Scottish Infection Research Network - Chief Scientist Office Doctoral Fellowship in Healthcare Associated Infection Guidance for applicants seeking awards made by SIRN and the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates. The Guidance has the following sections: 1) Background 2) Financial Support 3) Completing the Application Form 4) Making an Application 5) Assessment of Applications all of which should be read thoroughly by all potential applicants to ensure that the form is completed correctly. 1. BACKGROUND The Doctoral Fellowships in Healthcare Associated Infection are intended to give graduates in relevant disciplines the opportunity to work towards a PhD and provide research training in an area of research relevant to the needs of the NHSScotland. Duration The Fellowships are available for 3 years full time (or part time pro-rata) and it is expected that they will commence within 6 months of any offer of award. If an applicant s full-time salary at time of application exceeds the salary limit it is possible to undertake the Fellowship on part-time basis to come within the limit, but in these cases the award will not extend beyond 3 years. Keywords 1 primary and up to 5 secondary keywords must be provided. The CSO Keywords List can be found on the SIRN and CSO websites. The primary keyword should identify the area within which the proposed research falls. If it does not fall within any of these areas then please insert N/A.
2. FINANCIAL SUPP Funding will normally cover: a) Reimbursement of the basic salary of the award holder, with increments, based on an appropriate point for the individual on the relevant pay scale up a maximum of 25,000. Employer s superannuation and national insurance contributions will also be paid. Requests for salaries should be based on actual costs at the time of application; increases for inflation should not be included. Salary requests should take account of expected increments in future years. The salary requested for the award holder should be at the level appropriate to the research experience and responsibilities of the individual and must be in accordance with the salary scales and terms and conditions of service applying at the employing institution. b) Research costs up to 10,000 - these are the costs required for the research to be undertaken eg fieldwork, research related travel, software licences etc and these should be detailed individually. Equipment costing less than 1,000 may be funded under this heading, however funding will not be provided for a computer, as there is the expectation that such equipment will be available in the grantholding institution. Only in very exceptional circumstances a lap-top may be funded if this is absolutely necessary for data collection in the field and is fully justified. Any NHS Service Support Costs* will also need to be estimated separately and stated within the application. c) Fees for registration for a PhD (approximately 3,800 per annum) SIRN-CSO is not responsible for the PhD fees of Fellows who interrupt their studies before their SIRN-CSO award expires. Grant holding institutions, normally via the Head of Department, must inform SIRN immediately if a Fellow withdraws. If these fees have been paid to the institution in advance, SIRN-CSO will reclaim them. Institutions will normally be required to reimburse SIRN-CSO for any avoidable overpayments arising from a delay in notifying SIRN of the withdrawal of a Fellow. It is also the responsibility of the institution to inform SIRN immediately of any interruption to studies, or research misconduct, on the part of the Fellow or supervisor in relation to the award. * NHSScotland support costs (if any) should be clearly indicated, and the application form will then require the signature of the appropriate NHS R&D Lead Officer to indicate that he/she is aware of the potential for support costs. These are the additional patient care costs that can be attributed to particular R&D activities which end when the particular R&D activity finishes, e.g. extra blood tests, X-rays, etc. Such costs are covered by Support for Science funding awarded separately to the NHS Organisation.
3. COMPLETING THE APPLICATION FORM Font Size and Format Your application should be typed throughout, using a Verdana 10 point font Any applications which contain typewritten material smaller than this will be returned to you unprocessed. Please bear in mind that some cases boxes on the form will expand to fit the text, however you must stay within any specified word or page limits. It is essential that you check your application very carefully before submitting it to us to make sure that all text you have entered is visible on the printed version. Research Experience (Section 5) Applicants for a Doctoral award must hold an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline including nursing, allied health professions, psychology, sciences, statistics, social sciences, information technology. a. Research experience - Briefly describe any research you have undertaken to date. Please include a statement which indicates your exact role in the research effort. b. Publications - List any publications in which you are a named contributor or author using Vancouver format. It is not necessarily expected that applicants will have extensive publications at this stage in their career. Mark with an asterisk the publication you consider to be your best. c. Additional Information - You may include other research training and/or experience to date. For example - if you have a Master s degree, give details of the training completed, e.g. topics covered, whether a dissertation was completed and, if so, the topic and methods used. Details of any grants obtained. Please indicate clearly any co-applicants and provide brief details of the nature and full extent of your involvement (e.g. project design, project management, day to day running, data collection, data analysis, writing papers for publication, etc.). Project Proposal (Section 6c) This should be separated into the following sections and sections i to vi must not exceed 4 pages i ii iii iv v vi vii Introduction (citing key references (see vii)) Results of any pilot studies Aims Research questions Plan, methods, timetable Relevance/benefit of the research to the NHS/patients/public health* Key references * Relevance/benefit to the NHS/patients/public health will be a key criterion in appraising proposals. Issues to be considered when determining relevance include whether the findings would lead to better health, better services or better value for money; whether there is currently genuine uncertainty about best practice; and whether findings are generalisable and transferable outside the setting in which the research is carried out. The translational aspect of the research into practice will also be considered.
