Global Health Research Units

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Summary

The Global Health Research Units programme funds collaborations of researchers within universities and research institutes in low and middle income countries (LMICs) and the UK who wish to establish new programmes of applied health research.

The Global Health Research Units programme funds research to address locally-identified challenges in LMICs, by supporting equitable research partnerships between researchers and institutions in the UK and those in low and middle income countries (LMICs) eligible to receive Official Development Assistance (ODA).

The Global Health Research Units programme provides funding to support not only delivery of research that will improve health outcomes for people living in LMICs, but also to strengthen crucial research capability and capacity in resource-poor settings, in particular training and capacity building in both academic research and programme support functions.

Global Health Research Unit funding is awarded to partnerships that have an existing track record of delivering internationally recognised applied global health research and wish to consolidate and expand this work.

We will not be reopening our Global Health Research Units programme for any new applications.

Scope

Global Health Research Units are defined as a well-established research partnership or network of universities and research institutes in LMICs and the UK:

with an existing track record of delivering internationally recognised applied global health research addressing unmet health needs in ODA-eligible countries
who wish to consolidate and expand this work, supporting and developing thematic research and capacity strengthening networks, through regional and global hubs
who will deliver a large scale, ambitious programme of applied health research through a range of trials and studies
who are able to leverage the strength of the existing partnership consortium to improve practice and inform policy based on scientific evidence
who will set up and deliver a substantial and sustainable programme of capacity and capability strengthening at individual and institutional level.

Funding amount and duration

Awards of up to £7 million over a period of up to 5 years are available.

What we fund

The Global Health Research Units programme funds research proposals from researchers in UK-based (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) higher education institutions and research institutes.

Applications must include a co-applicant or joint lead applicant from a country that is eligible for ODA funding and relevant to the research proposal.

Applications must demonstrate how the research proposal meets ODA compliance criteria.

Applications in any field of applied global health research for the direct and primary benefit of people living in one or more ODA-eligible country/ies will be considered.

You can find out more in the remit and guidance notes.

Our people

Applications to the Global Health Research Unit programme are peer reviewed by professional reviewers, then considered by a funding committee.

The committees recommend projects for funding to the Department of Health and Social Care, which approves which projects should be funded.

Committee chair

The Global Health Research Units Funding Committee is chaired by Professor Stephen Tollman.

Calls

To date the Global Health Research Units programme has held 2 funding calls.

Call 2

The second call for Global Health Research Units opened in June 2020 and had 2 closing dates in Autumn 2020 and Summer 2021.

Funding decisions for this call have now been made and are detailed in the Funding Committee minutes from March 2021 and Funding Committee minutes from September 2021.

Call 1

The first funding call for Global Health Research Units took place between November 2016 and March 2017. Funding was awarded to 13 new Global Health Research Units.