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Funding callMedicine and clinical research · United Kingdom

NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research – October 2026 (Children and Young People)

The NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research October 2026 call, run with the RCPCH, supports applied research programmes on children and young people’s health, care and wellbeing, typically worth £2 million to £3.5 million over 4–6 years. This guide covers research areas consistent with the scheme, readiness checks, programme ideas and points to confirm before the outline stage closes on 2 December 2026 at 1pm.

Pubrica InsightsEditorial team, reviewed by a subject specialist
Next deadline
2 December 2026
Last checked
10 November 2026
Funder
National Institute for Health and Care Research
Sources
1
Apply through the official call

Key dates

Application deadline
2 December 2026
Details last checked
10 November 2026
Apply through the official call

About the call

Funder
National Institute for Health and Care Research
Country
United Kingdom
Scheme type
Programme
Funding
Typically £2 million to £3.5 million over 4–6 years
Eligibility
Research teams proposing applied programmes on children and young people's health, care and wellbeing (run with the RCPCH); outline stage closes 2 December 2026 at 1pm.
Scope
Medicine and clinical research

Topics consistent with the call

  • Interventions to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people
  • Management of long-term conditions in childhood and adolescence
  • Health and care services for children with complex needs and disabilities
  • Prevention and early intervention in child health
  • Transitions from paediatric to adult health and care services
  • Reducing inequalities in child health outcomes and access to care

Based on the published scope; the official page sets out the full themes and requirements.

Is your work a fit? Check before you apply

  1. The programme addresses applied research on children and young people’s health, care or wellbeing.
  2. The proposal comprises a coherent set of linked work packages rather than a single study.
  3. Children, young people and families are involved in design and delivery.
  4. The team has the methodological, clinical and service expertise needed for the programme.
  5. A complete, institutionally approved outline application is submitted before 2 December 2026 at 1pm.

Why This Funding Call Matters

Children and young people’s health shapes outcomes across the life course, yet evidence to guide care for this group is often more limited than for adults. Programme grants support linked studies over several years, allowing teams to develop, test and implement interventions within one coherent body of work. A call focused on children and young people, run with the RCPCH, offers a dedicated route for applied research that can change practice in health and care services.

Who Should Apply

Academic backgrounds

  • Paediatrics and child health
  • Child and adolescent mental health
  • Health services research
  • Clinical trials methodology
  • Health economics

Institutions and sectors

  • UK universities
  • NHS trusts and children’s hospitals
  • Local authorities and social care providers
  • Charities and voluntary organisations

What Reviewers Typically Value

  1. Programmes addressing clear evidence gaps with direct relevance to NHS and care services.
  2. Integrated work packages that move from development through evaluation to implementation.
  3. Meaningful involvement of children, young people and families throughout.
  4. Robust methods, including economic evaluation where appropriate.

Ideas You Could Develop

School-based anxiety programmeA programme developing and evaluating a school-based intervention for anxiety in adolescents, with an embedded economic evaluation.
Asthma care in deprived areasA programme to improve asthma management for children in deprived communities through primary care and family support.
Transition clinic modelsA programme comparing models of transitional care for young people with long-term conditions moving to adult services.

Your Plan to the Deadline

A suggested schedule working back from 2 December 2026. Adjust it to the stage your work has reached.

  1. By 7 Oct 2026

    Read the call documents; confirm eligibility, budget limits, assessment criteria and institutional requirements.

  2. By 21 Oct 2026

    Agree the research question, aims, team and partners; contact your research office.

  3. By 4 Nov 2026

    Draft the case for support, methods, impact and budget.

  4. By 18 Nov 2026

    Obtain internal review, letters of support and institutional sign-off.

  5. By 27 Nov 2026

    Final checks against the funder’s guidance and formatting rules.

  6. By 2 Dec 2026

    Submit through the funder’s system before the deadline.

What you gain

  • Funding for the research, team and resources it needs.
  • Recognition from a competitive, peer-reviewed process.
  • Reviewer feedback that strengthens future applications.
  • A track record for larger grants and fellowships.

What happens after you apply

  1. Eligibility check: the funder confirms the application meets the call rules.
  2. Peer review: external reviewers assess the proposal against the published criteria.
  3. Panel: a committee ranks proposals; some schemes include an interview.
  4. Decision: outcomes are released on the funder’s timetable.
  5. Award: successful applicants agree terms and reporting requirements before starting.

What the Funder Are Looking For

The NIHR is looking for applied research programmes that will improve the health, care and wellbeing of children and young people and deliver benefits to patients and services. Programmes are likely to be assessed on need, quality of the research plan, value for money, team expertise and public involvement. Applicants should confirm scope, eligibility, budget limits and stage requirements in the official funding call before the outline deadline.

Read the official pageThis guide summarises the opportunity. Confirm deadlines, eligibility and requirements on the official page before you plan your work, and record the date you checked it.Open the official page

Expert help

How Pubrica Can Help

Pubrica’s subject specialists can help you prepare a competitive proposal, planned back from the deadline. You remain the author of your work.

Grant writingProposal writing structured to the funder’s guidance and assessment criteria. Literature review and gap analysisThe evidence base and the gap your proposal addresses. Study designStudy design and methods that reviewers can assess. Statistical analysis planSample size and analysis plans for the proposal. Data management planData management and sharing plans to funder requirements. Proposal editingEditing of the full proposal for clarity and consistency.
Go to the official page

FAQs

Questions Researchers Ask

The next published deadline is 2 December 2026. Dates can change, so confirm them on the official page before you plan your work.

Programme grants generally support a series of linked projects rather than one study, so a single trial may suit other NIHR programmes better. Applicants should check the official call guidance and consider contacting the NIHR before submitting.

Research teams proposing applied programmes on children and young people's health, care and wellbeing (run with the RCPCH); outline stage closes 2 December 2026 at 1pm. Confirm the full eligibility rules in the call documents.

Yes. Pubrica’s specialists can review, write, edit and format your proposal. You remain the author and the person responsible for the submission.

Sources

  1. National Institute for Health and Care Research. (2026). NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research – October 2026 (Children and Young People). Retrieved 10 November 2026, from https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/programme-grants-applied-research-october-2026/2026345-2026346-2026347

How to cite this page

Pubrica Insights. (2026). NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research – October 2026 (Children and Young People). Pubrica. https://pubrica.com/insights/calls-and-conferences/nihr-programme-grants-for-applied-research-october-2026-children-and-y/

  • NIHR
  • Programme grants
  • Child health
  • Applied health research
  • RCPCH

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NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research – October 2026 (Children and Young People)Next deadline 2 December 2026

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