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Introduction to public health research - training and development award
Introduction to public health research - training and development award
Formerly the Public Health Grassroots Awards
Apply for up to £5000 to undertake training or an activity to develop your skills and knowledge in public health research
This funding is specifically for individuals working in public health or a role tackling the wider determinants of health who have little or no research experience. The funding is for individuals, not teams. The maximum available funding is £5000 and can be used for one ‘activity’ or multiple. Activities may include attending a relevant UK public health research conference, completing relevant training or a university research methods module, and/or shadowing a research team.
Eligibility
Eligibility
The eligibility criteria for applicants are detailed below.
Applicants must:
Applicants must:
Work in public health or a role tackling the wider determinants of health
Be employed by either:
a. a local authority in England, including NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaborations (HDRCs), providing the individual’s post is not directly funded by the HDRC.
b. a non-NHS provider in England or a Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) in England that is currently commissioned/in receipt of a grant from a local authority to deliver a public health service. For example, but not limited to: delivering physical activity classes or smoking cessation sessions. Please note conducting a research or evaluation project for a local authority is not regarded as delivering a public health service for the purpose of this award.
Have little or no previous experience in research (see ‘must not’ below).
Propose a plan that can be achieved within the £5000 funding envelope. If the plan exceeds this amount, it must be clear within the application, which specific elements the research training and development funding will cover.
Applicants must not:
Applicants must not:
Hold or be undertaking a postgraduate master’s level (level 7) or above qualification in public health, or a health or social care subject.
Be undertaking or have undertaken another NIHR career development award e.g. LA-SPARC, pre-application support fund, Undergraduate Internship Programme (UIP) or other.
Hold or have previously held an SCPH funded role i.e. Local Authority Research Practitioner (LARP) or Public Health Engagement Lead (PHEL) or have already been successfully awarded Public Health Grassroots Award funding.
Be working exclusively in social care or planning to undertake a social care focused activity/project (social care is outside of remit for this award).
Activities funding can be used for
Activities funding can be used for
Applicants should consider and be able to justify what they need and want to learn as part of this award. Applicants are encouraged consider a combination of suitable activities in their application that complement and build on each other.
Consult our list of example activities below as a benchmark for what is appropriate.
UK public health research conference
UK public health research conference
attendance at a relevant UK conference(s) focused on public health research
the conference title, delegate fee total, dates, and content of the conference must be included and fall between 4 January 2027 and 31 August 2027
applicants must detail how they will benefit from attending and any wider benefits to their organisation
NHS, clinical, medical, mental health, and social care conferences will not be funded
conference attendance ticket price does not include optional social activities such as formal conference dinner
a list of relevant conferences is provided below
Salary support
Salary support
to take part in development activities, applicants sometimes require time away from their day to day role (salary-release) from their employer. Salary breakdown must be provided by hour/day rate and should clearly align to the time required for the proposed activities. Employer contribution to National Insurance and Superannuation can also be included. Within the application form we also ask for Gross salary to ensure alignment with salary support calculations.
award funding cannot be used towards salary support for anyone else beyond the applicant
funding will not be provided to applicants who want salary release to do their own research or evaluation project
Training course (online or in-person)
Training course (online or in-person)
Training courses must be research or evaluation focused.
Applications must include full details i.e. the name of the training provider, the dates of the training, the full cost, time required and a brief description of the content. The content should align with the applicant’s ambitions as set out in their application.
