EME Programme researcher-led
Funds efficacy and mechanism studies on NHS interventions, up to about £500k for mechanistic work.
Evaluation runs off a published self-check list rather than a hidden rubric: reviewers look for adequate proof of concept in humans, patient and public involvement in study co-design and co-delivery, thorough consideration of participant safety, a clear hypothesis that genuinely tests mechanism rather than just reporting associations, good value for money, well-justified and feasible effect and sa…
The EME Programme wants studies that test the efficacy or biological mechanism of interventions already used, or intended for use, within the NHS -- drugs, devices, behavioural therapies, diagnostics and public health measures with existing human proof-of-concept. Standalone mechanistic proposals must reanalyse or extend data, samples or patients from an already-completed NIHR, UKRI, Wellcome or charity-funded study, rather than recruiting new patients. Hypothesis-generating work and simple biomarker discovery fall outside scope.
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