Training (Section 7) Applicants are encouraged to seek out relevant courses in research methods training appropriate both to the proposed research project and wider development. Courses are available at most Scottish institutions in the form of MScs from which modules can be taken, and a wealth of courses is also on offer in England. Relevant courses might include training in systematic reviewing, statistics, in-depth interviewing, clinical trials etc. The Clinical Research Training Scotland website is useful (http://www.crts.org.uk). The panel will consider whether the proposed training is suitable and sufficient for the applicant. Supervision (Section 9) Details for each proposed supervisor must be given including contact details, current and past research experience (please note that this should focus on research skills, not grants held), number of students currently being supervised and number supervised to completion. Supervision arrangements and environment The relevance of each supervisor to the studentship and details of how the team will share the supervisory duties should be listed. This section should describe the support that will be available for the student, training and skills they will achieve. It should refer to the environment within the specific research group and also any wider departmental/divisional systems. Completing the Form You are required to provide all the necessary information within the space provided. All questions should be completed or marked "not applicable". Applications should be signed by the appropriate administrative officials of the proposed institutions to confirm that all of the financial details shown on the application form, including the salaries, are correct. All fellowship applications should be signed by the appropriate administrative authority (e.g. the institution's finance officer) and the Head of Department of the prospective host institution. In signing the form officials are indicating their formal approval of the application, their willingness to offer an appointment to the individual (if successful) for the tenure of the award subject to their normal employment practices, their approval of the salaries sought, and the acceptance of the terms and conditions associated with a Doctoral Fellowship. Declarations (Personal Data) All personal and other data on applications, whether funded or not, will be stored on the SIRN-CSO Applicant monitoring database. As well as aiding the internal processing of applications the funders may make public in any form summary information about the application and any subsequent award including the title and abstract of research as it sees fit. By signing the applicants are confirming that SIRN-CSO may hold and process, by computer or otherwise, all personal information supplied with the application.
4. MAKING AN APPLICATION Annex A - R&D Project Details Proforma Please complete in full. Annex B Nominated Reviewers Please give the details of three researchers of national or international standing, not personally known to you, whom you consider able to offer unbiased peer review comments on your application. These must not be people with whom you currently work, or have worked closely with in the past (e.g. previous supervisors, Heads of Department). SIRN makes no commitment to include these nominations when selecting reviewers if they are considered unsuitable. Procedure for Application Applications should be received no later than Thursday 21 March 2013. Forms may be downloaded from the SIRN website and must be completed in a font size 10 verdana typescript. An electronic copy and a signed master are required. Signed and completed forms should be sent to: Ms Lesley Frew Network Manager Scottish Infection Research Network Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre 120 University Place University of Glasgow Glasgow G12 8TA An electronic copy should be emailed to Lesley.Frew@glasgow.ac.uk. Please note that Annex B should not be included in the electronic form. Late applications will not be considered and extensions will not be granted therefore you must ensure you allow sufficient time to obtain all of the relevant signatures to meet the deadline. Applications which do not comply with the guidance will not be accepted.
