The NIHR Public Health Research (PHR) Programme is looking to fund research into the health and health inequality impacts of data linkage and ‘big data’ usage in local and/or regional government, and/or interventions that address barriers to, or risks associated with, big data usage.
This is a 2-stage funding opportunity. To apply for the first stage you should submit an outline application. If invited to the second stage, you will then need to complete a full application.
Eligibility
Please see our programme page for further detail on what we will fund.
Methodological sub-studies: Studies Within A Trial/Review/Project
This funding opportunity is eligible for a methodological sub-study, which can help significantly improve methodology of future research as well as the host study. Sub-studies can also support the decarbonisation of research.
Find out more about methodological sub-studies, how to include them in your application, and the requirements of different research programmes.
Webinar
We are holding a webinar to support applicants seeking to apply to this funding opportunity and our other open commissioned funding opportunities. This will be held on Tuesday 6 October, 1:30pm-2:45pm, and will focus on each funding opportunity as well as general tips for applying. There will be a Q&A at the end.
Research specification
For this funding opportunity, our Public Health Research Programme invites applications to evaluate the health and health inequality impacts of
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linking multiple datasets and big data usage in local/regional government, and/or
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interventions (“enablers”) that address barriers to, or risks associated with, big data usage.
We will accept the use of big data as an intervention for this funding opportunity.
For local authority settings, where evaluative research is not yet possible, and where there is a need for more extensive networking, capacity and capability building, the Programme will accept an enhanced period of development work (up to 12 months maximum) with well-defined stop/go criteria, within a broader programme of evaluative research.
Our PHR Programme invites applications in response to specific research questions. These have been identified, developed and prioritised for their importance to stakeholders, including:
- Department of Health and Social Care and other relevant government departments
- devolved administrations
- policy makers
- local government
- commissioners of public health services, public health leaders, public health practitioners
- the third sector
- the general public
Research question
What are, or could be, the health and health inequality impacts of: a) data linkage and ‘big data’ usage in local and/or regional government, and/or
b) interventions that address barriers to, or risks associated with, big data usage (meaning, “enablers”)?
Background
‘Big data’ refers to large volumes of routinely collected electronic data from a variety of sources, which are often too large or unstructured to be analysed via conventional analytical methods or database techniques.
The Faculty of Public Health report, ‘Data for Everyone’s Health’, refers to “public health intelligence”. Operationally, this involves data collection, linking data sources, analysis via a wide range of analytical techniques (increasingly using AI data-driven technologies), communication of results and associated logistics (for example, planning, ethics, governance).
The use of the term ‘big data’ in this research specification is inclusive of any associated concepts that involve linking and analysing large datasets using any analytical techniques or tools, and includes probabilistic data linkage. As technology advances and is adopted in more systems and settings, there is a growing amount of data being produced.
Advances in digital technology have greatly benefitted clinical care in recent years, with a focus on diagnostics and treatment of individual patients. The application of large-scale data and analysis for the health of large groups or populations has lagged. This is likely because population health is affected by a complex and interconnected range of factors, including wider social, economic and environmental determinants.
However, consensus is growing on the opportunities of big data to improve population health, with insights from big data having the potential to transform public health and prevention, prevent disease, prolong life and promote health. Furthermore, there are broader opportunities to understand and improve health if a variety of data sources are brought together.
Local government and public sector organisations have access to a breadth of data from a variety of data sources. However, there are barriers to accessing and linking large datasets for public health population-level insights and benefits. Several reports have noted a lack of legal or organisational frameworks to enable data sharing at the scale needed to understand drivers of population health. Data is often scattered across different systems with different organisational policies and practices regarding data sharing. This can lead to inefficient data access and sharing regimes. Public health systems often lack expertise in and resources for advanced data analytics or complex systems thinking. Other barriers to big data usage include:
- implementing national solutions at local level (for example, using a national data library for ICSs in England)
- ethical concerns
- data privacy and surveillance
- outdated ICT systems
- cyber security
- deep fake disinformation by AI tools used for analysis
- organisational reputation and trust
- transparency, fairness and biases of algorithms (potential risk of stigmatising groups or perpetuating disparities)
Our PHR Programme previously commissioned Application Development Awards on the topics of “Unlocking data to inform public health policy and practice” and “Public acceptance of the use of administrative datasets for Public Health Research” (see NIHR awards NIHR133680, NIHR133634, NIHR133648; NIHR133585, NIHR133761; NIHR133603). The projects identified critical barriers to effective data linkage, as described above.
Despite the barriers, researchers demonstrated that it was possible to link multisector data (for example, police, health, education and social care records) to provide insights into social determinants of health and identify vulnerable populations before reaching crisis point.
