A new public
health research school designed to build closer relations between
researchers and practitioners across Public Health England and
Local Authorities was launched today by Public Health Minister
Anne Milton.
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) School for
Public Health Research will aim to increase the evidence base for
effective public health practice by:
• conducting research to increase the volume and quality of
applied public health research and evidence, including
evaluations; and
• creating an environment where first class applied public health
research, focused on the needs of the public, can thrive.
It will place an emphasis on what works practically and can be
applied across the whole of England and will comprise leading
academic centres of applied public health research. The
competition for funding is open to academic institutions with a
proven track record in applied research and evaluative practice in
public health. Each member of the school will receive up to
£500,000 a year.
Public Health Minister Anne Milton said:
"More must be done to tackle the big public health
issues like smoking, alcohol, poor mental health and obesity. This
Government has moved further and faster to achieve this by
ring-fencing the public health budget and through Public Health England.
"People's health and wellbeing will be at the
heart of everything local councils do. Directors of Public Health
will lead local cooperation so that health issues are considered
alongside housing, transport, and education.
"Research based evidence has a vital role to play in
achieving these aims. The School for Public Health Research was
also a White Paper commitment, so I am pleased to see this Call
for Proposals underway."
Department of Health Director General for R&D and interim
Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies said:
"We and other funders have been building public health
research and development capacity over the last few years. This
new piece of the jigsaw specifically targets the issue of linking
high quality academic research into practical measures to improve
the health of the population."
Notes to editors
For further information contact the Department of Health press
office on: 020 7210 5221
Application details are available at the following link:
http://www.ccf.nihr.ac.uk/Pages/NIHRSPHRCompetitions.aspx
Following the launch of the Government’s Public Health White
Paper: Healthy Lives, Healthy People, the public health system is
undergoing a period of restructuring.
The Department will continue to fund and support research through
the NIHR. As the future public health system takes shape between
now and April 2012 (when the new system is expected to be fully
operational) it is possible that NIHR will expand its
commissioning responsibility to cover research previously
commissioned by other bodies. Such consolidation of the
commissioning function will enable greater alignment between
applied and basic health protection work.
About the NIHR
The National Institute for Health Research provides the framework
through which the research staff and research infrastructure of
the NHS in England is positioned, maintained and managed as a
national research facility. The NIHR provides the NHS with the
support and infrastructure it needs to conduct first-class
research funded by the Government and its partners alongside
high-quality patient care, education and training. Its aim is to
support outstanding individuals (both leaders and collaborators),
working in world class facilities (both NHS and university),
conducting leading edge research focused on the needs of patients.
http://www.nihr.ac.uk/
Contacts:
Department of Health
Phone: 020 7210 5221
NDS.DH@coi.gsi.gov.uk