NIHR Climate Change and Health Research Collaboration Awards

Sponsor: Department of Health and Social Care

Agency: National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)

Overview

Field	Value
Opportunity status	Closed
Type	Programme
Funding available amount	£2,000,000.00
Opening date	16 September 2025, 1:00 pm
Closing date	10 March 2026, 1:00 pm
Reference ID	2025/411

As global temperatures rise, the growing frequency and severity of extreme weather events like heat waves, floods, and storm surges will put significant pressure on UK health and social care services by directly impacting people's health, overwhelming emergency care systems with flood-related incidents, and disrupting service delivery, particularly for vulnerable populations.

The NIHR Climate Change and Health Team (CCH) invites applications for research that addresses the challenges of climate change by building resilience into the delivery of health and social care services during severe weather events.

This funding opportunity aims to:

• bring diverse research teams together to develop plans for ambitious research and to catalyse future research capacity
• enable researchers to apply for larger Research Collaboration awards within this initiative
• support teams who are seeking support from other programmes within the NIHR

Webinar

The CCH team held a webinar on 29 October at 1 pm. If you would like access to the webinar recording or the slides, please contact us via cch@nihr.ac.uk.

Key dates

• Outline application opening date: 16 September 2025, 1pm
• Outline application closing date: 10 March 2026, 1pm
• Committee Meeting: End of April 2026
• Full application opening date: 02 June 2026, 1pm
• Full application closing date: 10 November 2026, 1pm
• Full application funding decision: February 2027
• Expected Start of Research Collaboration Awards: May 2027

This opportunity is now closed

We are no longer accepting applications to this funding opportunity. You can still access the funding opportunity details but you will not be able to apply.

Research Specification

Summary

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) invites applications for research that addresses the challenges of climate change by building resilience into the delivery of health and social care services during severe weather events (made worse by climate change), e.g. extreme heat and flooding. This competition aims to:

• bring together teams representing different disciplines, professions and sectors to submit plans for ambitious research and to catalyse future research capacity
• fund large scale, ambitious and transdisciplinary projects or programmes of research addressing key priorities and substantial areas of adapting health and social care systems in a situation of climate change and extreme weather conditions

Applicants are able to apply for a Research Collaboration Award (up to £2 million) with a total duration of up to 36 months.

Stage 1 of the Research Collaborations is open to all applicants and is not restricted to holders of development awards. Researchers with funded development awards will only need to apply for Stage 2.

The Research Collaboration Awards should include a strong, multidisciplinary research team, ideally bringing new disciplines to bear to support the climate change and health agenda. These awards will be in the range from £750k to £2million over up to 36 months.

The ask

As global temperatures continue to rise, extreme weather events in the UK such as heat, flooding and storm surges pose challenges to the delivery of our health and social care services. This is through impacts on infrastructure, staff and overall ability to deliver, especially for the most vulnerable groups or regions.

The focus of the call is to respond to risks posed by climate change to health and social care delivery in the UK and help build resilience into the system through adaptations. Applicants should focus on adapting health and social care systems and infrastructure to withstand climate change related extreme weather events.

Background

Climate change is contributing to more frequent and extreme weather events globally.

Due to the risks posed by climate change, the UN Climate Change Conferences (COP) have grown in importance over the last two decades. In the 26th Conference (COP26) held in Glasgow, Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Advisor to the DHSC and Chief Executive of the NIHR set out the need for evidence to meet the challenges of the changing climate and highlighted this as a priority for NIHR. This call is designed to support DHSC’s and NIHR’s climate resilience work to adapt the health and care system to climate change in the context of extreme weather events.

In addition, under the 2008 Climate Change Act (‘the Act’), the Government is required to publish a climate risk assessment (CCRA) every five years. The third climate change risk assessment (.PDF) (CCRA3) was published in January 2022. The CCRA3 technical report (.PDF) highlights the risks of climate change to health and social care delivery as an area requiring more action (risk H12), for which the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is the responsible Government department. Key messages from the CCRA3 technical report are included below but please note we are interested in extreme heat and other extreme weather events as well as flooding:

• Health and social care systems across the UK are made up of people, buildings, infrastructure networks, equipment and service provision, with numerous providers. All these components are exposed to climate hazards that will worsen as the climate changes including flooding and overheating. There could also be increasing risks from high winds or storms or multiple climate stressors
• CCRA flood projections show that health and social care assets including hospitals, GP surgeries, care homes and emergency services stations will become increasingly exposed to flooding without additional adaptation measures
• Health and care inequalities mean that the health risks and access to care from climate change are not evenly distributed (something also noted in CMO’s report on air pollution). Adaptation planning needs to consider the potential benefits and disadvantages experienced by populations and health and care services in different regions that could be more susceptible to climate change impacts or are more deprived/vulnerable.

