Grant Winners

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.