Prevention Research Support Program: Round 7 briefing information

On this page

1. Purpose of briefings
2. Outline of Round 7
3. Priority research streams
4. Alignment with NSW Health strategic direction and priorities
5. A consortium approach is recommended
6. Indicative timeline for application and selection process
7. Stream 1: Embedding a population health and clinical preventive care approach to obesity and diabetes prevention and management in health service delivery, with an equity focus
8. Stream 2: Infectious disease capability, preparedness and response
9. Stream 3: Maternity and the first 2000 days

Purpose of briefings

• Outline the Prevention Research Support Program (PRSP) Round 7 process (July 2026–June 2030) and timelines.
• Describe the consortium approach.
• Describe the priority research stream research needs for Round 7.

Outline of Round 7

• Aligned with policy priorities – a targeted prevention research support program with blocks of funding (~$4M) allocated to action-oriented research targeting one of three defined priority research areas. Aim for one grant per priority area.
• Collaboration to meet policy needs – formation of consortiums, where appropriate, to ensure the breadth of expertise required to address priority areas.
• Translation to policy and practice – strong engagement between funding recipients, policy areas and health services to maximise value, ensuring research is continuously aligned to system needs and is translated.
• Strong governance to enable collaboration – Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence to continue to manage the funding process, with governance structures to drive work in each priority area.

Priority research streams

• Stream 1
• Embedding a population health and clinical preventive care approach to obesity and diabetes prevention and management in health service delivery, with an equity focus.
• Physical activity – primary and secondary prevention approaches for adults and children.
• Stream 2
• Infectious disease capability, preparedness and response.
• Stream 3
• Maternity and the first 2000 days (including preventive care, management of alcohol and substance use, and service interventions to prevent the primary causes of low birth weight).
  

Alignment with NSW Health strategic direction and priorities

• Special Commission of Inquiry into the drug 'Ice'
• 2024 New South Wales Drug Summit
• First 2000 Days Implementation Strategy 2020–2025
• As One System: The NSW Health System's Response to COVID-19
• Public Health – NSW COVID-19 Response
  
• The Special Commission of Inquiry into Healthcare Funding

A consortium approach is recommended

Benefits

• The scope of research streams is broad and complex. Collaboration between research groups can bring together expertise required to effectively address this breadth.
• Formation of consortia enables co-production of research and timely application to policy and practice.

Structure

• Consortiums should be led by one investigator/organisation who engages with one or more partners to address the full scope of deliverables.
• Annual workplans and agreed outputs co-designed in close collaboration with Ministry policy partners.

Indicative timeline for application and selection process

• May 2025 – Initial briefings on PRSP Round 7 and research streams.
• Early June 2025 – EOI opens, instructions on Prevention Research Support Program.
• 14 July 2025 – EOI closes, selected applicants invited to a panel presentation.
• August–September 2025 – Refinement and co-design of research plan and key deliverables.
• October 2025 – Agreements signed with recipients.

Stream 1: Embedding a population health and clinical preventive care approach to obesity and diabetes prevention and management in health service delivery, with an equity focus

Context and opportunities

There are considerable opportunities to embed clinical preventive care into the health system to support healthy eating and physical activity, as well as reduce the incidence of obesity and diabetes. This includes opportunities to think differently about models of care and to enhance our whole-of-system approach to diabetes and obesity prevention.

Research priorities and potential action-oriented approaches

We are seeking to partner with a research team who can provide evidence generation and collaborative research in this area including:

• co-design and co-implement integrated health service interventions, including re-design and continuous quality improvement/clinical practice change (including medical, nursing and allied health)
• translation of evidence-based preventive care interventions into the health system
• targeted and segmented settings-based and community messaging to support healthy eating and active living behaviour change
• understanding the design and delivery of health services – pragmatic expertise
• flexibility, responsive to emerging priorities and policy windows
• enthusiasm to strengthen the research capability within the NSW Health system.

Research teams should ensure they cover the breadth of multidisciplinary, clinical expertise relevant to this program area, as well as research and evaluation skills.

The ability to work well with government, consumers and clinical colleagues is essential.

Research priorities will evolve over the grant period but will focus on:

• interventions to improve physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour in the community, particularly for children and adolescents aged 9–15 years, combined with healthy eating interventions
• embedding a targeted and equitable approach to the identification and management of modifiable risk factors for diabetes and obesity in all clinical pathways, including optimising integration of and referral to statewide preventive health programs and provision of other evidence-based interventions
• equitable use of new obesity-related medications – optimisation, coaching supports
• harnessing workforce scope of practice, capability and willingness to deliver best practice preventive care as part of normal care.