Applicants are also encouraged to review the following key documents. These documents explain the issues and risks that DHSC want to address through NIHR research that are directly related to health and care delivery:

• UK Health Security Agency’s Health Effects of Climate Change in the UK report, published in December 2023, which includes a summary of research priorities in climate and health. In doing so please note that the focus of the call is on practical and cost effective interventions. Climate change: health effects in the UK - GOV.UK
• UK Health Security Agency’s Adverse Weather and Health Plan, which includes recommendations for building resilience to extreme weather. Adverse Weather and Health Plan - GOV.UK
• UK Government’s third National Action Plan (NAP3), published on 17 July 2023 and informed by the CCRA3, which makes specific commitments on health. Notable risks to be reviewed include H12: Risks to Health and Social Care Delivery from climate change, and H1: Risks to Health and Wellbeing from High Temperatures. Third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3) - GOV.UK
• NHS England’s 4th health and climate adaptation report published on 4 March 2025. NHS England » 4th Health and climate adaptation report

This call forms part of wider work and initiatives from NIHR on sustainability, climate change and health, and complements a Research and Innovation for Global Health Transformation (RIGHT) call, Strengthening health service delivery and resilience in LMICs in the context of extreme weather events. Research related to decarbonising the health and social care system is supported via a separate, five-year annual call opening each November.

Research Priorities

Priority will be given to applications focusing on clear evidence gaps, and interventions and solutions designed to minimise the impact of extreme weather events and health and social care delivery.

Some key questions and areas of focus include, but are not limited to, the items suggested below:

• understanding the vulnerability and resilience of health and social care services in the UK? What services are most vulnerable and which are most resilient? What are the drivers of vulnerability (e.g. geographic location, type of services) and resilience factors (e.g. infrastructural aspects, training etc.)
• what are the costs to the health and care system of severe and extreme weather events and practical, affordable / cost-effective adaptations to mitigate these types of events to support more stringent adaptation measures
• what products and services, including for outreach and care at home, are most suitable, acceptable and effective to increase resilience in health and care
• what measures can be put in place to support the health and care workforce through extreme events, e.g. maintaining safe working conditions and buildings, managing heat-stress and protecting the mental health of the workforce? Are there areas that are more vulnerable or better prepared, and what are the areas of most concern to the workforce
• what interventions could be put in place to protect key systems and functions e.g. IT, communications, medical devices, medicines, power, clean water, sanitation
• how to maintain continuity of services and minimise disruption during severe or extreme weather events
• strategies to ensure the continuation of care during extreme weather
• developing ways to mitigate disruption from extreme and/or extended events, particularly for vulnerable groups and in ways that do not widen health disparities
• assessing and minimising impact on staff working conditions, patients and residents, including on mental health, and practical measures to protect individuals
• loss/damage of equipment, facilities and healthcare spaces /measures - adaptations, processes and systems to protect infrastructure and buildings (including the most critical areas)
• ability to deliver services safely and across vulnerable geographical areas
• lost productivity and / or risks to health (e.g. limiting time use of PPE) due to heat and ability to provide services
• what is the capacity and preparedness of health and social care systems to respond effectively to heat and other extreme weather – specifically including advanced preparations and adaptations, and what more services and systems can do to be prepared? What can be done to build capacity and empower staff to respond
• what effective and equitable response measures to the health risks associated with heat and extreme weather can be taken that can be applied to health and social care to minimise the heat-health disparities and inequality? Intervention options could be funded and evaluated (including cost-effectiveness) as part of a successful application but must be focused on health and social care
• what are the projections of heat and health impact with and without adaptation interventions to provide a business case for these interventions and solutions
• what are the most effective strategies for targeting and adapting most vulnerable building types – what are the most suitable measures for different designs/ models e.g. window opening and shading may not be suitable or provide sufficient resilience against extreme heat events or at higher temperature projections

Applicants should consider the impact of the following in their proposals:

• vulnerable groups and health disparities - climate change and extreme weather doesn’t affect people equally. There are specific vulnerable groups and it is important that health disparities are factored into any research proposal
• areas that experience the most negative impacts of climate change e.g. dense urban areas and areas prone to flooding
• impact - researchers are asked to work with those who use, work in and manage services to focus the research where there will be most benefit
• translatability - it will be beneficial if emphasis is placed on applications for real-life scenarios, and researchers are encouraged to work closely with stakeholders to help ensure work focuses on solutions and is translatable
• economic costs - to support translation and implementation cost effectiveness of any interventions is an important aspect. Understanding the financial implications and benefits associated with various climate change adaptations can help inform local decision-making and will help ensure the outcomes of the research are economically viable
• adding value. Research proposals will be expected to be clear about how they will complement, and develop, existing work and how it will help deliver solutions

Areas out of scope for this programme of work

Epidemiological and other studies demonstrating or quantifying the impact of climate change on human health. These are well established and researchers are encouraged to look at solutions to make services more resilient to extreme weather.

