NIHR Programme Development Grants (PDGs) fund 12 to 24 months of groundwork for a large applied research programme. Stream A pays for the preparatory work you need before applying for a Programme Grant for Applied Research (PGfAR), and stream B lets teams with a current or recently finished PGfAR build on it. The October 2026 round is open now, and full applications close at 1pm on 16 December 2026.
This is a single-stage funding opportunity, so you submit a full application straight away. There are four separate routes, each with its own application on NIHR’s awards management system, so check which one fits before you start.
The four routes
- Stream A, researcher-led pre-programme grant (2026/522): preparatory work towards a future PGfAR application on a topic you choose
- Stream A, NICE rolling funding opportunity (2026/521): development work linked to the NIHR and NICE commissioned rolling call
- Stream A, James Lind Alliance rolling funding opportunity (2026/520): development work towards a programme answering priorities set by James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnerships
- Stream B, post-award programme grant (2026/519): for teams with an ongoing or recently completed PGfAR
What stream A funds
Stream A is for the work that makes a strong PGfAR application possible, such as building the team and collaborations, running feasibility work or tackling the barriers that would otherwise hold the main programme back. Your research plan must include a “Future work plan” section setting out the PGfAR you intend to apply for, how it would make a stepped change to practice or outcomes, its component studies and how they link together, and when you plan to submit. A future programme that is only a trial is out of scope, and applications that don’t set out PGfAR plans, or don’t have the right team, will be non-competitive. If your proposal responds to NIHR’s highlight notice on brain tumours, say so in your application.
What stream B funds
Stream B helps teams get more from an existing programme grant. That could mean further developing, analysing or disseminating the programme and its findings, or doing linked research of strategic importance to NIHR, such as methodological work, public and community engagement, equality, diversity and inclusion, or social care perspectives. You’ll need your PGfAR reference number and its contracted end date, and stream B applications are expected to have the same contractor as the main programme grant.
Does it fit dementia research?
PGfAR funds large programmes of applied health and care research, and dementia care, diagnosis and support are well within scope. If you have an ambitious programme in mind but aren’t ready to apply yet, a stream A PDG is a way to get there. The JLA route is worth a look too: see how one partnership set its questions in What are the most important questions about trial retention?, and our listing for the related JLA rolling call through HSDR.
Funding and duration
PDGs run for 12 to 24 months and can be worth up to £250,000, with the amount awarded depending on the scale and nature of the work. Applications costed above £250,000 will be seen as uncompetitive and poor value for money.
Who can apply and host
The lead applicant can be employed by the NHS or a university, or work in a professionally regulated practitioner role in public health or social care. If an NHS body hosts the research, you need at least an honorary research contract with it before the work starts.
Contracting organisations can be NHS bodies and other providers of NHS services anywhere in the UK, working with an appropriate academic partner and able to act as research sponsor, or other providers of NHS, public health or social care services, including local authorities. A university can host only where the research is mainly about public health and social care services usually run by local authorities, and NIHR will not contract with a university hosting research on health conditions relevant to the NHS. The online form defaults the host to the lead applicant’s organisation, so check and change it if needed. An academic partner outside the UK is possible if you can make a strong case for it.
There’s no limit on co-applicants, but the team should be balanced and sized to the work. It doesn’t have to be the same team as the eventual PGfAR.
Your application
The detailed research plan can run to 12 A4 pages including diagrams. It should name all relevant stakeholders and how they have been and will be involved, and be written for assessors who may not know your field. You’ll also need to set out success criteria, key risks and contingencies, any ethical issues, a timeline with milestones, and how the work will build capacity and support the careers of your team. A Gantt chart and references are mandatory uploads, and a flow diagram, logic model and supporting documents are optional. Keep extra uploads to a minimum.
Key dates
- 21 October 2026, 1pm: opens
- 16 December 2026, 1pm: closes
- March 2027: committee review and funding decision
How to apply
Read NIHR’s domestic full application guidance alongside the PDG programme page, which sets out the scope and eligibility for each stream, then apply through the awards management system using the link for your route. Questions about your application, or requests for reasonable adjustments, go to pgfar@nihr.ac.uk. If you’re based in England, the NIHR Research Support Service can help you turn your idea into an application. Before you start writing, listen to our podcast on grant writing tips from awardees and reviewers, and if involving people with lived experience is new to you, the EMPOWER Dementia Network+ co-production toolkit is a good place to start.
Read the full details and apply
Visit funding web page
(https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/programme-development-grants-october-2026/2026522-2026521-2026520-2026519)