Grant winners

NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH RESEARCH

Health Technology Assessment programme

• Award winner: Rachel Jordan

• Institution: University of Birmingham

• Value: £240,112

Supported self-management for patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): an evidence synthesis and economic analysis

Public Health Research programme

• Award winner: Martin White

• Institution: Newcastle University

• Value: £764,894

Randomised controlled trial, economic and process evaluation of domiciliary welfare rights advice for socio-economically disadvantaged older people recruited via primary healthcare (DO-WELL trial)

Service Delivery and Organisation programme

• Award winner: Susan Jane Lea

• Institution: King's College London

• Value: £299,925

Enhancing the multi-agency management of individuals with enduring moderate to severe mental health needs (EMHN): client journeys and the NHS/CJS interface

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

ESRC/Department for International Development Joint Scheme for Research on International Development (Poverty Alleviation)

• Award winner: Jens Lerche

• Institution: School of Oriental and African Studies

• Value: £362,778

Labour conditions and the working poor in China and India

• Award winner: Philip J. Woodhouse

• Institution: University of Manchester

• Value: £234,388

Farm scale and viability: an assessment of black economic empowerment in sugar production in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa

• Award winner: Michael W.J. Noble

• Institution: University of Oxford

• Value: £380,862

Lone mothers in South Africa - the role of social security in respecting and protecting dignity

• Award winner: Barbara Harriss-White

• Institution: University of Oxford

• Value: £295,290

Resources, greenhouse gas emissions, technology and work in production and distribution systems: rice in India

In detail

• Award winner: Jane Blazeby

• Institution: University of Bristol

• Value: £2,861,723

BY-BAND - Gastric bypass or adjustable gastric banding surgery to treat morbid obesity: a multi-centre randomised controlled trial

There are many health problems associated with obesity that can shorten people's lifespans, impair their quality of life and increase their need for expensive health services. Current national guidelines to treat obesity recommend that overweight people make lifestyle changes to manage it. Surgery is considered for the morbidly obese or for those remaining obese after trying other options. The two most commonly performed operations are laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding and laparoscopic gastric bypass. Both operations lead to weight loss by reducing appetite and inducing satiety, but have associated problems. This study will follow 723 patients to compare the effects of banding and bypass three years after randomisation on weight loss, a wide range of symptoms and aspects of quality of life. It will also examine patients' detailed experiences during follow-up, nutritional outcomes, short- and long-term surgical complications and NHS value for money.