implementation and evaluation of spaces and places (e.g. housing, workplaces, and public spaces) to improve physical and mental health; and the development of solutions for ensuring that the benefits derived from preventive strategies are shared equitably (e.g. by socio-economic group, ethnicity, gender etc.).
• Tackling food systems that perpetuate unhealthy diets and obesity.
We are aware of existing research funding schemes on food systems and influences on diet and obesity. Given the importance of this challenge, the UKPRP would welcome proposals addressing this area. Research could investigate strategies for modifying food systems in ways that affect demand for and uptake of unhealthy food.
• Improving the urban environment, including transport systems and air quality.
Research could evaluate the effects of central and local government transport or planning policies on air pollution, accidents and physical activity levels; or investigate how to enhance the built environment to improve health; and the development, design, application and evaluation of new technologies such as smart traffic management systems.
• Using green and blue spaces for improving population health and preventing NCDs.
Research could examine the effectiveness of different solutions for improving natural environments in health enhancing ways; evaluate interventions designed to encourage healthy use of the natural environment and how this can be achieved without exacerbating health inequalities; and the role of the natural environment in promoting health related resilience (particularly in relation to multiple deprivation).
• Targeting specific life course stages or transitions.
Research could examine the effectiveness of solutions targeted at reducing risks in specific life course stages such as childhood, adolescence, or old age; and specific life course transitions such as school to work, retirement, or becoming a parent.
• Cross-cutting approaches.
UKPRP would welcome approaches which exploit digital technologies, social media or other platforms, or which take advantage of large-scale datasets and linkage to routine datasets, to design and deliver solutions; and research into ways of improving the use of evidence in policy and decision making, particularly in local and central government.

Research into the effectiveness of existing interventions relating to the above topics also falls within the call remit as this is an area of need given that local policy makers require evidence to inform decisions on removing or retaining existing interventions.

Consortium Awards
Consortium awards provide substantial, long-term investment (5 years) to support novel combinations of partners, including, where appropriate, industry (i.e. commercial/business partners), representing a range of academic disciplines and undertaking interdisciplinary research addressing a specific challenge in the primary prevention of NCDs. These groups should develop research strategies with users, for example policy makers, practitioners, health providers, the public etc. who may be part of the consortium, for the generation and implementation of new knowledge. The thinking behind consortia is that drawing together teams of experts from different disciplines and sectors, and including users, should enable researchers to capitalise on a range of expertise to develop novel research into new or existing high quality interventions that can deliver change at a population level.
Funding for consortia
• The scale and duration of funding is £4-7 million over 5 years. Applications outside of this range will be considered although, as with all applications, they should represent good value for money. Applications at the lower end of this funding range are encouraged but they must reflect ambitious research programmes that meet the UKPRP’s objectives.
• Recognising that the desired combinations of partners may not already exist, each successful outline applicant will receive a six-month Consortium Development Grant of up to £50,000 to build linkages between the consortium members, to develop research ideas and to act on feedback received from the assessment of the outline proposal. During the consortium development period, applicants will be required to attend a Joint Applicant Meeting which aims to bring together all successful outline applicants to discuss key areas applicants will need to develop in their full proposals.

Network Awards
Network awards will build new interdisciplinary communities of researchers and users around broad challenges in the primary prevention of NCDs. This award aims to support interactions between diverse disciplines and users to exchange expertise, scientific insights and capability as the network generates a shared vision around its chosen NCD prevention challenge. Each network award will fund the operating costs of the network, for up to 4 years. While a small proportion of the grant can be used to pump prime new research collaborations, applicants should note that the funding provided is not for primary research. Network awards are intended to develop future capacity in the UK to address NCD prevention challenges. We expect networks will lead to new collaborative interdisciplinary research proposals on preventing NCDs.
Funding for networks
• Each network will receive £100k per year for up to 4 years. This funding covers operating costs and provides limited funding for some feasibility work to pump prime a new research collaboration.
• Successful outline network applicants will receive a six-month period to develop full proposals and plans for network membership and respond to feedback received from the assessment of the outline application. During this time, you will be required to attend a Joint Applicant Meeting which aims to bring together all successful outline applicants to discuss key areas applicants will need to develop in their full proposals.

N.B. Compulsory Intention to Submit an Outline application (and give topic area of interest) by email by 18 October for both Consortium and Network applications
Applicants must submit a detailed outline proposal in Je-S by 16:00 (GMT) on 14 November 2019. You must notify the UKPRP Secretariat of your intention to submit an outline proposal and the topic area of interest by 18 October 2019. We have supplied an outline Case for Support form (PDF, 25KB) which you must complete and upload to Je-S as part of the proposal. The Consortium Award application guidance (PDF, 177KB) advises applicants on how to complete the sections in Je-S and the outline Case for Support form. You should refer to the Frequently Asked Questions (link to PDF) document which provides answers to common queries.

There are sizeable references to strategic vision and other useful documents plus separate guidelines for Consortia and for Network awards. Please see the website for full details.
There will be FAQs guidance.

Please inform Gwen Averley gwen.averley@ncl.ac.uk if you intend to apply for a Consortium or a Network award. There is no limit to the number of applications that may be made but we would need to be aware of any potentially overlapping applications.