University module
University module
individual research methods modules are often available at universities as part of their continued professional development (CPD) offer. Applicants should identify an appropriate module and can apply to the university for a place, but they must not enrol until they have received the outcome of their application.
the award cannot be used to fund a training programme or qualification that the applicant has already started or is enrolled in
it cannot be used for practitioner training or public health practice modules
Placement
Placement
a short placement with a research team who is undertaking public health research is a useful way to see research happening in practice
a placement may include shadowing the team and/or providing assistive support if appropriate
This could include:
a team in a local authority (including HDRCs)
an academic team at a university
a team based within the NIHR, working with local authorities (e.g. Public Health Intervention Responsive Studies Teams (PHIRST)
applicants must source this opportunity themselves and provide full details, including a named contact and confirmation of support from the hosting research team. A separate letter or statement of support is not needed however contact details are requested.
details of research projects/activities being undertaken by the placement team must be provided in the application
funding for placement activities can only be used for salary support for the applicant. Award funding will not be provided to compensate the research team or meet any associated research project costs.
the funding is not to be used to undertake a new or existing research project within the applicant’s own organisation
book in an informal chat with a member of the team for help in how to obtain a suitable placement
University module
University module
individual research methods modules are often available at universities as part of their continued professional development (CPD) offer. Applicants should identify an appropriate module and can apply to the university for a place, but they must not enrol until they have received the outcome of their application.
the award cannot be used to fund a training programme or qualification that the applicant has already started or is enrolled in
it cannot be used for practitioner training or public health practice modules
Placement
Placement
a short placement with a research team who is undertaking public health research is a useful way to see research happening in practice
a placement may include shadowing the team and/or providing assistive support if appropriate
this could include:
a team in a local authority (including HDRCs)
an academic team at a university
a team based within the NIHR, working with local authorities (e.g. Public Health Intervention Responsive Studies Teams (PHIRST)
applicants must source this opportunity themselves and provide full details, including a named contact and confirmation of support from the hosting research team. A separate letter or statement of support is not needed however contact details are requested.
details of research projects/activities being undertaken by the placement team must be provided in the application
funding for placement activities can only be used for salary support for the applicant. Award funding will not be provided to compensate the research team or meet any associated research project costs
the funding is not to be used to undertake a new or existing research project within the applicant’s own organisation
book in an informal chat with a member of the team for help in how to obtain a suitable placement
Supplementary resource
Supplementary resource
this includes childcare, accessibility support (e.g. British Sign Language), or other needs that might otherwise prevent the applicant accessing or engaging with development opportunities/activities as part of the award
childcare costs can only be included if the proposed activity takes place outside of the applicants usual working hours. These can be included in the award and claimed through the employing organisation's expenses process
supplementary resource can only be included to support the applicant’s own needs. Support or resource for involvement of public contributors or colleagues within an activity, cannot be included
this must be included within the £5000 funding bracket
Travel, accomodation and subsistence
Travel, accomodation and subsistence
costs associated with the proposed activities, and which relate to the applicant can be included
travel, accommodation and subsistence (refreshments or payment) cannot be included for public contributors or colleagues
subsistence must only be included when attending an in-person event and cannot exceed £35 a day
Mentorship
Mentorship
mentors are trained research professionals with relevant research skills and knowledge that must be explained in the application. They should provide advice and support for specific outcomes in the application, for example developing a research proposal or designing a survey
mentors must be independent from the applicant’s employing organisation
mentors acting as a research project supervisors are out of scope
mentor costs are preferably included in kind (with no associated cost)
if costs are included, these cannot amount to more than 20% of the applicant’s total funding request
Funding cannot be proposed for a mentor who is currently employed by a HDRC.
Activities that will not be funded
Activities that will not be funded
salary release to conduct own research or evaluation project
salary release to develop a research or evaluation resource/toolkit or framework
salary release to share learning with team members or community members
Public Health Practitioner training, or university modules in public health practice topics
conferences, placements or courses that focus on NHS settings, clinical research, or social care
equipment, software, licensing and any subscription fees related to proposed activities
costs towards the delivery of workshops or undertaking activity with public contributors
Example activities
Example activities
Applicants are responsible for identifying the relevant activity/activities they wish to undertake. We do not endorse any provider and cannot comment on the quality of any example activities or guarantee that they will be available during the period of the award. These examples are shared to illustrate the types of activity that are appropriate for this award. Previous awardees have completed/are completing:
University of Stirling Public Health Research module (online, Spring semester)
University of Sheffield Introduction Research Methods module SMP4146 (online, Autumn semester only)
Social Research Association (multiple courses)
Conferences
Conferences
Some relevant public health research conferences that are likely to take place during the award period are listed below. Applicants who wish to attend a conference must clearly explain why they wish to attend and how this aligns with their ambitions.
