REAL Research Units A new programme to develop a rich evidence base which will build consensus and develop the infrastructure and leadership needed to influence longer-term approaches to policy and funding decisions.
This programme is closed for applications
- New £7.45m programme will provide independent research that builds on and amplifies the work of the REAL Centre, who will provide evidence to support better long-term decision making in health and social care.
- The REAL Research Units programme is providing £3.725m funding to two research teams for the set-up of two research units over seven years.
- Teams from the University of York and the University of Oxford have been selected and have begun phase one (co-production and discovery) of their research programmes.
The Health Foundation’s REAL Centre has launched an ambitious new programme that will provide independent research that builds on and amplifies the work of the REAL Centre, developing evidence to support better long-term decision making in health and social care.
The REAL Research Units programme will work in partnership with the REAL Centre to develop leadership, advocacy and learning which will build consensus and develop the infrastructure needed to influence longer-term approaches to policy and funding decisions. The research units will conduct in-depth analysis of fundamental policy questions around the long term, identifying gaps in the evidence base of these important questions. To do this work effectively, the units will consider the role of key stakeholders and audiences, including clinicians, funders, policymakers, the public and academics from non-economic disciplines.
The long-term objectives of the REAL Research Units programme are to:
- extend the reach and impact of research
- influence more effective health and social care policies
- increase capacity and diversity of thought in health economics.
About the programme
We are providing a total of £7.45m funding for the set-up of the two research units. Each research unit is receiving up to £3.725m of funding over seven years. The seven-year programme is split into two phases, beginning with a discovery and co-creation phase for the units to scope their research questions.
The REAL Research Units will develop research programmes in the REAL Centre’s areas of interest: demand for and supply of health and social care. One research unit is focusing on demand and one on supply. Both units will work together, and in close collaboration with the REAL Centre, to maximise synergies.
The REAL Research Units are being supported by a fellowship programme, aimed at economists who currently work on topics outside health. The fellows will provide knowledge exchange and breadth of perspective beyond health economics, supporting the units to drive impact.
About the REAL Research Units
The two REAL Research Units are:
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York research unit, University of York
The York research unit will carry out research on the supply of health and social care, with the aim of shaping a more resilient and equitable health and care system through long-term, sustainable policymaking. The research unit will also work in collaboration with Personal Social Services Research Unit, University of Kent, Health Economics Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Scottish Policy and Research Exchange and Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, University of York. -
Oxford research unit, University of Oxford
The Oxford research unit will transform the understanding of demand for health and social care, using individual-level data to analyse how health evolves and interacts with families’ socioeconomic lives and environment. The research unit will also work in collaboration with Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science and Centre for Experimental Social Sciences, University of Oxford and Centre for Health Economics, University of York.
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