Feasibility Studies

Feasibility Studies are appropriate when there is strong evidence to justify a larger study, and where the nature and structure of the study is known, but where critical practical information is needed to make the potential study clearly fundable. For example, a feasibility study might be useful to generate a robust estimate of the potential effect size, the variation between groups, a sustainable recruitment rate, or the real-world incidence rate of a condition. The goal is not to determine whether the main study will 'work' but whether it is feasible to undertake the study in the first place. The fund does not support small stand-alone studies, pilot studies or the general development of a research area.

Research Investment Stream Information

The HRC’s investment framework includes four Research Investment Streams, listed below. Project applicants must specify which investment stream their application responds to. We are unable to advise applicants on which stream they should select for their proposal. Applicants should review the HRC's Research Investment Streams 2017/2018 document (1.66mb, pdf) to guide application decisions:

• Health and Wellbeing in New Zealand - Keeping populations healthy and independent throughout life
• Improving Outcomes for Acute and Chronic Conditions in New Zealand - Improving outcomes for people with illness or injury
• Rangahau Hauora Māori - Supporting Māori health research that upholds rangatiratanga and uses and advances Māori health knowledge, resources and people
• New Zealand Health Delivery - Improving health and disability service delivery outcomes over the short-to-medium term

All four investment streams are described in the HRC Research Investment Streams 2017/2018 document (1.66mb, pdf), along with general guidelines about the investment stream framework.