The work undertaken will have a focus on priority populations including:

• adults and school-aged children who would benefit from primary and secondary prevention physical activity interventions
• culturally and linguistically diverse communities at a greater risk of health inequality
• Aboriginal people and communities
• rural and remote populations
• people from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

The successful team will approach their work with consideration of:

• the population with the issues of interest
• the process of engagement with the system, and the level of service integration
• patient-centred, holistic, supportive care
• equity
• Aboriginal experience and outcomes and the cultural appropriateness of services
• practical, action-oriented approaches that clinicians will support
• contextual factors impacting the feasibility of interventions, especially in rural and regional areas.

Research capabilities

• Implementation science/health service research – translational research to design, implement and evaluate new models of care targeting multiple co-morbidities/risk factors with an equity lens, including integrated and holistic approaches using coaching and other tools.
• Clinical practice change/harnessing workforce – optimising workforce scope of practice, capability and willingness to deliver embedded best practice preventive care).
• Investigation of new therapies – data-driven equitable and optimised models to maximise effectiveness of new medications, including coaching and other tools).
• Community-based interventions – designing and testing new physical activity interventions in the community.
• Behavioural science/social marketing – attitudes and value propositions for health coaching; clinician engagement in population health and clinical preventive care.
• Clinical workflow and digital integration – optimisation of identification, management and referral of modifiable risk factors in clinical pathways; clinical practice change; CQI, harnessing Single Digital Patient Record).

View this information on Stream 1 in slide format

Stream 2: Infectious disease capability, preparedness and response

Context and opportunities

The public health response to respiratory disease should be informed by data and evidence, enabled by technology and have a strong equity focus.

We are seeking to leverage partnerships to generate evidence to support public health policy and action.

Research priorities and potential action-oriented approaches

Resilient surveillance for respiratory viruses of pandemic or epidemic potential.

Surveillance domains in the World Health Organization's Mosaic Respiratory Surveillance Framework:

• support detection and assessment
• monitor epidemiological characteristics
• inform use of interventions.

We are seeking to partner with a research consortium who can provide evidence generation and collaborative research to support to fill identified gaps.

The consortium will need to have the following capabilities to deliver enhanced surveillance:

• genomics – diversity and evolution, diagnosis and surveillance, vaccines and therapeutics
• pathogens immunology –immune-based intelligence, functional virology, vaccine development
• epidemiology modelling – transmissibility, risk factors, nowcasting/forecasting
• harness technology – contact tracing, exposure tracking, use of artificial intelligence tools
• behavioural insights – acceptability of interventions, risk communication
• wastewater – novel/emergent pathogens, early warning.

The successful team will approach their work with consideration of:

• the populations affected
• engagement with the health system
• equity
• cultural appropriateness, including diverse population and Aboriginal experience.

The ability to work well with government, consumers and clinical colleagues is essential.

View this information on Stream 2 in slide format

Stream 3: Maternity and the first 2000 days

Context and opportunities

There are considerable opportunities to improve the way the system identifies and supports women experiencing complex vulnerabilities in pregnancy and the first 2000 days, and their children. This includes opportunities to think differently about workforce and to enhance our whole-of-system approach to maternity and early childhood care:

• considering how the workforce or services could best be re-oriented to address key gaps or workforce constraints
• approaching care for people with multiple co-morbidities/risk factors, and the need for an integrated and holistic approach
• breaking down silos and expanding scope of practice to better meet the needs of women experiencing complex vulnerabilities in pregnancy and the first 2000 days
• increasing workforce capability to reduce the experience of stigma and discrimination amongst substance-using mothers.

A wealth of data is now available to inform this work, and information system enhancements such as the Single Digital Patient Record will further support the statewide data capability. Bespoke data collection is likely to play a limited role in the research program.

We are seeking to partner with a research team who can provide evidence generation and collaborative research in this area including:

• design and implementation of integrated health service interventions, including re-design and workforce programs
• monitoring and evaluation of NSW Health programs and services
• linked data analyses
• clinical audits.

Research teams should ensure they cover the breadth of multidisciplinary, clinical expertise relevant to this program area, as well as research and evaluation skills.

The Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence, in collaboration with policy partners, is already undertaking a program of work related to monitoring and evaluation of maternity care and the first 2000 days.

Research priorities will evolve over the grant period but will focus on:

• preventive care – identifying and managing potentially preventable risk factors in the antenatal period
• identification and holistic, supportive management of alcohol and substance use in pregnancy
• service interventions and integrated approaches to reduce the impact of the primary causes of low birth weight, in close collaboration with local services.

The work undertaken will have a focus on priority populations including:

• women who use alcohol and/or other drugs, and their children
• Aboriginal women and families
• culturally and linguistically diverse communities
• regional populations.

The successful team will approach their work with consideration of:

• the whole population with the issues of interest
• the process of engagement with the system, and the level of service integration
• patient-centred, holistic, supportive care
• equity

Aboriginal experience and outcomes and the cultural appropriateness of services. The ability to work well with government, consumers and clinical colleagues is essential.

View this information on Stream 3 in slide format