DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
News Release (2007/0083) issued by The Government News Network on 11
April 2007
The Department of
Health today announced £45m in funding for 29 important and
substantial research programmes as part of the National Institute
for Health Research into areas such as mental health, medicines
for children, diabetes, stroke, and dementias, neurodegenerative
diseases and neurology. The programmes of research aim to increase
understanding of how to manage and treat these types of diseases
more effectively, develop new treatments and help prevent ill
health developing in the first place.
This new government funding will improve health outcomes for
patients in England with particular emphasis on conditions that
cause chronic distress to patients and that are a significant
issue for the NHS to manage. It will also enable NHS trusts to
tackle areas of high priority for patients.
Health Minister Rosie Winterton said:
"This significant new research funding stream, which will be
worth up to £75 million each year when fully established, provides
a marvellous opportunity for the NHS to carry out research that
will lead to improved health care or better health care delivery
in the near future. The first awards focus on developing medicines
specifically for children, and research into diabetes, stroke,
mental health, dementias and other neurodegenerative diseases, all
of which are health areas that are central to the
government's key concerns."
The 29 research programmes include one that looks to increase
equity of access to high quality mental health services in primary
care, management of challenging behaviour in dementia at home and
in care homes and improve physical health in people with severe
mental illness.
Programme Grants for Applied Research are prestigious awards
supporting teams of leading researchers, from the NHS and academia
working together, who have already demonstrated an impressive
track-record of achievement in applied health research. They will
support work directed towards delivering research findings that
have practical application for the benefit of patients. These
looked for benefits would be through improved health care or
better health care delivery, within a 3-5 year time scale.
The projects will provide stability of funding to support the
long-term development of top quality applied research groups
working in the NHS.
Notes to editors
1. One of the key strands of the Government's new R&D
Strategy, Best Research for Best Health is the establishment of a
Programme Grants for Applied Research funding stream to support
applied health research addressing the priorities and needs of
the NHS. More information about Best Research for Best Health can
be found on the Department of Health website at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4127127
2. The National Institute for Health Research is the key
mechanism through which the Department of Health is delivering
'Best Research for Best Health'. More information about
the National Institute for Health Research is available on its
website at: http://www.nihr.ac.uk
3. The aims of the National Institute for Health Research
Programme Grants for Applied Research funding scheme are to:
- Provide evidence to improve health outcomes in England through
promotion of health, prevention of ill health, and optimal
disease management (including safety and quality), with particular
emphasis on conditions causing significant disease burden, where
other research funders may not be focused, or there is
insufficient funding available;
- Enable NHS trusts to tackle areas of high priority or need for health;
- Provide some stability of funding to support the long-term
development of top quality applied research groups working in the
NHS; and
- Replace, in part, programmes of research currently supported by
the Priorities and Needs (PNF) component of NHS R&D Support
Funding for NHS Providers.
List of NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research Awards
Lead Researcher Programme Title P.I. Institution
(P.I)
Professor Stephanie Non-pharmacological King's College Hospital
Amiel approaches to and King's College
improving diabetes London School of
outcomes Medicine
Professor Thomas Coercion in mental Department of
Burns health. Patterns and Psychiatry, University
prevalence of coercion of Oxford
in mental health care
and a trial of the
effectiveness and
costs of Supervised
Community Treatment
orders
Professor David National Trends and University of Manchester
Challis Local Delivery in Old
Age Mental Health
Services: Towards an
evidence-base
Professor Melanie A community based University of
Davies primary prevention Leicester/University
programme for Type 2 Hospitals of Leicester
Diabetes integrating NHS Trust
identification,
lifestyle intervention
and community services
for prevention
Professor A R&D programme to University Hospital
Christopher Dowrick increase equity of Aintree
access to high quality
mental health services
in primary care
Professor Gary Ford Development and Newcastle upon Tyne
evaluation of Hospitals NHS Foundation
hyperacute services Trust and Newcastle
for patients with University
acute stroke
Dr Anne Forster Improving patient and Bradford Teaching
carer centred outcomes Hospitals NHS Foundation
in longer-term stroke Trust
care.