If the dates and further information are advertised before the award closes, we will add the details below.
Local Authority Research & Intelligence Association Conference (LARIA)– date TBC (likely March 2027))
Universities Policy Engagement Network Conference (UPEN) – date TBC (likely May/June 2027)
UK Prevention Research Conference – date TBC (Likely March/April 2027)
Public Health Science Conference – Tuesday 20 April 2027 – Glasgow
Apply
Apply
To apply, download the word document application form below to DRAFT your answers. All applications must be submitted via the online form (see link at the bottom of the page). If you have any difficulties accessing the online form, please contact NIHR.RSS.PublicHealth@newcastle.ac.uk before 29 October 2026.
The application process for this award is supportive. If you have any questions, big or small, slots are available to book a 1-2-1 chat with a member of the team between 7 September and 26 October. You can also watch a webinar we held for potential applicants.
Complete applications require the support of the Director of Public Health (Local Authority) or Director/Chief Operating Officer or equivalent (non-NHS provider / VCSEs). The employing organisation is expected to fully support the awardee to undertake the activities in their proposed plan, providing encouragement and facilitation of opportunities.
Applicants must apply caution when entering information into generative AI tools to develop their application. Data protection, confidentiality, plagiarism and bias are all key risks. We strongly recommend applicants write their applications without the use of generative AI to mitigate these risks, and provide individual, personal and transparent answers to the panel. Where AI tools are used, this should be made clear within your application.
Selection criteria for shortlisted applications
Selection criteria for shortlisted applications
All applications are screened for eligibility.
Eligible applications are scored by 2 panellists using a scoring rubric. Applicants can download and view the scoring sheet that panellists use.
Panellists include members of the SCPH core team, external partners and public contributors. The use of generative AI by panellists for reviewing applications is not permitted.
What happens if an applicant is successful?
What happens if an applicant is successful?
All applicants receive their outcome via email, for successful applicants:
an award letter is issued to your employing organisation
the employing organisation will receive up to £5000 per award to be used towards the activities the panel have approved
applicants pay for activities via their employers financial department
it can take 4-6 weeks from outcome to receive the funding
funds will be released net of VAT. If VAT or any other tax or duty is payable in respect of the Award or use of the Award, such VAT, tax or duty will be payable by the employing organisation
organisations that receive this funding are subject to NIHR Standard Award Terms and Conditions in so far as they are relevant to awardees. Organisations are supplied with an award letter that supersedes some T&Cs where appropriate.
this funding is provided by the NIHR RSS Specialist Centre for Public Health (SCPH) delivered by Newcastle University and Partners
Upon completion of all activities, awardees must complete an end of award survey, which includes confirmation of their expenditure. The aim is that all awardees will:
complete all planned activities proposed within their application
develop new research knowledge, skills and experience
develop or strengthen relationships and networks
increase understanding of NIHR infrastructure
All awardees join an alumni community. They receive information about future opportunities to continue their research skills development.
Application timeline
Application timeline
Applicants must submit their application via the online form by 5pm on Thursday 29 October.
Book a 1-2-1 chat with a member of the team to discuss your potential application. All questions are welcome, big or small.
Opening date for applications: Thursday 1 October 2026
Closing date for applications: 5pm on Thursday 29 October 2026
Panel meeting date: Thursday 26 November 2026
Decisions announced: w/c Monday 30 November
Funding commences from: 4 January 2027* – all activity must be complete by 31 August 2027
*It can take 4-6 weeks to issue award letters and process the funding. If your activity is due to start in January your organisation may need to pay up front and be reimbursed.
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