Although related, air pollution is out of scope as are other areas of climate change and health e.g. tick borne diseases, disease transmission.

Building resilience in a wider societal context which is not focused on health and social care services.

Supporting the NHS and social care to get to net zero is out of scope.

We would like researchers to be cognisant of the Government’s net zero target when considering adaptations and interventions, and ideally for these to be low carbon.

Objectives for the Research Collaboration Award

The funding available through this call will allow researchers to address key challenges posed by climate-related extreme weather events through ambitious research, recognising the need for a systematic and collaborative approach to bring about the desired change. These awards should also bring together the necessary range of skills and expertise to address these challenges. We ask applicants to consider a clear pathway to implementation and impact. It is the NIHR's ambition that any funded work through this initiative will be used to build a strengthened, more cohesive community and create evidence, including interim findings, with a longer term horizon to public impact.

Each application should outline how the proposed knowledge and interventions generated are intended ultimately to contribute to building system resilience. Applicants should also demonstrate a strong intention to work with other successful groups funded by this call to create synergies between research projects; and share learning and expertise through collaborative working. Applicants should outline what unique skills, resources or expertise might support a wider network of awards, and how these might be deployed.

It is expected that the awards will consolidate and expand collaborations between academic experts and professionals across different discipline backgrounds and sectors. Cross-institution, cross-sector working is encouraged. Funded projects should be delivered by trans-disciplinary teams capable of linking up and working with relevant groups, stakeholders and initiatives at regional and national levels and where appropriate internationally. We encourage cross-institution, cross-sector working. The type and number of disciplines represented within Research Collaborations will depend on the research questions being answered.

Researchers should also consider how their work contributes to reducing inequalities across the nation. All research funded by the NIHR should contribute to reducing inequalities, defined as avoidable and unfair differences in health and/or social status between groups of people or communities. Applicants are asked to be clear in their proposal if there is a health and care inequalities component within the project.

As part of their proposal, applicants should explain what they believe will be the key risks to delivering their research, and what contingencies they will put in place to deal with them. The NIHR acknowledges that significant challenges remain in terms of access and quality of the data required to pursue robust research. Applicants are expected to explain which data sources they will use in order to complete their projects, to outline the benefits and suitability of using any combination of data sources and to outline the expected challenges in accessing and handling these sources.

Applicants are required to articulate Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) plans for continuous interactions with public and community groups throughout the project (please see section below for more details). As this is an emerging area of research, the NIHR expects PPIE plans to develop iteratively over the duration of the research.

Proposals

The core funding for this initiative will be allocated for Research Collaborations with the budget from £750k up to £2million and is available for Research Collaborations delivered over a period of up to 36 months. Collaborations are expected to:

• comprise a number of high-quality interrelated projects that form a coherent theme, where added value is gained from the combination of the various strands of research
• create a portfolio of research which includes innovation but balances possible risk allowing for learning through failure
• use a range of transdisciplinary and methodological approaches, providing a critical mass of multi-disciplinary experts with the capacity to provide a long-term research resource and develop expertise and research capacity within and relevant to the health and social care systems
• demonstrate clear trajectory towards public or system benefits
• include clear plans for implementation, knowledge mobilisation and dissemination, contributing towards a step change to further research, practice and/or outcomes. Collaborations should demonstrate the ability to operate across a wide range of stakeholders to influence agendas and system changes

Eligibility

1. Lead organisation must be either an NHS organisation (including NHS Trusts and NHS Foundation Trusts) or equivalent UK authorities, or a university, research institute or not-for-profit organisation.
2. SMEs (including start‑up or ‘spin‑out’ companies) are also eligible to receive funding.
3. Applications will be considered from other UK countries (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) provided they address the priority areas and impact UK systems and meet all other selection criteria.
4. If an appropriate case is made, overseas university partners are permissible, provided the applicant shows that the chosen overseas academic partner is best placed to provide input to the planned research.
5. Specialist services or expertise may be brought into the team through consultancy or sub‑contract arrangements, with appropriate justification; sub‑contractors may be based outside of England.
6. Large companies may be involved but are ineligible for funding.
7. For collaborations where a partner provides in‑kind contributions, the exact nature of each partner’s commitment must be clearly detailed.
8. If successful, a contract will be placed with the lead organisation for delivery of the research.