5. ASSESSMENT OF APPLICATIONS All applications are assessed by a process of peer review, whereby experts from the research and user communities assess the quality of the proposed training and environment; the potential of the applicant; and the scientific excellence of the proposal. Comments from the expert referees assist the Panel in reaching a decision. Short-listed candidates will be invited to interview. Interviews will take place in Glasgow on a date which will be advised when your application is acknowledged. Outcome of the Assessment Applicants will be informed as soon as a final decision has been taken on their application. Candidates who are interviewed will usually be notified of the decision as soon as possible after funding arrangements have been confirmed. The decision of the Panel is final. The selection panel will use the following assessment criteria when reviewing your application: The Applicant The Panel will look for evidence of commitment to a research career, and a recognition of training requirements. Supporting evidence will include productivity, e.g. any publications from previous research and proof of skill e.g. prizes. The Panel will also look for evidence that the applicant has the potential in the future to become a leader in their field and to lead a research team. The Project The Panel will seek to judge the scientific merit of the research taking into account its originality and importance and judging the extent to which it will increase knowledge relevant to improving health and/or the potential for translation into practice. Applicants must ensure the introduction describes the current evidence base in the field. The methodology will require to be convincing and appropriate. While recognising that the applicant may require significant input from the Supervisor(s) in developing the research proposal, the Panel will take into account the extent to which the project has been initiated by the individual rather than their supervisor(s). It is likely that the project will undergo further development if and when the applicant commences the award and so a fully described protocol is not required. However, the Panel will look for evidence at this early stage that the work is achievable, feasible and deliverable within the timeframe and that it can be pursued alongside any training and/or clinical commitments and the information provided should include such evidence. Supervision The panel will look for confirmation that the supervision for the candidate and the research is of high quality and is able to cover all aspects of the training and supervisory requirements of the individual.
Appendix A Eligibility These criteria were adapted from those used by the Medical Research Council To be eligible for a full SIRN funded PhD Fellowship (salary and fees) candidates must be able to demonstrate a relevant connection 1 to the United Kingdom. UK nationals who have lived most of their lives in the UK will have demonstrated a relevant connection. Individuals who were not born in the UK but have been granted UK citizenship or have come to settle in the UK (e.g. immigrant status, refugee or an individual granted humanitarian protection) need to demonstrate that they have a relevant connection through ordinary residence. 2 European Economic Area 3 citizens who are migrant workers 4 (or their spouse or children) and can demonstrate ordinary residence in the EEA are eligible. Visa/Work Permits Candidates who are resident in the UK on a student visa, work permit or dependent visa have restrictions on the time they may stay in the UK, and cannot demonstrate a relevant connection or settled status. They will therefore not be eligible on residence grounds. Nationals of European Economic Area (EEA) Member States A migrant worker, or the child of a migrant worker, is eligible for a full award (maintenance stipend plus fees) if they are employed in the UK at the time the application is made, and is either: (a) an EU national and would have a relevant connection to the European Union; or, (b) a national of a member state of the European Economic Area (EEA) not in the EU e.g.- Iceland, Norway, Switzerland or Liechtenstein - and would have a relevant connection in the EEA. Nationals of the European Union Individuals from an EU country, who do not have migrant worker status in the UK, may be eligible for a studentship for tuition fees, but not for a maintenance stipend. To be eligible for studentship funding for tuition fees, the individual must have been living in the EEA for the three years immediately prior to applying for the studentship. 1. A relevant connection can be established if an individual has been ordinarily resident in the UK throughout the 3 years preceding the date of application and has not been resident for the sole purposes of full-time education. 2. Lord Scarman defined ordinary residence as habitual and normal...from choice and for a settled purpose throughout the prescribed period, apart from temporary or occasional absence voluntarily adopted.. there must be some degree of settled purpose (and) a sufficient degree of continuity to be properly described as settled. Ordinary residence is proven if a candidate would have been in the UK (or EEA) if it were not for the fact that s/he, his/her spouse, parent or guardian is/was temporarily employed outside of the area. 3. European Economic Area means the areas comprised by the member states of the European Community and by the Republic of Iceland, the Kingdom of Norway, Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein. 4. An EEA migrant worker can be defined (for these purposes) as a citizen of a member state of the EEA who is employed in the UK and who should be treated as a national of the UK. The employment of an EEA migrant worker can be full-time or part-time but must be of a significant duration and will normally be relevant to the candidate s previous or future
training. Candidates employed in part-time or short-term casual employment or who are effectively unemployed cannot be considered to hold migrant worker status.