Published: 21 August 2024
The management of the Better Methods for Better Research (BMBR) Programme will be moving from UKRI Medical Research Council (MRC) to NIHR this summer. NIHR will also increase its financial contribution, enhancing opportunities for high quality research.
The BMBR Programme is a collaboration between MRC and NIHR. It aims to ensure that optimal research methods are used to advance biomedical, health and care research, policy and delivery.
BMBR has funded a variety of important methods research. This includes methods for adaptive clinical trials, which allowed multiple treatments for Covid-19 to be rapidly tested in the RECOVERY trial. BMBR has also improved how insights into treatments can be measured using real-world evidence.
The BMBR Programme will remain a close collaboration between MRC and NIHR, and the remit and approach will stay the same. The regular schedule for advertising funding opportunities will continue. Both MRC and NIHR will also continue to fund methods research through other schemes.
Researchers will now need to apply for BMBR funding through NIHR’s application system. While the process will be very similar, there may be some differences. In particular, NIHR has requirements for patient and public involvement and research inclusion. NIHR also remains keen to encourage applications led by early-career researchers.
In addition to taking over management, NIHR’s extra funding is increasing the overall budget of the BMBR Programme. In 2025, there will also be a complete review of the programme to reflect on its achievements to date. This will help to optimise future effectiveness.
Professor Danny McAuley, Scientific Director for NIHR Programmes, said: “This is an exciting next step for the BMBR Programme. It is a clear indication of NIHR’s commitment to funding research that underpins life-changing impact. We look forward to continuing to work with MRC to help researchers improve and enhance the methods they use.”
MRC Executive Chair, Professor Patrick Chinnery, said: “BMBR has supported excellence in methodology research since its inception in 2008 and MRC welcomes the matched increase in NIHR contribution to support the programme’s continuing impact. MRC remains committed to supporting methods research via BMBR and our other funding opportunities, and we are looking forward to working with NIHR in this new phase of the BMBR Programme”.
The next BMBR funding opportunity will open in September 2024. Full application guidance will be available.
If you have any queries before then, you can contact the programme at BMBR@nihr.ac.uk.