NIHR backs digital social care research projects with £5.4m funding

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has awarded more than £5 million to nine research projects aimed at improving social care through digital technology.

A total of £5,444,562 has been awarded to institutions in England, Scotland and Wales through the NIHR’s Research Programme for Social Care (RPSC). The projects are expected to run for between 18 months and two years.

The NIHR invited collaborative UK research proposals exploring innovative uses of digital technology in social care, with a focus on AI, digital devices, and new approaches to improve outcomes for adults and children.

The funded projects cover a range of approaches and interventions, including virtual reality communication training for carers of people with severe mental illness and a practical toolkit to help care home staff and residents feel more confident when using digital technology such as tablets.

Professor Mike Lewis, NIHR scientific director for innovation, said: “The NIHR is fully committed to using digital innovations to improve the delivery of social care in the UK.

“This funding – which is aligned with the government’s People at the Heart of Care vision, as well as its mission to move provision of care out of hospitals and into the community – will help us build evidence on how digital tools can transform social care and improve lives.

“It reflects the NIHR’s commitment to building capacity in social care research and ensuring technology is harnessed to support independence, enhance quality of life and strengthen the effectiveness of care for adults, children and carers across the UK.”

The nine funded projects are:

• Embedding TEchnology in Care Homes (ETECH) – University of Glasgow
• Socially connected SmartCare at home: enhancing independent living for people living with dementia through low-cost technology – Cardiff University
• Using Artificial Intelligence to improve the use of evidence in social work practice – Cardiff University
• A realist synthesis and evaluation of how mainstream smart home technologies can support independent living for disabled people: understanding what works for whom, in what circumstances, and why – Cardiff University
• Turn down the noise: reducing noise and supporting people with dementia and hearing loss in social care settings – University of Worcester
• Building effective digital post-hospital discharge and reablement services for older adults in social care – University of Stirling
• Virtual reality assisted communication training for carers in severe mental illness – King’s College London
• Co-evolving proactive telecare in practice – University of Oxford
• Leveraging generative AI to support people with learning disabilities in their daily lives – Manchester Metropolitan University

Professor Martin Knapp, director of NIHR’s RPSC, said: “This is really exciting, important funding from the NIHR, which will look to transform social care through some truly innovative solutions.

“By utilising the power of AI, virtual reality, smart home technologies and other tech, these projects offer real hope for supporting independent living and autonomy and improving people’s lives by raising standards of care and support within their communities.”

In March 2026, the NIHR awarded £47.8m to pay for equipment to help streamline the delivery of clinical trials.