Funding for research on improving the quality of care and discharge processes in hospitals for people with palliative and end of life care needs.
This call responds to key priorities identified in the Palliative and End of Life Care Priority Setting Partnership with the James Lind Alliance:
- How can the quality of palliative and end of life care in hospital be improved? What helps or hinders improvement?
- How can discharge from hospital be improved for people with any serious life-limiting illness?
Within the overall theme of improving palliative care, proposals are being sought for research which address any of the following areas:
- Identification of people with palliative and end of life care needs in hospital and who needs to be involved in those decisions; understanding demographics of people with unmet palliative and end of life care needs in hospital.
- Education and/or training of staff involved in hospital related services, including ambulance services, around palliative and end of life care and associated processes.
- Communication with families, carers and those close to the person with palliative and end of life care needs, including delegated people, within the hospital setting.
- Identification of what good hospital palliative and end of life care looks like in different circumstances.
- Models of good hospital palliative and end of life care delivered in the Emergency Department (ED), including those that reduce avoidable admissions and repeat attendances.
Within the overall theme of improving discharge from hospital, proposals are being sought for research which address any of the following areas:
- Understanding barriers to discharge (to home or care home) including identification and social and community care considerations, for people with palliative and end of life care needs.
- How well is the hospital discharge and community support guidance being interpreted and applied for people with palliative and end of life care needs (including frailty)?
- How does preparedness (or lack) of carers to support care at home impact discharge of people with palliative and end of life care needs from hospital, and carers themselves.
- Research into models of patient finance and different funding models that can improve patient choice.
- Cost analysis of service provision, including cost to the state, not just health services.
- Discharge communication and coordination, including use of technology and/or systems to improve sharing of information and communication.
Two further research priorities are very relevant to the above topic areas and might inspire research proposals related to the main topic areas:
- How can NHS, social services and charities work more collaboratively to provide joined-up care that better meets the needs of people with a serious life-limiting illness and their carers, friends and families?
- How can communication and care co-ordination be improved across the teams of health and social care professionals caring for people with any serious life-limiting illness?
ELIGIBLITY
Proposals are invited from clinical / allied health professional researchers within a hospital setting and non-clinical researchers with links to hospitals.
Marie Curie has entered into partnerships with two hospital charities who have an interest in improving palliative and end of life care in hospital and hospital discharge. Applications for funding relating to these partnerships have specific criteria that must be adhered to (see page three of the scope and applicant guidance document below). However, the call’s wider scope focuses on improving the quality of care and discharge processes in hospitals for people with palliative and end of life care needs across all UK settings/locations.
The lead applicant must have a post which covers the entire duration of the proposed study.
There are no restrictions on co-applicants and collaborating partners and Lead Applicants are strongly encouraged to ensure that they involve a collaborative team with all experience necessary to give the project the best chance of delivering impact. As well as relevant research expertise this should include a focus on evidence users (decision makers and other key stakeholders who sit on the specified pathways to impact for the research and who will use the evidence produced to drive change), as well as people with relevant lived experience to the proposal topic.
VALUE AND DURATION
The maximum limit for individual applications is £150,000 but smaller applications are also encouraged.
No specified duration.
KEY DATES
EOI deadline: 21 July 2025
Full applications invited: Mid-September 2025
Full application deadline: 23 October 2025
Applicants notified: March 2026
More information including key principles, who to involve and how to apply can be found in the guidance document below. Details of previous themes and success rates can also be found on the opportunity webpage.