RDS NW e-bulletin – December 2022

Save the date: Researcher Roadshow – Exploring Health Data Science

1 March 2023, 10.00am to 12.00 noon, Online

The RDS, Health Data Research UK (HDR UK), the MRC Regulatory Support Centre and NHS Digital are pleased to offer the opportunity to attend the sixth in a series of virtual researcher roadshows.

This free to attend event is aimed at researchers and others working with health and social care datasets who would like to increase their understanding of roles of health data scientists and value of health data science.

The event will bring together health data scientists from the NHS, academia, and industry and provide insights and perspectives on the important work they do.

This event will include presentations on different roles and careers in health data science and different methods and approaches used by health data scientists.

Speakers will be confirmed in the New Year. 

Provisional registration is available here.

The Role of Public Co-applicants and Patient and Public Involvement Leads in health and care research event resources

On 24 November 2022, the RDS NW organised and hosted the RDS, “The Role of Public Co-applicants and Patient and Public Involvement Leads in health and care research” event.  This very successful event saw over 190 people attend.

A number of resources have been produced as a result of the event:

• event presentation slides
• collated resource links relevant to the event topic
• frequently asked questions (FAQs) with answers from NIHR Research Design Service (RDS) Specialist Public Involvement advisers, from the event
• video of the presentations on YouTube:
  • The Role of the Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Lead – Jo Welsman and Heather Boult, RDS South West
  • Role and Support of Public Co-Applicants – Jo Lally, RDS North East North Cumbria,  and Annabel Haynes, Public Co-applicant E-CLAD
  • Public Co-applicants and PPIE Leads in NIHR funded research – Saumu Lwembe, NIHR Central Commissioning Facility  (CCF)
  • Question and answer session – answers from the presenters and public contributors

Thank you to everyone that presented and attended.

RDS blog: Cultural competence and inclusivity in research

The RDS blog this month takes a closer look at cultural competence.

Cultural competence is a process that helps us become more aware of the subconscious stereotypes, biases, prejudices, and judgments that we may hold towards communities.

It’s vital as research seeks to be more diverse in all areas of research, that researchers are aware and reflect on this to improve the quality and success of their research.

Read the December blog here.

NIHR INCLUDE Impaired Capacity to Consent Framework – a new tool for researchers to design more inclusive trials

INCLUDE Impaired Capacity to Consent Framework is a tool for researchers to ensure that their trial is designed to be inclusive of people with impaired capacity to consent, as well as improving the quality of the trial design. It should preferably be used when developing a funding application, however it can also inform later stages of developing the trial such as when drafting the protocol and ethics application.

The framework is intended to be used with all populations who may experience impaired capacity. A toolkit of resources has been developed to support researchers to use the Framework, and collated information and resources on capacity and consent.

As part of improving the inclusion of under-served groups in research, and to help support the NIHR’s Equality, diversity and inclusivity strategy, organisations are being encouraged to signpost applicants and award holders to the Framework and supporting resources.

More general information about improving trial diversity, with links to this new Framework alongside the Ethnicity Framework, can be found on the Trial Forge website.

NIHR Research for Patient Benefit Under-represented disciplines and specialisms highlight notice: Nurses and Midwives – research funding opportunity

The NIHR Research for Patient Benefit’s (RfPB) Under-represented professions and specialisms highlight notice is now live. The full funding call specifications can be found here.

The RfPB programme invites applications from nurses and midwives to this highlight notice addressing NIHR strategy to strengthen careers of under-represented disciplines and specialisms.

You can register for a webinar on the call to be held on the 16 January 2023 at 2.00 pm.  

The call opens on 25 January 2023 and expression of interest should be submitted by 21 April 2023.

The deadline for the call is on 17 May 2023 at 1.00 pm.

NIHR appoints new Head of Sustainability

Dr Sophia Lentzos has joined the NIHR as its first ever Head of Sustainability.

Dr Lentzos has a lifelong passion for environmental causes and sustainability, starting her career in environmental conservation. She then trained as a medical doctor at Nottingham University and started Anaesthesia training in Wessex. Here she continued her passion for sustainability, working as part of the Green Guardian network for the Trust. She also founded the Wessex Green Anaesthesia Network (WES-GAN).

Read more about the new Head of Sustainability.

Events and webinars

• NIHR Three School’s Mental Health Programme – Seminar Series:
  • Developing research priority areas to improve treatment pathways and outcomes for people with co-occurring mental health problems and alcohol use disorders – 23 January 2023, online.
  • Supported Volunteering at Ripon Museums: ‘De-researchifying’ research processes and methods in a sensitive way – 27 February 2023, online.
  • Collaborating to develop holistic health support for people living with severe mental illness – 15 March 2023, online.
• NIHR Clinical Research Network Cancer Early Phase Educational Event
  Online – 24 January 2023.

NIHR funding opportunities

• Research for Social Care – Competition 6
  Closing 18 January 2023.
• 22/95 Chronic kidney disease education for patients, families and carers (HTA)
  Closing 25 January 2023.
• 22/14 Public Health Intervention Responsive Studies Teams (PHIRST) – local government initiatives
  Closing 31 January 2023.
• NIHR Doctoral Fellowship Round 9
  Closing 2 February 2023.
• Policy Research Programme – Understanding the Missing Links: Integrated Health and Social Care for People Experiencing Homelessness
  Closing 14 February 2023.
• 22/145 Systems Engineering Innovation hubs for Multiple long-term Conditions (SEISMIC) – Development Phase
  Closing 15 February 2023.
• i4i FAST (Funding At the Speed of Translation) Awards – Pilot 2
  Closing 15 February 2023.
• Research for Patient Benefit – Competition 50
  Closing 8 March 2023.
• 22/132 Optimal models for reablement services (HSDR)
  Closing 24 March 2023.
• 22/131 Management of antipsychotic-induced sexual dysfunction (HTA)
  Closing 29 March 2023.
• NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowships in Dentistry 2022
  Closing 31 March 2023.
• NIHR Clinical Lectureships in Dentistry 2022
  Closing 31 March 2023.
• NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowships in Medicine 2022
  Closing 31 March 2023.
• NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowships in Dentistry 2022
  Closing 31 March 2023.
• 22/555 Public Health Research Programme researcher-led
  Closing 4 April 2023.
• 22/141 Interventions that impact loneliness (PHR)
  Closing 15 August 2023.

Find more NIHR funding opportunities here.

Request advice on your application.

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