MRC Joint Global Health Trials Scheme 9th Grant Call, 2019

The purpose of this scheme is to provide funding for the best proposals to generate new knowledge about interventions that will contribute to the improvement of health in low and middle income countries.

The scheme will give priority to proposals that are likely to produce implementable results and that are designed to address the major causes of mortality or morbidity in low and middle income countries. For call 9, the joint funders would like to stress that applications must engage with the potential users of research for future implementation and impact for policy. Stakeholders, such as policy makers, should be engaged throughout the research process in order to ensure trial results are implementable, scalable and in line with policy needs.

The scheme is open to the best proposals which address any major health related problem affecting low and middle income countries, particularly those that affect the most vulnerable populations. Although the breadth of the scheme is deliberately wide, we particularly welcome proposals for research into chronic non-communicable diseases, including mental health, and reproductive, maternal and new born health.

The Joint Global Health Trials scheme focuses on late-stage (equivalent to phase III/IV) clinical and health intervention trials that evaluate efficacy and effectiveness. We may consider Phase IIb trials of major relevance to the objectives of the call, but please contact the office to discuss this beforehand. The scheme is aimed at funding randomised controlled trials (RCTs), although other types of methodologies can be used alongside intervention trials to explore implementation and operational issues. Nested studies are encouraged to explore these issues and support future implementation.

Studies funded through this scheme should be based in countries with low or middle income economies.

A total of up to £20 million is available. This is expected to fund several full trial awards. Up to £1 million of the total amount is expected to be spent on several trial development grants.

Find out more and how to apply here.