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Call for proposals:
A review of initiatives that have resulted in changes in attitudes, knowledge and behaviour
| Deadline: | 2pm on Monday 25 June 2007 |
|---|---|
| JRF Committee: | Alcohol Research Committee |
| Timescale: | Draft report within six months |
| Budget: | £25,000 |
| Key contacts: | Charlie Lloyd (Principal Research Manager), charlie.lloyd@jrf.org.uk Marguerite Owen, marguerite.owen@jrf.org.uk, 01904 615911 |
Supporting documents:
Project summary
Proposals are sought for a review of policies and initiatives that have successfully led to positive changes in attitudes, knowledge and behaviour among sizeable populations of people.
Background / context
The JRF Alcohol Research Committee (ARC) has recently been set up and will be funding research and development in the alcohol field over a three-year period (2007-2009). The ARC has recognised that a number of trends in drinking are causing increasing harms to individuals, families and communities; and wishes to identify approaches which might impact on these trends.
A range of alcohol policies have been identified which seek to reduce alcohol-related problems and there is an international body of evaluative research pointing to the relative effectiveness of these approaches (Babor et al., 2003). However, this literature focuses on established approaches such as increasing taxation, reducing availability, restricting promotion, education and treatment. The ARC wishes to explore whether lessons can be learnt about effective approaches in other fields. The lessons from successful initiatives may be more about process and/or the combined effect of a multiplicity of influences, rather than the impact of a single initiative delivered at one point in time.
Aim
To draw on the lessons learnt from successful initiatives in other fields to identify approaches likely to be effective in influencing trends in drinking in the UK.
Method
We want this review to identify a number of approaches or initiatives that have proved successful in changing attitudes and behaviour in other areas of social policy. Because of the extremely widespread nature of drinking, we are interested in approaches that have been applied to large populations of people – rather than approaches targeting small groups. Therefore we would expect some such approaches to consist of national campaigns or policy initiatives – but we would not want to preclude regional or city-level initiatives.
We expect this review to identify a number of case-studies across a range of social policy areas where the introduction of an initiative, or a range of initiatives, appears to have been associated with changes in culture and behaviour. We want these case-studies to ‘tell a story’, including a description of the initiatives and an analysis of the evaluation evidence pointing to their impact. We recognise that initiatives of this kind are very rarely the only influence acting on a group of people and expect some analysis or commentary on how other factors also bore on the measured changes. We are also interested in the political and policy context - why was action taken when it was.
We are open to initiatives in any relevant area of social policy which could provide a useful parallel to the alcohol field. Examples could come from public health or public safety. For example, case-studies might include drink-driving, seat-belts in motor vehicles, unprotected sex, healthy heart campaigns or smoking. We do not offer these examples in the expectation that these will form the exclusive basis for the review: we expect applicants to apply their own thinking to this question and offer their own examples, with an explanation of why they have been chosen.
Having described these case-studies, we expect this review to come up with a more generalised account of how policy and practice can have an impact on attitudes and behaviours – and then apply this analysis to harmful patterns of drinking in the UK.
The review should draw on the international evidence, while recognising the dangers of assuming that the impact of an initiative in one country will be realised in another.
Timescale
We want this work to inform the rest of the ARC’s programme of work and therefore wish it to be undertaken quite rapidly. We want the successful research team to start work as soon as possible after agreement of the contract and provide a draft report within six months.
Resources
A maximum of £25,000 is available for this study.
How to apply
It is essential that you read the How to apply for funding section of our website before submitting your proposal, together with the Application guidelines containing the necessary forms for completing your application. There are also details available on what makes a good proposal and projects the Foundation does not support, which proposers should read, as well as some other useful information.
Criteria used in considering proposals
In considering proposals, the following key criteria are taken account of:
- the importance and relevance of the topic to the Foundation’s priorities;
- the relevance of the proposal to the research brief in the call for proposals;
- whether the work will offer new insights or developments;
- the appropriateness of the methods proposed to the aims of the project (for research projects, this includes research design, data collection and analysis);
- demonstration of good knowledge of the area, including both research literature and the policy and practice context;
- the ability of the staff and organisation to carry out the work and complete on time;
- the policy and practice implications of the project;
- an appropriate approach to dissemination;
- race equality and appropriate supported involvement of people with direct experience, where appropriate; and
- priority within available funds and value for money.
Judgements about proposals are made on the basis of what is written down. Some proposals are turned down because the Foundation cannot give the topic sufficient priority even though the proposal is well thought out and presented. In other cases, strong proposals may be rejected simply because, on balance, another is found to be even stronger. But proposals are most often rejected because insufficient information has been provided about key aspects or there is a lack of clarity about what is planned.
The Application Guidelines contain all the information and documents you will need to complete your application.
Submitting your proposal:
FOUR sets of the following documents are required:
- Proposal registration form
- Summary
- Proposal
- Budget form
- Staff Costs forms
- Full CVs for all Proposers
These should be sent to:
Charlie Lloyd
Principal Research Manager
Joseph Rowntree Foundation
The Homestead
40 Water End
York YO30 6WP
Please also email the summary and proposal to Marguerite Owen: marguerite.owen@jrf.org.uk
The deadline for receipt of hard copy and email documentation is 2pm on Monday 25 June 2007.
Please note that this is a strict deadline. Amendments or additions to the proposal sent after this date will not be accepted.
If you wish to discuss any of the details of the proposed work,
Charlie Lloyd, Principal Research Manager responsible for the Alcohol Research Programme, can be contacted on 01904 615911 or by email charlie.lloyd@jrf.org.uk. Administrative queries: please contact Charlie Lloyd’s secretary, Marguerite Owen on 01904 615911 or email marguerite.owen@jrf.org.uk
