Implementation of the Quality Standards and Design and Review Principles

The Participant Information Quality Standards and Design and Review Principles were launched in September 2023 to improve information given to people who are invited to take part in research.

Since then, to allow applicants time to become familiar with the new requirements, staff and Research Ethics Committee (REC) Members have been providing feedback on areas of non-compliance as recommendations.

From Friday 1 December 2023 all applications submitted will need to comply with the new requirements.

Following feedback and engagement with researchers and sponsors, we would like to draw your attention to the following:

• The Quality Standards and Design and Review Principles apply to new application submission only, and will not be applied to amendments involving participant information in ongoing studies. 
• The Quality Standards will be used by research ethics staff during the research application validation stage to check if the participant information is compliant. Your application will not be rejected at validation if it is not compliant. Any findings will be considered by the REC as part of its ethical review. Where changes or requests for further information are required, they will be included as part of the review outcome from the REC meeting.

In 2023 we celebrated ten years since Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) were established by NHS England, to transform the way the NHS discovers, adopts and spreads evidence-based innovations to improve health outcomes.

This milestone was recognised in May 2023 with an announcement from NHS England and the government's Office for Life Sciences confirming its intention to relicense AHSNs for a further five year period, as part of a £650m investment package to boost innovation within the UK's life sciences sector.

From 1 October, Wessex AHSN becomes Health Innovation Wessex. The new name reflects our key role in supporting the development and spread of innovation across health and care services in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Dorset and south Wiltshire.

Nicola Bent, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Innovation Adoption, Health Innovation Wessex, said, "2023 has provided an opportunity to acknowledge our collective achievements over a decade of accelerating innovation into the NHS and supporting investment into the regional economy. We're delighted that our impact has been acknowledged with the issue of a further five-year licence.

"Under our new name of Health Innovation Wessex, we'll continue to build on the strong foundations established over the last decade, supporting the priorities of our local systems to transform the health and lives of our regional communities."

In the short video below, Chief Executive Bill Gillespie outlines the change and the importance of partnership in innovation adoption:

https://vimeo.com/864791690

The new licence takes effect from 1 October 2023. Our new web address from this date is http://www.healthinnovationwessex.org.uk, and you'll also notice a change to our corporate email (enquiries@hiwessex.net) and staff addresses (firstname.lastname@hiwessex.net).

Education Grants

Apply for a professional development or student grant

Whether you are established in your nursing career or just starting out, we offer a range of education and professional development grants for nurses, midwives, healthcare support workers, and those aspiring towards a career in nursing. 

https://rcnfoundation.rcn.org.uk/Grants-and-funding/Educational-grants?gclid=Cj0KCQjwxuCnBhDLARIsAB-cq1qyXhgpCfU___04b2idQwAoZiSVE9pVw-q9GA4i34JJv3FALFLii-oaAsQzEALw_wcB

Oxford - Open Access

Occupational Medicine

http://Shift work characteristics and burnout among nurses: cross-sectional survey | Occupational Medicine | Oxford Academic (oup.com)

AHP Perceptions of Research in the NHS: A National Survey (IRAS Number: 277676).

The results of this study have now been published here. 

https://hiowhealthcare.nhs.uk/application/files/1216/6601/3072/Int_J_Mental_Health_Nurs_-_2022_-_Taylor_-_Barriers_and_enablers_to_implementation_of_the_therapeutic_engagement.pdf

Read the full article here: ‘We can analyse big data for one region’: how cloud-based software is streamlining clinical research | SAP Solutions | The Guardian

Register here.

Please click the link to read article

https://local.nihr.ac.uk/news/hampshire-nhs-doctor-recognised-for-her-outstanding-leadership-in-research/29156

Dear All,

Please see the invite below to the Associate Principal Investigator Scheme Virtual Educational Event. Registration is open. 

We would be grateful if you could please share the information below with your colleagues who may be interested in attending the above event. Please see further details via the link below:

 Associate-principal-investigator-scheme-virtual-launch-event/28720

 What is the Associate PI Scheme?

The NIHR Associate Principal Investigator (PI) Scheme links healthcare professionals who are not involved in research with a study PI at the same site for a period of 6 months.

A set of tasks relating to study management at site (SHIFT) is completed and the Associate PI is awarded a certificate on completion of the scheme for their training portfolio.

The aims of the scheme are:

• To make research a routine part of clinical training.
• To develop doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals to be the PIs of the future.
• To recognise and promote doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals engagement in NIHR portfolio research in a consistent manner.

What to expect on the day

• Information about the history of the Associate PI Scheme.
• An overview of the Associate PI Scheme - Where we are now, and where we are heading.
• The opportunity to hear from various perspectives - CTUs, Royal Colleges, Chief Investigators (CIs), Principal Investigators (PIs), and Alumni of the Associate PI Scheme.
• To better understand the potential benefits of the Associate PI Scheme.
• Guidance on how you can participate in the Associate PI Scheme.
• The opportunity to ask questions about the Scheme.

The event is open to everyone who wishes to learn more about the Scheme and how to get involved. Therefore it would be great to have representation across specialities.

Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust is part of the national effort to prevent, diagnose and treat COVID-19.             

Whilst those efforts continue, the time is now right to work towards the restoration of a diverse and active portfolio of research.

