About the HS&DR programme

The HS&DR programme funds research to improve the quality, effectiveness and accessibility of the NHS, including evaluations of how the NHS might improve delivery of services. The audience for this research is the public, service users, clinicians and managers.

The programme has two workstreams: the health services research workstream which is mainly researcher-led; and the healthcare delivery research workstream which is mainly commissioned.

The HS&DR programme aims to support a range of types of research including evidence synthesis and primary research. This includes large scale studies of national importance. This means primary research projects which:

• Address an issue of major strategic importance to the NHS, with the cost in line with the significance of the problem to be investigated
• Are likely to lead to changes in practice that will have a significant impact on a large number of patients across the UK
• Aim to fill a clear ‘evidence gap’, and are likely to generate new knowledge of direct relevance to the NHS
• Have the potential for findings to be applied to other conditions or situations outside the immediate area of research
• Bring together a team with strong expertise and track record across the full range of relevant disciplines
• Will be carried out across more than one research site.

If you are planning a project of this type you may wish to refer to the MRC Complex Interventions Framework.  

The HS&DR programme will not support research covered by the remits of the existing NIHR programmes.  The programme will not fund laboratory-based or basic science research, the setting-up or maintenance of research units, or proposals which are solely service developments, audits or needs assessments.