Research is now required to build on previous findings and investigate the impact of
- linking multiple datasets and big data usage in local/regional government, and/or
- interventions (or “enablers”) that address barriers to, or risks associated with, big data usage on health and health inequalities and/or evidence-based decision making relating to health and health inequalities.
These questions are the primary focus of this funding opportunity.
Through engagement with our stakeholders, the Programme is aware that some local/regional authorities are not yet able to implement or evaluate big data/data linkage due to challenges including (though not limited to):
- disinvestment in ICT due to financial constraints and pressing service demands
- concerns about data sharing and information governance
- lack of guidance, capacity, resource, networks, and/or infrastructure
This has often necessitated a focus on statutory data responsibilities and restricted strategic data use. For those areas, there might be a need for networking, capacity and capability building.
This funding opportunity will permit a period of application development work prior to undertaking research to answer the evaluative questions above.
If this applies to you, please see the application development paragraph below.
Funding opportunity scope
Our PHR Programme is interested in research evaluating the impacts of a) big data (or data linkage) in local/regional government, and b) enablers or interventions that address barriers to, or risks associated with, big data usage on health and health inequalities and/or decision making relating to health and health inequalities.
We welcome applications from all geographical levels – local, regional, or national. We are aware that the use or function of big data will vary depending on geography and associated priorities (for example, prioritising operational or tactical delivery of services to meet need versus policy implications and funding flows).
Our PHR Programme has commissioned Application Development Awards on related topics “Unlocking data to inform public health policy and practice” and “Public acceptance of the use of administrative datasets for Public Health Research” (see NIHR awards NIHR133680, NIHR133634; NIHR133648, NIHR133585, NIHR133761; NIHR133603)
Where relevant, you will be expected to demonstrate use of award findings in the development of your application; for example, evaluating the use of interventions which address the barriers identified. Please direct enquiries about the findings to the Research Support Service Specialist Centre for Public Health.
Areas of interest
Research areas of interest for this funding opportunity could include, but are not limited to, the health and health inequality impacts of:
- data linkage enablers – interventions that address common barriers to, or risks associated with, big data usage or linking data in local/regional government
- interventions to improve quality of data
- interventions to improve data governance and its organisation within systems
- using linked datasets, for example, to identify at-risk populations or predict risk
- the use of artificial intelligence in data linkage and analysis
- collaborations between local/strategic authorities for big data usage
- policy developments (for example, implementation of Single Unique Identifiers)
- adaptation and implementation of national data solutions in local/regional contexts
- examining differential algorithmic performance across demographic groups or exploring how data gaps drive unequal outcomes
We also welcome modelling approaches that investigate the potential future impact of big data usage and related policies on health and health inequalities.
Research may also investigate the impact of big data/linked datasets to identify local problems and guide evidence-based decision making and policies relating to health and health inequalities.
We acknowledge that, in researching how big data and data linkage interventions impact on public health decision making, it would be valuable to understand how data linkage works in a particular geographical or topic area, as well as for whom, and under what circumstances.
We acknowledge that local priorities will differ and we anticipate that the research funded through this funding opportunity will have a particular focus (for example, housing, education) which might or might not be possible, or a priority, for other areas.
We therefore expect a demonstrable route to impact. Making the findings more generalisable will support decision-makers to take evidence-based action to improve population health.
Per ‘Data for Everyone’s Health’, data sources could include, but are not limited to:
- local authority records (for example, education, housing – to identify who is at risk from different health problems)
- information from voluntary organisations (insights into local communities, protected characteristics and inclusive health)
- supermarket sales data (healthy/unhealthy eating patterns)
- mobile phone signals (people’s movement, disease transmission, or exposure to other risks)
- wearable devices (information on activity, fitness and biometrics)
- social media (information on habits and health concerns)
- climate and pollution data (modelled at local level to tell us about exposure to risks from excess heat, respiratory irritants and carcinogenic chemicals)
- OHID Fingertips Tool (local public health data for small geographical areas) and ONS Health Index (both England only)
- how local authority data can integrate with NHS health and care data integration projects (noting the Programme’s focus on wider determinants of health)
- the NHS Research SDE Network
As the focus of this funding opportunity is on the use of big data or data linkage in local and/or regional government, we encourage you to focus on data that is available to, or owned by, local authorities.
Any costs associated with purchasing datasets should be carefully considered as proposed data costs will be assessed against their long-term sustainability. Proposed costs would need to be realistic, sustainable, and scalable for local or regional authorities to maintain beyond the duration of the research.
