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Applied Programme Grants (APRO) 2023

The APRO aims to support a strategic programme of applied research in health and social care that will have an impact on the health and social care of individuals, population health and the health system in Ireland and beyond.

The objectives are to:

  • Address stated national/EU/global priorities in health, public health or social care under the broad thematic areas listed below
  • Support high-quality and team-based research which is likely to lead to a step change in practice and/or in outcomes to the health system, population health, or to service users and carers
  • Tackle an identified problem from a variety of perspectives with a collaborative, complementary and multidisciplinary approach
  • Use a range of multidisciplinary and methodological approaches
  • Develop collaborations between researchers and knowledge users with a view to making outputs useable for implementation or informing policy and decision making
  • Clearly demonstrate how patients, service users and/or carers have been involved and engaged with the programme
  • Include clear plans for implementation, knowledge mobilisation and dissemination

Details of this scheme:

For this call, research proposals must be submitted under a high-level thematic area as set out below. Only applications within these thematic areas will be funded in this round. These thematic areas reflect broad health and social care challenges nationally and internationally and include areas that cause significant burden or emerging areas where there is a need for increased capacity and additional long-term commitment of funds. They also reflect the Mission and the current Strategy of the HRB.

Applications should be submitted under one of the following thematic areas:

  • Health, wellbeing and keeping populations healthy and independent throughout life
  • Mental health and disability
  • Social Care and the future of community care
  • Non-communicable diseases
  • Resilient and sustainable healthcare systems
  • Pandemic preparedness and antimicrobial resistance
  • Digital health and personalised medicine

Who can apply?

Applications should be made on behalf of a team made up of researchers, knowledge user(s) and PPI contributors.

  • The researchers in each team should come from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds. The inclusion of researchers from relevant disciplines not regularly involved in health research (such as mathematics, business, social sciences, and others) is particularly welcome.
  • Knowledge users must be included as part of the applicant team as Co-Applicants or official Collaborators depending on their role within the programme.
  • PPI Contributors should be included as part of the applicant team as Co-Applicants or official Collaborators as appropriate.

Applicants must have a suitable track record and demonstrate clearly that the research team contains the necessary breadth and depth of expertise in all methodological areas required for the development and delivery of the proposed programme. Appropriate multi- and inter- disciplinary involvement in the research team is essential and where relevant, experts in research design and statistics, health economics, health service research, behavioural science, qualitative research methodologies, psychology, sociology etc. should be included as Co-Applicants or as official Collaborators.

How to apply:

Applications must be completed and submitted through the HRB online Grant E-Management System (GEMS) (https://grants.hrb.ie), and this system will close automatically at the stated deadline and timeline listed on the right side of this page.

Prior to final submission to the HRB, all applications must first be reviewed and approved within GEMS by the authorized approver at the Host Institution as listed in the application form. It is critical therefore that applicants leave sufficient time in the process for the Research Office (or equivalent) in their nominated Host Institution to review, seek clarifications and approve applications prior to the final submission date. This may involve being aware of and complying with any internal Host Institution deadlines for review and approval, distinct from the HRB deadline.

Apply for this award:

https://grants.hrb.ie

Contact us:

Dr Sónia Pereira

Project Officer – Investigator-led Grants, Research Careers and Enablers

Research Strategy and Funding

Health Research Board

spereira(at)hrb.ie