Fewer lives lost: Research consortium to prevent cardiovascular disease
The NIHR has announced the Inequalities Challenge: Fewer lives lost: Research consortium to prevent cardiovascular disease
As part of the NIHR Inequalities Challenge, NIHR are looking to fund a research consortium to prevent cardiovascular disease. The consortium aims to generate high quality research evidence and innovative solutions to support improved prevention, detection and monitoring of cardiovascular disease to save lives and reduce inequalities across the UK, inclusive of inequalities by sex, geography, age as well as deprivation and ethnic background. The successful consortium will be expected to include diverse participation from a range of disciplines such as (but not limited to) social and behavioural scientists, medtech and health economics in equal partnership with community trusted voices, Voluntary and Community Sectors (VCS) organisations and service users in order to provide evidence and actionable findings of immediate utility in practice.
To support the evaluation of effective interventions to optimise blood pressure and minimise the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke, specific areas of interest for the NIHR Inequalities Challenge include:
- early detection and optimal management of hypertension and raised cholesterol particularly in higher risk groups, specifically the Core20PLUS population groups and younger age groups (dynamically responsive to current and future UK population needs, specifically multimorbidity);
- equitable and affordable supported self-management and personalised prevention, leveraging wearables and other digital health technologies to reduce health inequalities including related issues such as data integration, access and digital poverty;
- innovative public health messaging and education including supporting sustained behaviour change to improve health outcomes specifically facilitating adherence and continuation of medication.
Over 5 years, funding of up to £50m will be available to support the consortium. This will be split across research and capacity building. Funding for research projects will be up to 80% FEC. Funding for capacity building will be up to 80% including FEC if proposing any PhD or post-doctoral awards. If proposing any studentships or pre-doctoral level awards, funding will be at 100% of direct costs but no FEC.
University of Cambridge proposal:
Institutions can only submit 1 application, whether as lead or collaborator. Therefore, if you are interested in this call please contact Professor Charlotte Summers, Director of the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Heart & Lung Research Institute, who is coordinating the University of Cambridge’s bid: cs493@cam.ac.uk.
Funder deadline: 13th August 2025