Application development
We recognise that substantive underpinning or development work might be beneficial for local/regional authority settings where there is a need for more extensive networking, capacity and capability building prior to conducting evaluative research. For this funding opportunity, we are willing to consider a period of application development work, prior to intervention evaluation, to build capacity and relevant networks.
The development period should be fully justified, last no more than 12 months, and cost in the region of £50,000 up to a maximum of £150,000. Any development work funded by this opportunity should lead to substantive evaluative research, detailed in the application, that meets the requirements of this research specification. We would expect you to include well-defined and robust stop/go criteria in your application.
We also recognise that researchers at times need to conduct rapid baseline data collection, as well as other feasibility work, within a very tight timeframe. If this is the case, please contact our PHR Programme before applying to discuss further. You can read more about the Public Health Research Programme Rapid Funding Scheme. You are strongly encouraged to familiarise yourself with our PHR Programme’s remit and contact the Research Support Service Specialist Centre for Public Health for advice.
In each topic area, we reserve the right to fund one study to prevent overlap. We are conscious of not duplicating effort and being efficient with resources. Added value would need to be demonstrated to justify funding multiple projects. Where you can collaborate, we are interested in exploring whether this is possible at multi-authority level.
When considering whether to apply, please see the key information below. When developing your application, please consider contacting the Research Support Service Specialist Centre for Public Health and refer to the guidance notes, paying particular attention to the points highlighted below:
- Population (P) – While this funding opportunity is broad in scope, your application should specify and justify your choice of population. We recognise that interventions are likely to impact different (sub)populations in different ways.
- Intervention (I) – We regard the use of big data or data linkage as an intervention for this funding opportunity. We are also interested in the evaluation of interventions which address barriers to the use or linkage of big data. This could include, for example, mapping datasets or data dictionaries. We are predominantly interested in the evaluation of interventions that operate at a population level rather than at an individual level. Our PHR Programme does not fund research into the treatment of disease but we are interested in research that addresses the wider determinants of health. The description of the intervention may include the setting.
- Comparator (C) – We encourage you to consider including a suitable comparator where relevant.
- Outcomes (O) – The primary outcome should be a health outcome or a change in population health as a result of the use of big data. Where primary health outcomes are not feasible, intermediary and proxy outcomes are accepted, if appropriately justified. For example, process outcomes that are plausibly on a pathway to impacting health and health inequalities and/or decision making on health and health inequalities. You will need to clearly describe and justify your choice of primary and secondary outcomes. You will need to specify how outcomes will be measured in the short, medium, and long term. Although health outcomes are the focus of this funding opportunity, we will not preclude the use of social care datasets as part of the broader programme of work.
Health inequalities – of particular importance to our PHR Programme is an understanding of inequalities in impact of policy and access to services. Evaluations of interventions seeking to reduce health inequalities are also of specific interest.
Study design
A range of study designs can be used. Innovative methodologies are welcomed. You should clearly describe your methodological approach, and the rationale for this approach. We recognise that this funding opportunity is broad and expect you to be targeted in your research. You are expected to be aware of any policy changes that may influence the research as well as other relevant studies. You should identify the gaps in the existing evidence base and articulate why your research is important for decision makers.
Health economics – understanding the value of public health interventions (whether the outcomes justify their use of resources) – is integral to our PHR Programme, where resources relating to different economic sectors and budgets are potentially relevant. Different approaches to economic evaluation are encouraged as long as they assess the value and potential distributive impact of interventions. Applications that do not include an economic component should provide appropriate justification.
Researchers are strongly encouraged to meaningfully involve a wide range of stakeholders, including members of the community and people with lived experience. They could be involved in the design, planning of the intervention, and throughout the project and, where applicable, as members of the research team. All activities should be suitably rewarded and costed in the application.
Outputs
Pathways to impact – we are focused on the impact of the research we fund. You are asked to consider the timing and nature of deliverables in your proposals; and encouraged to maximise the impact of your research by explaining how you will mobilise knowledge and ensure that it is useful and relevant to stakeholders such as:
- policy makers
- practitioners (for example. educators, health and care professionals)
- local government
- public health officers
- special interest groups
- charities
- community audiences
Duration and costs
You are advised that we are custodians of public funds, and value for money is one of the key criteria that peer reviewers and commissioning committee members will assess applications against.
NIHR research inclusion
You must detail how you have considered inclusive research design and sex and gender throughout the whole research lifecycle and provide information on any associated costs. For full details, see our inclusive research funding application guidance.
Visit funding web page
(https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/using-big-data-impact-health-and-health-inequalities/2026468)
