NIHR has announced three funding opportunities for methodology research that develops and delivers ways to improve the research methods used by others while maximising benefits for patients, policy-makers and the general population.
Researcher-led
Methodology development or improvement supported by this programme must:
- underpin an evidenced research need within MRC or NIHR remit
- be able to be generalised beyond a single case study
- demonstrate early engagement with a broad range of end users for developed methodology
- improve best practice, and evidence a pathway to implementation and sustainable impact
- demonstrate awareness of current gaps in the translation of methodological research
Project proposals are expected to be valued up to £625,000 FEC.
Full research specification and application guidance is available on the opportunity webpage.
Development guidance for better research methods
Apply for funding to develop new guidance on biomedical and health and social care research methods.
Based on completed methodological research, the guidance should aim to:
- improve the understanding and use of methods within the remit of MRC-NIHR Better Methods Better Research Programme
- be accessible to those without specialist methodology knowledge
Your proposed guidance should allow others to navigate the methodological options available and provide frameworks to ensure the optimal research approach or approaches are used.
Any area of unmet methodological need within NIHR Better Methods, Better Research remit will be considered.
To develop your guidance, you should engage and involve relevant groups. These could include:
- methodologists
- non-methodologist researchers
- technical professionals
- health and allied health professionals
- industry
- non-expert stakeholder groups, such as: funding bodies, policy, and decision makers
The guidance you produce will need to be accessible, appropriate and informative to the groups involved.
In terms of pathways to impact, applicants are asked to consider the timing and nature of deliverables in their proposals, and are encouraged to maximise the impact of their research by explaining how they will mobilise knowledge and ensure that it is useful and relevant to stakeholders including:
- policy makers
- public health officers
- special interest groups
- charities
- community audiences
- other stakeholders
It is expected that applications to this funding opportunity would typically be valued up to £120,000, with deliverable expectations within 18 months.
Following an award, teams must begin the proposed work within 6 months to ensure that the resulting guidance for better research methods retains its relevance as assessed when awarded.
Full research specification and application guidance is available on the opportunity webpage.
Research methodology that supports the incorporation of health and environmental impact assessment in research
This strand of the Better Methods Better Research programme supports research that develops new methodological tools and approaches, such as the development of metrics, modelling techniques, evaluation methodologies, and decision frameworks that support the incorporation of health and environmental impact assessments to help reduce carbon emissions and achieve net zero.
Any research methodology that supports the incorporation of health and environmental impact assessments to help reduce environmental impact and achieve net zero is likely to be within scope for this opportunity.
As this is a complex and multidisciplinary area, collaborative working is encouraged.
Your proposed research should focus on the development or assessment of methodological solutions to ensure the appropriate incorporation of environmental impact in health and social care research in evidence-based ways, including but not limited to:
- what methodological advances will enable robust, standardised and decision‐ready incorporation of environmental impacts (for example, greenhouse‐gas emissions, waste, pollutants) alongside clinical and economic outcomes across health and social‐care pathways, accelerating progress towards NHS and social‐care net‐zero targets?
- developing approaches for the incorporation of environmental impact in health technology assessments
- developing modelling approaches for evaluating environmental impact across care pathways
- understanding the domains of environmental impacts to be considered (carbon emissions, waste management, water use, air/water/soil pollution) and the weighting of these impacts relative to each other in the assessment
- developing or agreeing on acceptable data for reporting on environmental impacts
- defining requirements to ensure data quality and validity
A range of study designs can be used. If relevant, you are encouraged to clearly identify how a wide range of existing evidence outputs can be combined with your study to deliver a whole societal approach.
To develop your proposal, you should engage and involve relevant groups. These could include:
- methodologists
- non-methodologist researchers
- sustainability / Climate experts
- technical professionals
- health and allied health professionals
- social care professionals/practitioners
- industry
- non-expert stakeholder groups, such as: funding bodies, policy, and decision makers
In terms of pathways to impact, applicants are asked to consider the timing and nature of deliverables in their proposals, and are encouraged to maximise the impact of their research by explaining how they will mobilise knowledge and ensure that it is useful and relevant to stakeholders including:
- researchers
- policy makers
- public health officers
- special interest groups
- charities
- community audiences
- other stakeholders
It is expected that applications to this funding opportunity would typically be valued up to £625,000 FEC.
Following an award, teams must begin the proposed work within 6 months to ensure that the research retains its relevance as assessed when awarded.
Full research specification and application guidance is available on the opportunity webpage.
KEY DATES FOR ALL OF THE ABOVE
Deadline: 2 December 2025
Decisions expected: April/May 2026