Key Summary
- NIHR has awarded more than £4.6 million to 18 new research projects through its Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) programme.
- There has been widen research leadership to include broader group of registered health and care professionals (HCPs)—including pharmacists.
- Registered health and care professionals represent the largest single workforce group in the NHS.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has awarded more than £4.6 million to 18 new research projects through its Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) programme, and for the first time it includes pharmacists.
This latest round marks a major effort to widen participation in research leadership by expanding eligibility to a broader group of registered health and care professionals (HCPs) - including pharmacists, practitioner psychologists, and healthcare scientists - who were previously not considered.
The 18 projects cover a diverse range of frontline clinical priorities, such as improving mental health support for children with food allergies and evaluating personalised wellbeing planning to prevent depression in cancer survivors.
To drive long-term capacity, a foundational requirement of this round was that all applications must be spearheaded by early-career researchers, backed by an experienced multidisciplinary team and a senior mentor.
Registered health and care professionals represent the largest single workforce group in the NHS, and this initiative aligns closely with the NIHR’s wider strategy to diversify the research workforce.
Professor Kevin Munro, director of the Research for Patient Benefit Programme, emphasised the value of this workforce shift, stating that registered health and care professionals bring invaluable insight to research, yet many have not previously had the chance to lead funded studies.
He noted that by supporting early-career researchers, the NIHR is actively building a more inclusive research community, expressing delight over funding 18 innovative projects that will make a genuine difference to patients and services.
