The Service Delivery and Organisation (SDO) programme aims to improve practice in relation to the organisation and delivery of healthcare. The programme is needs-led and science-added. The philosophy of the SDO is to commission research on six enduring themes running through the organisation and delivery of health services, with the aim of developing a coherent body of knowledge around the themes. The themes are:

• Access to health care
• Change management
• Nursing and midwifery
• Evaluating models of service delivery
  
• Continuity of care
• Studying health care organisations
  

Who it's for:
SDO is funded by the NIHR with contribution from WORD in Wales and researchers from these areas can apply for funding. Researchers from Scotland and Northern Ireland should contact NETSCC to discuss their eligibility.

Funding:
The programme has a budget of £12m and commissions research in two different ways - standard calls for research proposals that address specific topics and research proposed directly by researchers. The commissioning brief will state if there is a cap in place for a particular topic area. Applicants must fully justify costs regardless of a cap being indicated. There are no fixed limits on the duration of projects but applicants should take into account the urgency of the need within the NHS for this research.

Process:
For standard calls you need to fill in the online application to be accepted for consideration. Successful outline proposals will be invited to submit a full application. The process from submission to outcome should take a maximum of 18 months. Once a project is finished a final report will be made public. 

Criteria:
Applications will be judged on the following criteria:

• Adherence to the advertised commissioning brief or if researcher led it needs to address an expressed need for the research in an area where there will be sustained interest in the future
• Capacity to generate new knowledge
• Quality of scientific merit
• SDO expects applicants to collaborate with appropriate partners organisations such as NHS trust and primary care trusts, local authorities and voluntary organisations
• Public involvement will be actively sought across the SDO programme
  
• Value for money

SDO Website