The Research Programme for Social Care funds research which generates evidence to improve, expand and strengthen the way social care is provided for users of care services, carers, the social care workforce, and the public across the UK – England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The programme funds primary, secondary and evidence synthesis research including qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods designs. All proposals are expected to have a high degree of involvement from relevant people who need or use social care and the social care workforce.
RPSC welcomes high-quality proposals from researchers and practitioners that are focused on but not limited to:
- Studies of social care needs, circumstances and relevant outcomes related to adults, children or young people who need or use social care and carers, including studies of inequalities in any of these domains
- Evaluation of existing or new social care services, addressing their effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and distributional consequences
- Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness evaluations of interventions, including adaptations or refinements of existing interventions/technologies
- Developing and testing new assessments, interventions or services
- Research methods development
- Feasibility, pilot and definitive trials
- Research examining consequences for social care users of provision of other services (e.g., health, education, criminal justice, family courts, housing, benefits)
- Policy-implementation research
- Studies that involve secondary data analysis or record linkage
- Systematic or other reviews of evidence
- Strategies for preventing or delaying the need for care and support
- Research on approaches to support and strengthen the social care workforce
- Capacity-building opportunities within awards
Deadline: 1pm on 15 January 2025
More information: Research Programme for Social Care Competition 3 – NIHR