LIHS Mini-masterclass: What the NIHR Research Design Service (RDS) can do to support you Dr Maureen Twiddy and Dr Maria Bryant
Summary Who are the RDS, and what do we do? What are funders looking for?
NIHR RDS role To offer fit for purpose advice and support on research design and methodology to researchers making funding applications To increase the number and proportion of high quality applications for funding To provide consistent national coverage, with a focus on NIHR Programmes
The RDS team in Leeds Jane Nixon Julia Brown Janine Bestall Maureen Twiddy Judy Wright Sarah Brown Maria Bryant Sandy Tubeuf Kate Hill
RDS do more than design Identifying appropriate funding sources Contacting appropriate collaborators in research Building an appropriate team Involving patients and carers Writing plain English summaries Identifying the resources required Grantsmanship getting the narrative right Signpost researchers to specialised support
How can the RDS help? Cohort, case-control, RCT, ethnographic, interview Scope Appropriate funding stream Study Design Cost issues Recruitment Appropriate time scale? Feasibility Involvement of patients and public Meaningful & appropriate Research team Multidisciplinary team Consent Ethical considerations Peer-reviewed journals Grey literature Registered trials database Literature Research Proposal Benefit to NHS and patients Impact
What the RDS does not do: Write the application / protocol Help develop a project where there is no intention of submitting it to a recognised funding stream Support applications that are not research (e.g. audit) Provide supervision or informal support for students Post award support (unless named co-applicant) Continue to support applications where the work has remained unchanged from previous submitted versions
meeting with the RDS Assessment Importance of the question Existing research Potential funding streams Study design is it a trial? Clinical area Feasibility of recruitment strategy Track record of team PPI Costs; research, treatment, excess treatment
What are funders looking for?
Has it been done before? Online tutorial Checking that a research idea is really novel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfrfnm9jbai NIHR UK Clinical Trials Gatewayhttp://www.ukctg.nihr.ac.uk/default.aspx NIHR Journalshttp://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/
PICO(s) PICO can help you define your research question or bring together a search strategy for literature reviews: Patient/population who or what Intervention how Comparison what is the main alternative Outcome what are you trying to accomplish/measure/improve/ effect? Study what study design will you use to answer your question.
Example Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment Trial Patient / population Intervention how? >70 years old; +ve risk score within 72 hours of AMU Assessment and outpatient management Comparison alternative? Usual care Outcome Study - design No. days spent at home; mortality; QoL Multicentre, individually randomised controlled trial
Make sure you apply to the right funding stream http://www.nihr.ac.uk/publications/pages/default.aspx
IMPACT Maximising the potential impact for patients and the public from money spent on health research [NIHR Adding Value in Research]
Why proposals get refused Guidelines are ignored Plan is unfocused and hard to understand Importance of project unclear Unrealistic work load / timeline Resources insufficient Required personnel and No clear expertise not Unclear primary Unconvincing assembled Not questions outcome team considering trial and data Study too small management Over ambitious recruitment
Hints for success Choose your funding body carefully and write your application for them Follow guidelines for submission Focus and relevance not a fishing expedition Background clear and concise Make sure your line of argument holds Justify the importance of this research Convince the reader it needs done, now, by you! Methods Address any practical problems with the study Provide details of the design including analysis! Team make sure you include content and methods experts Cheap is not necessarily better!
Sheffield email: rds-yh@sheffield.ac.uk Tel: 0114 222 0828 (general enquiries) Leeds email: rds-yh@leeds.ac.uk Tel: 0113 343 6966 (general enquiries) York email: rds-yh@york.ac.uk Tel: 01904 321 726 (general enquiries) www.rds-yh.nihr.ac.uk