Dr Simon Griffin Reducing the burden of MRC Epidemiology Unit,
type 2 diabetes: Cambridge
translating
epidemiology and
behavioural science
into preventive action
Professor David A multi-centre North Bristol NHS
Gunnell programme of clinical Trust/University of
and epidemiological Bristol
research in support of
the National Suicide
Prevention Strategy
for England.
Dr Simon Heller Improving management Sheffield Teaching
of Type 1 diabetes in Hospitals Foundation
the UK: the DAFNE Trust
programme as a
research test-bed
Dr Steve Iliffe Changing practice in Royal Free & UCL Medical
dementia care in the School
community: developing
and testing
evidence-based
interventions, from
timely diagnosis to
end of life.
Professor Peter Understanding Causes Addenbrooke's Hospital,
Jones and Developing Cambridge
Effective
Interventions For
Schizophrenia and
Other Psychoses
Dr Jonathan Mant Stroke Prevention Dept of Primary Care &
Programme General Practice,
University of Birmingham
Professor Max Early phase treatment University of
Marshall for the prevention of Manchester/Lancashire
relapse in first Care NHS Trust
episode schizophrenia.
Dr Anthony Marson Defining priorities The Walton Centre for
and communicating Neurology and
evidence about benefit Neurosurgery. Liverpool
and harm of
interventions for
people with epilepsy:
Putting evidence into
practice
Professor Esme Management of Humber Mental Health
Moniz-Cook Challenging Behaviour Teaching NHS
in dementia at home Trust/University of Hull
and in care homes
Professor Anthony Psychological Psychology Services,
Morrison approaches to Bolton, Salford &
understanding and Trafford Mental Health
promoting recovery NHS Trust
from psychosis
Professor Declan Crossing the divide. Institute of Psychiatry
Murphy Effective treatments
for people with
neurodevelopmental
disorders across the
lifespan and
intellectual ability
Professor Robin Improving Physical Institute of Psychiatry
Murray Health and Decreasing
Cannabis Abuse in
People With Severe
Mental Illness
Professor Martin Support at Home - University College
Orrell Interventions to London
Enhance Life in
Dementia (SHIELD)
Professor Peter Improving Stroke Oxford Radcliffe
Rothwell Prevention in Routine Hospitals NHS Trust
Clinical Practice:
Phase 2 of the Oxford
Vascular Study
(OXVASC) Programme
Dr Mike Sampson Delivering the Norfolk & Norwich
Diabetes Prevention University Hospital NHS
Programme in a UK Trust
community setting
Dr. Ulrike Schmidt Treatment of Anorexia Institute of Psychiatry
nervosa: Translating
experimental
neuroscience into
clinical practice.
Professor Swaran Ethnicity, Detention University of Warwick
Singh and Early
Intervention: Reducing
Inequalities and
Improving outcomes for
Black and Ethnic
Minority (BME) Patients
Professor Rosalind Adverse Drug Reactions University of Liverpool
Smyth in Children and Neonates
Professor Graham Improving Mental South London & Maudsley
Thornicroft Health Outcomes by NHS Trust / Institute of
Reducing Stigma and Psychiatry, King's
Discrimination College London
Professor Andre A programme of Institute of Psychiatry
Tylee research to develop and South London and
and test stepped care Maudsley Trust
for patients with
depression and
physical illness in
primary care
Professor Caroline Ensuring Immediate University of Central
Watkins Access to Emergency Lancashire
Stroke Pathways
Professor Til Wykes Patient involvement in Institute of Psychiatry
improving the evidence and South London and
base Maudsley Trust
A number of these awards are dependent upon amendments being made
by the applicants and all are conditional upon the successful
completion of contractual negotiations.
[ENDS]