To help initiate this process, the NIHR has developed a ‘Framework for restart’, a guidance document to support local decision-making.

As part of the framework, research active Trusts should provide clear guidance on safety issues and measures for participants and staff. This includes strict infection prevention control measures, such as reducing site traffic, maintaining social distancing, facility decontamination and screening. Southern Health has prepared the following guidance documents to help facilitate a safe resumption of clinical research:

‘Clinical Research COVID-19 Pandemic – Workplace guidance for staff’

‘Clinical Research COVID-19 Pandemic – Guidance for Resuming Clinic Visits’

This guidance will be followed in accordance with Good Clinical Practice guidelines, NIHR guidance, and UK Government guidance regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. At all times, the protocol and the guidance issued by the sponsor related to the COVID-19 pandemic, will take precedence over internal site guidance provided the safety of the participant is protected.

Please contact research@southernhealth.nhs.uk if you have any concerns or queries about individual studies or this R&D policy. We welcome suggestions as to how we can make the restart process as quick and effective as possible.         

Read the paper here.

Abstract: Emerging evidence has indicated a negative and disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) communities. Previous studies have already reported that biological and social risk factors increase disease susceptibility, particularly in BAME communities. Despite frontline workers in ethnic minority communities in the United Kingdom's National Health Service attempting to quell the pandemic, disproportionate numbers of BAME physicians and other health care workers have died of COVID-19. This unprecedented situation highlights ethical and moral implications, which could further augment the impact of the pandemic on their mental health. While the government attempts to mitigate the rate of virus transmission, certain key factors inadvertently augment the negative impact of the pandemic on the mental health and general well-being of BAME communities. This study examined the available literature to explore the association between, and the wider impact of, COVID-19 on BAME communities. Furthermore, this study aims to raise awareness and provide a deeper insight into current scientific discussions.

doi: 10.2196/22581

We've recently had a paper published on the impact of COVID-19 on the mental wellbeing of healthcare staff. You can find this here.

Abstract: Pandemics are challenging times for society but even more for healthcare professionals who are supporting severe and critically ill patients with the infection as well as others that are already accessing treatments for ongoing medical problems. Hence, the mounting pressure inevitably would impact the psychological wellbeing of staff, especially frontline professionals. Whilst the dedication and commitment shown by our healthcare workers are beyond admirable, the need for their safety and right to access psychological support should be a priority for their respective employers and the government. Pandemics are trialing times for all, however, healthcare professionals' wellbeing should be a primary focus to ensure better support is available in the future.

The content of grandiose delusions—inaccurate beliefs that one has special powers, wealth, mission, or identity—is likely to be highly meaningful. The meaning, for example providing a sense of purpose, could prove to be a key factor in the delusion taking hold. We aimed to empirically define and develop measures of the experience of meaning in grandiose delusions and the sources of this meaning, and to test whether the severity of grandiosity in clinical and non-clinical populations is associated with a level of meaning

Our involvement as a participating site was to collect relevant data to carry out the analysis. This paper may be of particular interest to participants who took part or staff who supported the study. The full article can be found here

Medical Research Council
 

Other funding stream by Medical Research Council

• Parkinson’s UK/MRC, Multiple Sclerosis Society/MRC, Fight for sight/MRC
  More information:  MRC-funded fellowships – UKRI

Dunhill Medical Trust

• Funding for post-doctoral fellows as a Principal Investigators. 2 stage application process
  More information:  Funding opportunities - The Dunhill Medical Trust

Stroke Association

• Funding aimed at post-doctoral fellowships (The James Lind Alliance) award up to £250,000 over a period of up to 3 years
  Deadline: Stage 1 (September) and Stage 2) (December)
  Email: Research@stroke.org.uk
  More information:  Stroke Association Project Grant | Stroke Association

Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) 

• UK’s largest funder for economic, social, behavioural and human data science research. Total grant fund up to £3,750,000
  More information:  Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) – UKRI
   

Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC):

• More information: Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) – UKRI

Marie Curie

• Research grants for postdoctoral fellows
  More information:  Marie Curie Research Grants Scheme

Diabetes UK 

• Grants up to £500,000 for different grant projects
  Email: research@diabetes.org.uk
  More Information: Project grants | Research | Diabetes UK

Healthcare Infection Society

• Supports research related to infection prevention and control in healthcare
  More information: Funding & Awards | Healthcare Infection Society - Healthcare Infection Society (his.org.uk)

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Apply anytime

British Geriatrics Society

• Aimed at medics and healthcare professionals with limited study budgets to have access to educational opportunities.  They have conference grants, elective projects
  More information:  Grants and prizes | British Geriatrics Society (bgs.org.uk)

Burdett Trust for Nursing

• Small grants programme
  More information: Grant programmes – The Burdett Trust for Nursing (btfn.org.uk)

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Midwives

• Wellbeing of Women Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (Co-funded by) the RCM and Burdett Trust for Nursing
  More information: WoW-RCM Postdoctoral Research Fellowships - Wellbeing Of Women
   
• The Iolanthe Midwifery Trust – Midwifery Research Fellowship
  More information: Midwifery Research Fellowship | iolanthe.org

Latest NIHR Funding Calls and Other Opportunities can be found here