I. Background
The Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ministry of Higher Education Research & Innovation (MoHERI) are collaborating to offer a new strategic research grant opportunity focused on developing Innovative Solutions for Health Care Challenges to improve health care for the population in Oman.
The mission of this collaborative grant programme is to improve health care for the population in Oman and to accelerate the adoption of evidence-based health innovations that align the mutual interests of patients, healthcare professionals, and the community. The MoH is the lead organization for management of applications along with the strategic research programme committee. Grant funding will be provided by MoHERI.
The intent of this Call for Proposals (CFP) is to encourage researchers and organizations to submit research proposals designed to tackle and improve the understanding of health care challenges in Oman, design innovative solutions and study the impact of these solutions. Successful proposals will include a detailed plan and scope to address the selected research challenge. Proposals must describe how the outcomes, can be implemented, with possible evidence of scalability (e.g., integration with an electronic medical record system) and sustainability (e.g., plan for dissemination/applicability beyond the proposed institution). Consideration should be given regarding potential adaptation of the outcomes to different settings. The full proposal will go through a competitive peer-review and grant decision-making by the Programme Team.
II. Type of CFP Research Areas for the 2024 Cycle
Challenge 1: Mental Health
Mental well-being is crucial, especially with the global increase in mental health disorders. These conditions significantly impact every facet of an individual’s daily existence and activities. In Oman, the prevalence of mental health disorders is escalating. This is consistent with implementation of the pillars of Oman Vision 2040 for mental health law by the State Council. According to the Global Burden of Disease Study for non-communicable diseases, mental health issues are now the third leading cause of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in the country. This represents a 13.28% surge since 2000, underscoring the urgency to address this escalating concern promptly.
Challenge 2: Health Systems Financing
Health financing is a fundamental aspect of the health system’s building blocks. As part of Oman’s Vision 2040, the health sector aims to diversify healthcare financing, ensure sustainability and accountability, and support decentralized decision-making. The Ministry of Health must bolster its leadership and policymaking role within the sector, encompassing tasks such as fund collection, healthcare revenue pooling, purchasing, and provider payments, among other health financing topics. Currently, a priority is to facilitate progress toward universal health coverage by enhancing effective service coverage and financial protection. Consequently, it is vital to fortify and maintain ongoing efforts in this realm.
Applicant organisations may choose to submit single or multiple full proposal for projects that are aligned with the research challenge(s). Partnering, coordination, and collaboration between organizations are strongly encouraged. Also welcomed are intra-organizational collaborations that bring special expertise to the project, such as information technology, and others.
III. CFP key information
| Scope: | Focused collaborative strategic research on selected national research priorities. |
| Research Challenge Title 1: | Mental Health |
| Research Areas: |
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| Research Challenge Title 2: | Health Systems Financing |
| Research Areas: |
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| Type of Submission: | Full proposals only |
| Eligibility criteria: | · Applications should be limited ONLY to the research areas of the selected theme/challenge(s). Unrelated applications will not be considered.
· Principal Investigator (PI): PhD holder or equivalent (clinicians: senior specialist or higher) · PI should be from an organisation that is electronically connected to Ministry of Higher Education Research and Innovation |
| Key requirements: | · Individual projects can be funded for up to a maximum of 24-months’ duration
· MoHERI will fund up to 50% of the total project cost with a maximum cap of OMR 50,000 · PI and Co-PI should be from the same organisation · PI and Co-PI should not have any ongoing funded projects from MoHERI · Confirmation and details of cash/material/in-kind contribution in writing to be attached with the proposal |
| Selection criteria: | Submissions will be evaluated on the basis of:
· Alignment to CFP described theme/challenge research areas · Applicant knowledge of and experience with the area · Capability of carrying out the work · Inter-sectoral collaboration · Potential impact and expected outcomes of the project · Adaptation of the outcomes by the stakeholders · Dissemination strategies |
| Key dates/deadlines: | · 4 March 2024 CFP released
· 30 April 2024 Full Proposals due · 1 June 2024 for pending relevant ethical approval letters |
| How to Submit: | Submissions should be made as an ‘SRP Application’ on the MoHERI website (rims.trc.gov.om)
Please ensure respective ethical approvals are obtained (as appropriate). |
Strategic Research Programme Guideline
RIMS Proposal Submission Guideline
(Video)
SRP Health 2024 Announcement