Patients and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE)

The NIHR expects researchers to actively involve patients and the public in their research at every stage. From identifying research topics through to involving them as members of a research advisory group to monitor and evaluate research results and disseminate those to different audiences. Applicants are required to detail what active involvement is planned, how it will benefit the research and the rationale for their approach. NIHR suggests that applicants utilise the UK Standards for Public Involvement when developing their strategy. PPIE also needs to be undertaken in a manner that acknowledges that some people may need additional support, or to acquire new knowledge or skills to enable them to become involved effectively (see NIHR Patient and Public Involvement resources for applicants to NIHR research programmes). Applicants should therefore provide information on arrangements for training and support.

The nature and extent of PPIE is likely to vary depending on the nature of the study. Where no PPIE is proposed, a rationale for this decision must be given. For research in climate change and health, PPIE can include but is not limited to health care providers, social care providers, health and social care workforce, professional bodies, local government, community groups, regulators as well as employees and the public.

For further information and guidance about PPIE, please visit the NIHR Learning for Involvement website.

Assessment criteria

Applicants are expected to include in their application relevant information in line with the assessment criteria outlined below. These criteria can be applied to both development awards and research collaborations and should be taken in context of what each award is focused on achieving.

Research Collaborations Criteria:

RELEVANCE of the proposed research to the research specification

• how relevant is the proposal in relation to the research brief? Does it address the call’s strategic objectives (e.g. capacity and capability development; interdisciplinarity; consideration of inequalities and PPIE; methodological development; etc.)
• does the application demonstrate an awareness and understanding of previous relevant research or developments in this area
• to what extent does the proposal add distinct value or advance existing knowledge

QUALITY of the research design

• how appropriate is the research design in relation to the stated objectives
• to what extent is the proposed design and methodology for all elements of the research well defined, appropriate, valid and feasible within the timeframe and resources requested
• to what extent does the research show originality and innovation
• to what extent does the proposed work add to or complement initiatives at a regional/national/international level

QUALITY of the work plan and proposed management arrangements

• are work packages coherent, fully justified, and aligned with the overall vision of the proposal
• how appropriate are the work plan and management arrangements? Have clear milestones been proposed? How likely is it that these will be met within the specified timeframe
• have the applicants identified key risks to delivery (e.g. ethical, technical, and organisational)? Have these been adequately addressed

STRENGTH of the collaboration leadership and research team

• does the Principal Investigator appear suitably qualified and experienced to lead the proposed work? Are the leadership and management arrangements convincing and coherent? If the Principal Investigator is an Early Career Researcher, do they have the appropriate level of support to fulfil the proposed research
• are the roles of the team members clearly described
• does the research team provide the necessary breadth and depth of expertise to deliver the proposed work
• have the applicants proposed what they can offer to support the wider network of Development Awards and Research Collaborations as well as how they plan to engage to create a community of knowledge and practice

IMPACT of the proposed work

• does the proposal offer a clear vision for benefits to building resilience in the health and social care services
• are the necessary clinical, academic, organisational links needed to support the research in place or are there sufficient plans in place to create these links, for example, to access evidence or relevant data sources
• are dissemination and stakeholder engagement plans clearly described and credible? Are the identified audiences appropriate and their needs considered? Are there specific resources and competencies dedicated to these activities
• does the proposal outline credible plans to make data available and share learning with the wider research community
• are there credible plans and budget for the implementation of patient and public involvement and engagement? Are these resourced

VALUE for money

• does the proposal sufficiently justify the resources required to deliver the proposed work
• do the proposed costs demonstrate value for money
• is the time committed by the applicants realistic to ensure delivery

PATIENTS and PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT and ENGAGEMENT

• have the applicants carefully considered ways to embed input from patients and the public in the definition of research priorities and the delivery of the research
• are adequate, well justified training and support measures for PPIE representatives described in the proposal
• does the budget reflect the proposed research ambitions for PPIE
• assessment criteria for PPIE is the UK Standards for Public Involvement: Working together; Governance; support and learning; communications; inclusive opportunities ; and impact

Budget and duration

Full economic costing (FEC) rules will depend on the type of organisation applied:

• for HEIs, up to 80% of FEC will be paid, provided that TRAC methodology has been used
• for NHS organisations, up to 100% of direct costs will be paid
• for commercial organisations, up to 100% of direct and indirect costs will be paid (but not profit elements)
• for charity and NGO organisations, up to 100% of direct and indirect costs will be paid

Management arrangements

Successful applicants will be expected to:

• provide regular feedback on progress
• produce timely reports to the NIHR
• produce a final report for sign off
• the applicants may consider appointing an advisory group to assist with the management and direction of the development award and the creation of the future research collaboration award application.

Application guidance

Please read the NIHR domestic outline application guidance and the research specification