There are a number of issues you need to consider before you start filling in your research application forms.
Contacting the Research and Innovation team in the first instance will ensure you have the relevant support throughout the key stages of planning your research. If you have not carried out key steps such as getting the correct approvals to carry out your study, you will not be able to proceed. Research cannot be approved retrospectively, so it is important to carry out the relevant procedures in advance.
Our Research Support Officers are able to advise and help with your initial planning process, and they can support you with making sure that all requirements are in place before you submit your project for a governance review. In this initial stage, they can help you address the following areas:
Is your project research, and what type of research is it?
The Health Research Authority (HRA) Decision Tool will help you to establish whether your project is research, an audit, or a service evaluation. These categories determine the approvals required to undertake your project in the Trust. Your Research Support Officer will clarify this with you and tell you who to contact if your project is an audit or a service evaluation.
Once you have established that your project is research, your Support Officer will also assist you in classifying the type of research you are carrying out, in order to determine the national approvals required. This will clarify the next steps required, especially for drug studies, Clinical Trials for Investigational Medicinal Products (CTIMPs) or studies of devices.
Developing a protocol:
A protocol acts as an instruction manual for your particular study. It describes the approach that will be taken and how it will address a specific research question, in a rigorous and consistent manner. It will help ensure results are of high quality, and that data is reproducible. Your Research Support Officer can provide specific templates to develop the protocol for your type of study.
All protocols must be peer reviewed. If you are applying for a grant then this may be part of the application process.
More key stages for initial planning:
- All research projects require a sponsor. Sponsorship is separate from funding and relates to indemnity. The sponsor confirms the project has been adequately peer reviewed and the organisation agrees to indemnify the methodology and conduct of the study.
You can find out more about the research sponsorship stage of a study by clicking this link.
- Before sending applications for grants, research conducted within the Trust should be reviewed for feasibility to ensure that the study is fully costed, with clear agreements as to how the expenditures are to be covered. A feasibility review considers the tasks and activities outlined in a clinical research protocol, which describes the patient population, recruitment, trial timeline, study procedures and involvement of human subjects.
You can find out more about the research feasibility stage of a study by clicking this link.
You are required to get permission from national and local organisations where you are conducting your study. For example, studies involving NHS patients will need to be reviewed and approved by a research ethics committee, which are managed by the NHS Health Research Authority (HRA).
Documentation:
In addition to the protocol, all projects will require other documentation, such as patient information sheets, consent forms and questionnaires. The guidance and templates section of the HRA website clarifies the specific documentation and format required for your project.
Your Research Support Officer will tell you which documents are relevant to your research, and will review the content to ensure regulations and requirements are met.
