21/36 Application Development Award – Mental health and wellbeing among young women

 Opens: 25 March 2021 Closes: 13:00 on 12 August 2021 

Contact

• For help with your application contact phr@nihr.ac.uk
• For more information about the funding Programme, visit the PHR Page

Supporting Information

• Tips for success in applying
• Word version of the stage 2 application form*
• MRC Public Health Intervention Development Scheme (PHIND)

*Please note: This document is to be used as a guide and to assist with completion of the on-line application form only, for example to see how many characters are accepted in each section and how the printed complete form is laid out. Please do not try to use this as an application form, you must apply using the online form available through the links available when calls are open. You should also refer to the application form guidance notes which can be found next to the ‘Apply Now’ button.The Public Health Research (PHR) Programme is accepting Stage 2 applications to this Application Development Award, for mental health and wellbeing among young women. This award will underpin development work, to support a later application to a future commissioned call, on mental health and wellbeing among young women aged 12-24. In order to apply you will need to carefully review the:

• Stage 2 guidance notes
• PHR supporting information
• The Application Development Award commissioning brief (below).

Commissioning brief

Evidence shows that for more than a decade, there has been a steady increase in mental ill-health amongst women and this trend is largely driven by young women in their teens and twenties. From discussion with experts in the field, the PHR Programme recognises that the evidence base to understand this is at varied stages of development and could benefit from further underpinning development work. This funding opportunity is for applications of up to £50,000 over a maximum of six months. The aim of this Application Development Award scheme is to provide funding for underpinning development work that will add to the current knowledge base and will ultimately support and inform applications to a pending commissioned call on interventions to promote mental health and wellbeing among young women that will launch late 2021/early 2022. Applicants will be expected to make a clear link between the underpinning development work and their proposed application to the pending commissioned call.
The Programme will only accept applications in underpinning development work that take a population – or community-level approach. Possible areas of work for the mental health and wellbeing among young women Application Development Award may include (but are not limited to):

• Work to understand what data are collected on young women’s use of services, programmes and interventions to prevent and reduce mental health problems. For example, data collected by services dedicated to the provision of mental health support, services primarily for women or young women or other statutory organisations for whole populations such as CAMHs, local authority and third sector services.  
• Secondary analyses of existing data.
• Underpinning research such as epidemiology. For example, investigations of prevalence within specific groups of young women or broader epidemiological assessments that may inform intervention research. This could include attention given to the scale, types and pattern of mental health problems, regional variations, ethnicity, socio-economic group, age group or causative factor.
• Development of networks or partnerships to support intervention research. For example, across or within particular geographical areas or services that young women access or settings where young women gather. 
• Local or regional needs assessments to identify priorities for future research.
• Analysis of how current interventions to prevent or reduce mental health problems in the general population or other specific population groups may be applied to young women and consideration of possible new approaches.
• Analysis of how current interventions, where the primary focus of the intervention is not necessarily on improving mental health, could be evaluated to understand the impact on wellbeing and mental health.
• Identification and engagement of relevant stakeholders. For example, with specific communities and groups of young women, families and carers, policy makers, service providers. 

Applicants should ensure that the development work includes recognition of future possible interventions and approaches to promote good mental health and prevent or reduce mental health problems among young women.
The forthcoming funding call on interventions to promote mental health and wellbeing among young women is still in development. However, if you have specific questions about this funding call, please contact phr@nihr.ac.uk, and we will answer where possible.

Timescales

In proportion with the level of funding available, this is a direct to Stage 2 funding opportunity. Applications received by 12 August 2021 will be assessed by a sub-committee of the PHR Programme Prioritisation and Funding Committee in October 2021. Applications will be assessed for importance to public health, scientific quality, feasibility and value for money. Successful applicants will be expected to begin the work within two months of the funding decision being communicated. Successful applicants will be expected to produce a final report to be published on the NIHR website. Any other outputs (e.g. journal articles) must be accessible in line with NIHR’s Open Access policy.Apply Now