NortHFutures Research Funding FAQs
Q. What is meant by ‘digital health and health-tech'?
Digital health is a broad name for technology and solutions that can improve our health and wellbeing. This might be apps on your smartphone that helps to track fitness, monitor sleep, or manage your medication. It could also refer to smartwatches that measure your heart rate and activity levels.
Health-tech aims to make healthcare faster, more effective, and more personalised to you – this could include digitising patient record for easier access by healthcare providers or using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to transform diagnostics and treat diseases. Digital Health and health-tech is a fast moving and exciting area of work that can make a real difference to how we live and age well.
Q. Are non-collaborative projects acceptable?
The workshops aim to connect people who are interested in forming research collaborations across sectors including Higher Education, Health and Care, Industry, Local Authorities and Public Sector, and Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE), and with community advocates. As such, non-collaborative projects are not acceptable.
Q. Does my project require ethical approval?
It is expected that all studies that require ethical approval have that approval in place before the research begins. Being ‘ethical’ means acting in accordance with a set of core values and principles: integrity, compliance with the law, respect for human rights, and avoiding unnecessary risk to people’s safety and well-being. The aim of ethical review is primarily to protect participants. It is essential that participants, and their data, are treated with due care and respect. Ethical review seeks to ensure that any potential ethical risks arising from research are limited and are strictly in proportion to the importance of the intended benefits. In addition, careful consideration of research ethics principles and potential risks can help inform your research methods or increase participant recruitment, and as a result, enhance the quality of your research. This tool, from the Human Research Authority, will you to determine if your study requires a review by an NHS REC.
Further guidance can be sought from one of the six partner Universities taking part in NortHFutures; each of which has an Ethics Committee, with appropriate expertise to guide you.
Q. Will you accept project proposals that fall outside of the Research Themes?
Should discussions about potential research and engagement opportunities in relation to the topic of the Workshop identify a potential project proposal which is grounded in evidenced health and care need in our region but outside of the Research Theme, its eligibility will be reviewed by one of the academics who represent the six universities in the NortHFutures partnership, in consultation with the Hub Directors and Programme Manager.
Our workshops are designed to be flexible and inclusive, allowing for the exploration of diverse research opportunities. If a project proposal is identified that addresses a significant health and care need in our region, but falls outside the established Research Theme, it will still be considered. The review process involves consultation with academics from the six universities in the NortHFutures partnership, as well as the Hub Directors and Programme Manager, ensuring that all relevant expertise is applied to assess the proposal's eligibility. This approach helps ensure that important and innovative projects are not overlooked while remaining focused to the overall NortHFutures aims and objectives.
Q. I have a research idea that I’d like to commercialise – is this call right for me?
No. Our funding is not available to support existing research proposals and only for proposals that are generated by a cross-sector team of workshop participants, based on discussions that arise from one of the workshops. Funding is only eligible for research at an early stage. While we would hope that successful research outcomes would be further developed into innovations in practice that may, ultimately, involve some form of commercialisation, the research that we are funding precedes this point of its development.
Eligibility
Q. Can I submit even though I didn’t attend a workshop?
No - this funding is available to participants of a workshop who attend in full. There may be an opportunity to join a project team if the proposal requires additional resource, however this is not guaranteed and we will not be able to accept proposals from individuals or teams who did not participate in the workshops.
Q. Who can lead a project team?
We expect proposals to be co-created across a diverse group of stakeholders for maximum impact, however the Project Lead must be eligible for EPSRC funding, as defined here.
The Project Lead should not be the lead- or sole- decision maker in the project; the project can propose whatever leadership structure it feels appropriate for decision making, however the project Lead and the Lead Institution take contractual responsibility for the appropriate use of funds and compliance with normal contractual research terms, including the terms imposed by EPSRC.
Q. How can I contribute to a project team if I represent a company or VCSE organisation?
Due to EPSRC funding eligibility rules, there are two contractual ways to contribute to the project team:
Project Partner: Project partners cannot receive funds from Hub beyond expenses of participating in the research, such as travel to research meetings. Project partners can participate through an in-kind contribution (such as staff time for advisory or research participation, access to data or facilities) or through a cash contribution.
Subcontractor: undertake paid work through specific tasks or portions of the project through a formalised subcontract agreement. This may be most appropriate where it is not possible to contribute through an in-kind arrangement.
Training and Support
Q. What support is available from NortHFutures pre and post-award?
More information will be published soon on our website (www.northfutures.org) about how to take part and what taking part will involve. Suggested reading and videos may be provided before and during the workshop and participants are encouraged to explore relevant research and literature. We will also provide details about eligibility and terms and conditions of funding awards, and support the project teams with identifying expertise in costings, ethical reviews, bid writing, and any other aspects to prepare for submission.
Q. I haven’t taken part in research before, what should I expect?
The workshop will be an open, and interactive environment - held over the course of one day at a venue located in the region. After an introductory session, participants will discuss theme-related health and care challenges, share their insights, and explore the expertise of the group. Teams will then brainstorm and develop new research project ideas. Each team will create an initial project proposal with guidance from facilitators and mentors. At the end of the day, bid teams will present their ideas to a NortHFutures panel, consisting of health and care stakeholders in the region. The panel will provide recommendations for further development, and teams may be invited to submit proposals for NortHFutures research funding. Workshops will be professionally led, making the process accessible for those who are new to research or workshops.
Q. How can a research project benefit my organisation?
The research proposals generated through these workshops must address unmet health needs grounded in evidenced health and care needs in our region. As part of developing research proposals, the challenges of your organisation will be discussed and will shape the research design. We’d therefore expect the outcomes of the research funded by this scheme to address health and care needs that are a priority for your organisation. Furthermore, as this scheme funds interdisciplinary research, we expect significant opportunities for skills development, directly benefiting your organisation. Finally, as these workshops are to fund research collaborations across sectors, there’s the additional benefit to your organisation of development of new cross-sector partnerships.