RDS NW e-bulletin – December 2021

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RDS NW e-bulletin

December 2021

 

NIHR Research Design Service – Research for Social Care Residential Grant Development and Writing Retreat

23 to 25 March 2022 – Castle Green Hotel, Kendal

The NIHR Research Design Service (RDS) is offering a unique opportunity for research teams across England to attend a three-day residential Grant Development and Writing Retreat in March 2022. The purpose of the Retreat is to give busy professionals dedicated time to rapidly progress their social care research proposal to be submitted to the NIHR Research for Social Care (RfSC) Programme in January 2023.

The Retreat will provide a supportive environment for teams of two or three people, to develop high quality NIHR RfSC research proposals. It is encouraged but not essential for attendance at the Retreat, that a member of the wider research team is a social care professional employed in England. Successful applicants will be offered a free place at the retreat which will include food and accommodation*.

Applications to attend the Retreat should be submitted on a standard application form, available here, and submitted to: rdsc@essex.ac.uk.

Deadline for receipt of application forms is 14 January 2022.

Applications will be reviewed competitively and places awarded to those with the most promising proposals. Support from your local RDS is available and applicants are strongly advised to contact them as soon as possible.

Those attending the Retreat will have access to a range of RDS advisers while developing their proposals. Away from the workplace, they will have protected time to work intensively on their proposals. Continued support from the RDS will be essential in preparing your application for submission to the NIHR RfSC programme.

Visit the grant writing retreat website for more details. Request advice from the RDS NW on your application as soon as possible.

*excludes travel to/from Kendal.
 

Online Essential Guide to Grant Applications – 15 to 17 February 2022

The  Online Essential Guide to Grant Applications (EGGA) is a free to attend, online, three-day masterclass, funded and hosted by NIHR Research Design Service (RDS) South Central, on how to write a grant application that is strong from a methodological point of view, reads well and presents a convincing case for funding.

The course will focus on how to sell your research idea by:

  • writing a convincing application with a good structure, flow and argument
  • presenting a strong methods section, including statistical, qualitative, health economics and Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) elements
  • having a good project plan
  • engaging with sources of external support for your research.

The course will cover important tips on writing, along with guidance on what reviewers will be looking for in an application.

Through a series of presentations with accompanying homework, attendees will learn how to make their research idea clear and compelling to reviewers, how to write a good methods section and how to demonstrate credible support.

One-to-one sessions with RDS advisers will also allow attendees to work through aspects of their own research ideas with experienced methodologists and facilitators.

This event is open to UK-based health care professionals, social care and public health practitioners, health researchers and SMEs who are intending to apply to any NIHR or other open, competitive, peer reviewed funding programme in the 12 months following the masterclass.

More details and registration available on the EGGA website. Request advice from the RDS NW on your application as soon as possible.

 

RDS Blog: Is research really for everyone?

The definition and scope of Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is often misunderstood and limited to only considering ethnicity and gender. In reality, EDI is about involving so many more groups such as LGBTQ+ communities, people with learning disabilities, people with educational disadvantage, people living in rural communities, etc. It is also about avoiding potential language barriers and digital exclusion.

The RDSblog this month explores EDI and makes you ask yourself the question: is this research really for everyone?

Read the December Blog here.

NIHR publishes first year of diversity data for funding programmes

The National Institute for Health Research has published its first diversity data report.

Covering the year 2020 to 2021, these baseline data show a breakdown of the number of applicants and successful awardees for NIHR research and career development funding, and the profile of people on NIHR selection committees, according to the four protected characteristics of age, disability, ethnicity and sex.

It is the first annual collation of diversity data produced by the NIHR, following the introduction of an Equality and Data Reporting System in early 2020. It represents the benchmark against which the NIHR’s work to improve inclusion and diversity across its portfolio will be measured in the future.

Find out more and read the report here.

 

The NIHR supports social care research

Social care research can change lives by supporting quality of life and independence, and help build a social care system that works for everyone. The NIHR supports adult social care research in a number of ways by:

  • funding social care research and offering training and career development for researchers in the specialty
  • delivering an extensive network of support to mobilise and enable research across the adult social care sector in a number of settings through their research network
  • providing opportunities for people who use social care services and their families and carers to influence and take part in research.

Visit the NIHR website for more information on how the NIHR supports social care research.

The NIHR offers a number of funding opportunities that support social care research, training and career development including the Research for Social Care (RfSC) competition 4 call, deadline 19 January 2022.

View more NIHR Social Care funding opportunities. Request advice on your Social Care research funding application.

 

 

Participants needed for nationally prioritised COVID-19 study

The PANORAMIC study is investigating if new antiviral treatments for COVID-19 in the community can reduce the need for hospital admission and help people to get better soon.

The nationwide study, funded by the National Institute for Health Research, is recruiting volunteers to take part in the study through the PANORAMIC website.

To be eligible, people need to be currently experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, beginning in the last five days, have a positive PCR test for COVID-19 and aged 50 or over OR Aged 18 and over with a listed pre-existing condition.

 

Diabetes: It’s grim up north (or is it?) –  An educational engagement event – 9 February 2022, 9.30am and 3.00pm

The NIHR is hosting a free online educational engagement event on diabetes.

This free event will include a jam-packed schedule of speakers talking about various aspects of diabetes including type 1 and type 2 diabetes, diabetic foot care, self-management, reversing type 2 diabetes, mental health, bariatric surgery, heart failure, CKD, research and innovation and experiences of living with diabetes.

There will also be a virtual exhibition room with information on a range of topics related to diabetes with opportunities for you to ask questions and contribute to the discussion.

Anybody who works in diabetes is warmly invited to attend – please share this invitation with any colleagues who may be interested. Register for the event via Eventbrite.

 

End of year message

Thank you to every one that has used our advice service and supported us over the last year, despite the challenging times.

Please do continue to send in your requests for advice for your research funding applications. Please note, however, over the holiday period there may be some small delays in our response.

If you haven’t received advice from us yet on a funding application, why not make it a new year’s resolution to contact us.

All the best,

The RDS NW Team. Request advice on your funding application.

 

Other events and webinars

Always check with the event organisers/funder for latest information.