Air quality in indoor public spaces, workplace settings and transport microenvironments
Research question: What are the impacts on health and health inequalities of interventions that affect air quality in indoor public spaces, indoor workplace settings and transport microenvironments?
Webinar: 6 October 2026
Outline application deadline: 8 December 2026
See research specification on the opportunity webpage for more information on scope including settings, populations and interventions of interest.
Transition from education to employment
Research question: What are the health and health inequality impacts of interventions that support young people as they transition from compulsory education into further education or employment?
Webinar: 6 October 2026
Deadline: 20 April 2027
See research specification on the opportunity webpage for more information on research areas of interest and study designs.
Public Health Research: Using ‘big data’ to impact health and health inequalities
Research question: What are, or could be, the health and health inequality impacts of: a) data linkage and ‘big data’ usage in local and/or regional government, and/or b) interventions that address barriers to, or risks associated with, big data usage (meaning, “enablers”)?
Webinar: 6 October 2026
Deadline: 8 December 2026
See research specification on the opportunity webpage for more information on relevant data challenges, research areas of interest and potential data sources.
Themed funding opportunities
NIHR themed calls are funding opportunities focusing on a specific priority research area. When assessing funding applications, NIHR prioritises those submitted in response to a themed call.
Current theme: Shaping and supporting the health, public health and social care workforce of the future
Priority areas within this theme:
- Building a sustainable workforce
- Developing new ways of working
- Growth through innovation and technology
See the theme webpage for more information on key evidence gaps and areas of research across these areas.
All proposals responding to this theme should consider engagement, impact and knowledge mobilisation strategies, in addition to the following cross-cutting themes:
- reducing health inequalities, by addressing the social determinants of health, the clustering of risk factors in the most disadvantaged populations with the greatest disease burden, ensuring equitable access to services and tailored interventions designed to reduce disparities
- promoting economic growth in the broadest sense, including a healthier workforce, a more efficient NHS, a higher skilled health, public health and social care workforce, and through investment in the life sciences
- accelerating the speed and adoption of innovation in the health and care system
Applications around shaping and supporting the health, public health and social care workforce of the future are currently being invited to the following funding opportunities:
- NIHR Work and Health Research Awards
- Work and Health highlight notice
- Invention for Innovation (i4i) Product Development Awards (PDA) – April 2026
NIHR is also interested in receiving applications on this theme via its researcher-led workstreams at any time. Simply specify in your application that you are responding to this themed topic.
Previous themed opportunity topics
Previous themed opportunity topics remain ongoing health research priorities and applications which focus on these areas are welcome across all NIHR funding programmes:
- antimicrobial resistance
- chronic pain
- complex health and care needs in older people
- dementia
- frailty
- injuries, accidents and urgent and emergency care
- long term conditions in children
- medicinal cannabis
- mental health
- mesothelioma
- multimorbidities in older people
- obesity
- pandemic flu
- primary care
- surgical and implantable devices
- sustainability
- very rare diseases