NIHR is taking part in the 2027 Joint Transnational Call from the European Partnership on Transforming Health and Care Systems (THCS), which is co-funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe. This round, Transforming the Health and Care Workforce for Sustainable and Resilient Systems, funds international teams researching how to recruit, train, keep and support the people who deliver health and social care. The call opens on 16 November 2026, and pre-proposals close at 1pm UK time on 21 January 2027.
This is a two-stage call. You submit a short pre-proposal first, and teams that get through are invited to submit a full proposal by June 2027.
What the call is looking for
The call backs implementation-oriented research and innovation. Rather than developing new ideas from scratch, it is about speeding up the uptake, adaptation, testing, evaluation and scaling of approaches to workforce transformation that already have evidence behind them.
NIHR is particularly welcoming proposals on the capacity and capability of the social care workforce, including research on:
- recruitment and retention
- labour supply
- workforce productivity
- education, training and skills development
- the impact of workforce interventions on care delivery and outcomes
Does it fit dementia research?
Much of the day-to-day support for people living with dementia comes from the social care workforce, in care homes, home care and community services, and that workforce has long struggled with recruitment, turnover and access to training. If your work tests how care staff are trained in dementia care, how experienced carers are kept in the sector, or whether a workforce change improves outcomes for people with dementia, this call could be a good fit. For a flavour of the issues, read Care Home Research: Getting the Balance Right and our piece on mobilising research knowledge with adult social care.
Working with international partners
THCS is a European partnership, so proposals come from transnational consortia with partners in several participating countries. Each partner is usually funded by its own national or regional funder and must meet that funder’s rules as well as the call’s. For UK partners, NIHR is the funder taking part. Check the conditions for participation, eligible countries and consortium rules on the THCS pre-announcement page, along with NIHR’s national eligibility requirements, before you start building your team. If you are new to social care research, our podcast on supporting social care research and building capacity is a useful starting point.
Key dates
- 16 November 2026: call opens
- 2 December 2026, 1.30pm to 3.30pm UK time: JTC 2027 information webinar
- 21 January 2027, 1pm UK time: pre-proposals close
- 24 June 2027, 1pm UK time: full proposals close
- September 2027: rebuttal phase, when evaluations are sent to applicants
- October or November 2027: final funding recommendation announced
- early 2028: expected start of funded projects
How to apply
Full details, including the aims and scope of the call and the conditions for participation, are on the THCS JTC 2027 pre-announcement page, and applications are made through THCS once the call opens. You can also read the NIHR listing for this call. The information webinar on 2 December is a good chance to ask questions before you commit to a consortium. Before you start writing, listen to our podcast on grant writing tips from awardees and reviewers.
Read the full details and apply
Visit funding web page
(https://www.thcspartnership.eu/funding/jtc-2027-pre-announcement.kl)