NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH RESEARCH
The NIHR's Health Technology Assessment programme produces independent research information on the effectiveness, costs and impact of healthcare treatments and tests for those who plan, provide or receive NHS care. Listed here are the February-April 2010 grant awards.
Award winner: Simon Gilbody
Institution: University of York
Value: £568,602
Smoking cessation for people with severe mental illness: a pilot study and definitive randomised evaluation of a bespoke service
Award winner: Simon Gilbody
Institution: University of York
Value: £1,443,1
Collaborative care and active surveillance for screen-positive elders with sub-clinical depression: a pilot study and definitive and randomised evaluation - the CASPER trial
Award winner: Hazel Gilbert
Institution: University College London
Value: £1,555,447
A randomised trial to increase the uptake of smoking-cessation services using personal targeted risk information and taster sessions
Award winner: Deirdre A. Lane
Institution: University of Birmingham and NHS
Value: £140,785
Combined anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy for high-risk patients with atrial fibrillation: systematic review and individual patient meta-analysis
Award winner: Derrick Crook
Institution: University of Oxford
Value: £1,176,072
Can rapid integrated polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based diagnostics for gastrointestinal pathogens and direct sequence typing of Clostridium difficile improve routine hospital infection-control practice?
ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL
Award winner: S.J. Eriksson
Institution: Swansea University
Value: £106,882
Nano-optical detection of novel phases in ultra-cold Fermi gases
Award winner: A.J.H. Spence
Institution: Royal Veterinary College
Value: £100,501
Bio-inspired control architectures for multi-legged locomotion
Award winner: A. Esposito
Institution: MRC Centre, Cambridge
Value: £252,945
Multiplexed measurement of molecular interactions using hyper-spectral imaging and multi-parametric detection
Award winner: J. Kittler and J. Chambers.
Institution: University of Surrey and Loughborough University
Value: £359,529 (Surrey) and £300,747 (Loughborough)
Audio- and video-based speech separation for multiple moving sources within a room environment
IN DETAIL
Award winner: Khalid Khan
Institution: Queen Mary, University of London
Value: £128,222
Interventions to reduce or prevent obesity in pregnant women: A systematic review of evidence synthesis
Professor Khan's project will investigate non-detrimental methods to reduce or prevent obesity in expectant women to diminish risks of complications to both mother and child. Currently, half of women of child-bearing age in developed countries are classified as overweight or obese, and significant numbers gain more than the recommended weight during pregnancy. Investigating existing evidence to assess the risks and benefits associated with weight loss during term, this project will look into various dietary interventions, collating results from randomised and non-randomised studies to allow for measurements of the risks and benefits to pregnant women and their offspring.