Research-active community pharmacies have the opportunity to apply for funding to support staff time. 

Pharmacies delivering National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) can apply for between £2,000 to £100,000 to support staff time through the Research Delivery Network (RDN) Wider Care Settings Funding Programme 2027/28. 

Applications opened on the NIHR website on October 6 and close at midnight on November 17. Applicants will find out whether their application has been successful on February 22 2027. 

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The NIHR said that funding is available for a one-year period, from April 1 2027, to March 31 2028, and that funding cannot be carried over. 

It said it would award funding “based on the level of research activities that your organisation, or collaboration, is involved in”. 

The NIHR emphasised that “you can only apply for funding to cover infrastructure costs (staff time), not capital expenditure”. 

Read more: Small NI pharmacy chain funds research into codeine dependency 

It therefore said it would not accept applications regarding the likes of refurbishment work, training events, conference fees, advertising and legal fees.  

The organisation added that its 12 Regional Research Delivery Networks (RRDNs) are “co-ordinating and supporting applications” and said it would “strongly encourage” applicants to discuss applications with them. 

For more information about applications and to submit an application, you can see full details here. 

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It comes after NHS England announced last month that training sites employing foundation trainee pharmacists and pre-registration trainee pharmacy technicians on an apprenticeship programme will see a funding uplift. 

And it follows the news last month that a small independent pharmacy chain in Northern Ireland is funding Ulster University’s research into supporting patients experiencing codeine dependency.