Funding | SPCR Involvement, Inclusion & Impact (3is) Enablement Fund

The NIHR School for Primary Care Research (SPCR) is pleased to launch the Involvement, Inclusion & Impact (3is) Enablement Fund 2026-27.

The fund supports activities that contribute to SPCR’s Research Inclusion Strategy and refreshed Public Partnerships Strategy by strengthening inclusion within the primary care research workforce, developing meaningful partnerships with people and communities, and enhancing engagement, dissemination and impact across primary care research.

Building on learning from previous enablement funding rounds, the fund aims to support researchers and staff from SPCR member departments to develop new approaches, build relationships, generate learning, and create opportunities that may not otherwise be possible.

We particularly encourage applications that seek to:

• Improve inclusion, representation and opportunity within primary care research workforce
• Develop meaningful partnerships with communities and under-served groups
• Support the development of early career researchers
• Generate learning and good practice that can be shared across the SPCR network
• Enhance the dissemination, implementation and impact of primary care research

Funding streams

Applications are invited under one of following three funding streams:

Stream 1: Enabling Inclusive Research Careers in Primary Care – Support for activities that improve inclusion, representation and opportunity within the primary care research workforce. Funding available per application: up to £10,000

Stream 2: Enabling Early Career Researchers to Work with People and Communities – Support for doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers and other early career researchers to undertake meaningful public and community involvement and engagement activities as part of their primary care research. Funding available per application: up to £3,000

Stream 3: Enabling Inclusion, Partnerships and Impact – Support for innovative activities that strengthen connections between primary care research and the people and communities it serves, particularly groups that are currently under-represented in research. Funding available per application: up to £10,000

Further information about the scope of fund is provided in the guidance notes.

Key dates

Projects may run for a maximum of 12 months and must be completed by 30 June 2028.

If the full funding allocation is not committed through the first two rounds, SPCR may launch a third funding round, with a deadline expected in late April 2027.

How to apply

Before applying, please ensure you have read the guidance notes thoroughly.

Applicants who would like to discuss an idea before applying are encouraged to contact Halle Johnson, SPCR Involvement & Inclusion Manager, via spcr@keele.ac.uk.

To apply, please submit your application via our online grant portal: https://nihr-school-for-primary-care-research.grantplatform.com

Lead applicants responsible for completing and submitting the application will need to register on the online grant portal to apply. Although an offline version of the application form is available below for drafting applications, but all applications must be submitted through the grant portal.

Relevant documents

• Guidance notes for applicants

• Offline version of application form (for drafts only)

Resources for Applicants

Watch the webinar recording, review the slides and explore examples of previously funded work for inspiration when developing your application.

• Webinar Recording
• Webinar Slides

Examples for inspiration

The examples below were funded through previous SPCR funding opportunities and are provided to illustrate the breadth of activities that may be supported through the 3Is Enablement Fund. They are intended as inspiration only and do not represent a definitive list of eligible activities.

Stream 1:

• Research | Black Representation in Primary Care Academic Leadership – NIHR School for Primary Care Research (SPCR)
• Black in Primary Care Research Event – NIHR School for Primary Care Research (SPCR)

Stream 2:

• Project 775 | Decluttering primary care in England to improve patient safety – NIHR School for Primary Care Research (SPCR)
• Project 802 | Hepatitis – it is an English word: Poems found through the lived experience of hepatitis B in migrant communities – NIHR School for Primary Care Research (SPCR)
• Project 799 | SHAPE-BP: Shaping Wearable Blood Pressure Monitoring in Primary Care Through Public Involvement – NIHR School for Primary Care Research (SPCR)
• Project 768 | Storytelling to Undo Stigma: Sharing Patient Experiences of Recurrent Vulvovaginal Pain – NIHR School for Primary Care Research (SPCR)

Stream 3:

• Project 770 | Building Momentum: Extending Inclusive Research Engagement in Primary Care – NIHR School for Primary Care Research (SPCR)
• Project 772 | In Partnership: Connecting Communities and Primary Care Research – NIHR School for Primary Care Research (SPCR)
• Project 806 | From Barriers to Enablers: Strengthening Public Partnership in Research in the Digital Age – NIHR School for Primary Care Research (SPCR)
• Project 811 | South Asian voices in Mental Health and Addiction- A Community Research Engagement Event – NIHR School for Primary Care Research (SPCR)