We provided updates on public health research initiatives, funding opportunities, fellowship programs, and relevant events across the East of England. Our aim was to keep stakeholders informed about key opportunities for professional development and research collaboration within the region, while also showcasing the impactful work of public health professionals.
(For further information about public health research funding opportunities in the UK, visitors were encouraged to explore the funding page here.)
Below are the opportunities that were most recently shared—available for reference and continued learning.
On Tuesday, 18 March 2025, PHResH organized Healthier Futures for the East: Research and Practice in Action, a symposium made possible by generous sponsorship from the Health Foundation and strong support from Healthy Futures East. The event brought together public health leaders, academics, funders, and practitioners to examine system-wide regional health challenges, reflect on academic and service collaboration, and adopt a systems approach to drive holistic and integrated public health improvements. Attendees represented both academic and service sectors from across and beyond the East of England.
The symposium opened with welcoming remarks from Professor Aliko Ahmed, Regional Director of Public Health for the East of England (NHS and OHID), who emphasized the importance of collaboration between academia and public health services in addressing health inequalities and challenges using the best available evidence.
The day featured inspiring presentations and discussions among funders, regional public health leads from OHID, the NHS, health infrastructure, as well as academia in system engineering, knowledge mobilization, and evaluation. The morning sessions explored system-wide health challenges, efforts to build evaluation and research capacity, the development of place-based partnerships, and the realization of knowledge mobilization. In the afternoon, the focus shifted toward the new health and care models, highlighting how systems leadership can help identify key issues within complex systems—using CVD prevention as an example—to drive holistic and sustainable improvements. The NIHR ARC East of England also showcased its efforts in applied research and related works in the region.
Professor Mariachiara Di Cesare, PHResH Steering Committee member and Director of the Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing at the University of Essex, closed the symposium by acknowledging the planning committee’s efforts and recognizing former PHResH Director Professor Carol Brayne for her role in establishing the initiative. Looking ahead, Healthy Futures East will build on the symposium’s momentum to strengthen collaboration between academia and public health services.
An impact story and a symposium report is now available here.
NIHR Public Health Grassroots Awards
The NIHR Research Support Service (RSS) Specialist Centre for Public Health offered Public Health Grassroots Awards—a funding opportunity providing up to £5,000 to support individuals working in local public health roles to develop research skills and engage with both local and national research infrastructure.
The award provided flexible, part-time, protected time (typically over 3–6 months) for public health professionals to begin or continue their research journey, with no prior research experience required.
Eligible applicants included those employed by:
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Local authorities in England, including those within Health Determinants Research Collaborations (HDRCs) where the applicant was not HDRC-funded
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Non-NHS providers commissioned by local authorities
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VCSEs in England delivering commissioned public health services
For the latest details about this ongoing funding opportunity and current application rounds, please visit the NIHR Research Support Service Specialist Centre for Public Health webpage.
It is always valuable to explore fresh perspectives for addressing the complex challenges in health and care. The Engineering Better Care Toolkit offers a practical systems approach to improvement, inspired by engineering principles. By integrating systems thinking into regional population health research and addressing barriers to the flow of evidence, this approach supports more effective navigation of complexity and the design of interventions that truly meet the needs of communities.
Explore the Engineering Better Care Toolkit to learn how systems thinking can help transform health and care in your setting.
