We provide the latest updates on public health research initiatives, funding opportunities, fellowship programs, and relevant events across the East of England. Our aim is to keep you informed about important 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, you are welcome to visit the funding page here.)
Explore the most recent opportunities below and feel free to share them with your colleagues and networks.
As we enter a new year, it’s an ideal time 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 of evidence flow, we can better navigate complexity and design interventions that truly meet the needs of our communities. Explore the toolkit to see how this approach can transform health and care in your setting.
The NIHR Public Health Research (PHR) Programme is exploring topics for future commissioned research, including serious violence, advice services, children and young people’s mental health, loneliness, coastal communities, transport poverty, green spaces, and mid-life interventions for healthy aging. Funding calls are tentatively scheduled for Spring 2025 (18 March) or Summer 2025 (8 July), with final dates and details to be confirmed. Would these topics align with your current/upcoming plans?
Applications will soon open for funding to deliver an interdisciplinary project that explores ways to support economic activity in regions of the UK with high rates of ill-health, disability, and informal care. UK-based research organisations eligible for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding are invited to apply, with projects encouraged to include non-academic partners. The total economic cost (FEC) for each project can be up to £1,200,000, with UKRI funding 80% of the FEC. The project must begin by 12 January 2026 and run for 24 months. Please visit UKRI website here for details.
The Public Health Research (PHR) Programme is seeking applications to evaluate strategies that reduce the negative health impacts of poor-quality housing. This two-stage commissioned funding opportunity welcomes innovative projects, with Outline Applications due by 25 April 2025. Eligible studies may include SWATs/SWARs (studies within a trial or review) to improve research methodologies. You are welcome to learn more here and complete this online form to join a webinar on 11 February 2025 for guidance on applying, and submit your application.
To address the urgent need for decarbonisation in health and social care, a £25 million funding initiative from NIHR is now open, inviting researchers to collaborate on transformative solutions. Over the next five years, this program will fund innovative projects and enhancements to existing interventions, service models, and care pathways, fostering capacity building and training. With a two-stage application process, this initiative is an opportunity to contribute to the global effort to achieve net zero while improving health outcomes. Applications for the first stage close on 26 March 2025— visit NIHR funding page here to learn more.
Applications are now open for the NIHR ARC East of England Fellowship Programme 2025, offering professionals in health, care, and voluntary sectors the chance to build research and impact skills through 12-month Research or Impact Fellowships. This Programme provides expert-led training, project support, and networking opportunities, with funding to dedicate one day per week to your project. Apply by Monday, 6 January 2025, at 12 noon. For more details and to apply, visit ARC East of England Fellowship Programme 2025.
The NIHR RSS Specialist Centre for Public Health, delivered by Newcastle University and partners, is offering local authorities in England the opportunity to apply for funding (0.1FTE) for a Public Health Engagement Lead (PHEL). This role will enhance research capacity, build partnerships, and strengthen connections with research networks. Open to professionals in leadership roles within public health, policy, or community development. Please click the link for more details.
Next Funding Call will be launched around May 2025. Please stay tuned for updates.
