Information > NIHR Programmes > The Service Delivery and Organisation (SDO) Programme

The evidence base developed by the SDO Programme informs decisions on the most effective way to make improvements to the organisation, management and delivery of healthcare services for the benefit of patients.
 
Thematic areas

The philosophy of the SDO Programme is to commission research on six enduring themes running through the organisation and delivery of health services, with the aim of developing coherent 'bodies of knowledge' around these themes. The themes include: Patient and carer centred services, workforce, evaluating models of health services delivery, e-health, change management, and studying health care organisations.

Process

The SDO Programme invites applicants to submit research proposals. The commissioning process will either be one stage, submission of a full proposal, or a two stage process, whereby applicants will be required to submit an outline of their proposal followed by full submission. The SDO Programme is involved in commissioning several types of research as follows:

  • Empirical Research Commissioning – using a full proposal application form
  • Scoping Study – using a scoping exercise application form
  • Literature Reviews – using literature review application form

Application forms can be found on the website and the specific call for bids will specify which type of call it is.

The SDO Programme has a multi-stage selection process, which may include the following steps:
  • Shortlisting of proposals
  • Peer review of full proposals
  • Final selection by commissioning group
  • Protocol clarifications prior to notification of successful awarding of contract
 
Criteria

Proposals are selected for peer review using the following criteria:

  • Have the objectives of the research project been clearly addressed and understood by the applicants?
  • Does the research team have the relevant knowledge and experience to undertake the work?
  • Are the methods outlined appropriate?
  • Does the proposal properly address user involvement?
  • Are the outputs of the project clearly stated and appropriate?

All outline proposals are viewed by the relevant commissioning group of the SDO Programme Board.

Checklist for researchers on writing proposals for the SDO programme (including other resources), and a full list of criteria for both one and two stage commissioning processes can be found on the website.

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