Supporting Public Health Research Delivery
In March 2020, HM Treasury committed £12 million for the NIHR to invest in prevention research. This aims to support local authorities to grow their research capabilities in the long term. The NIHR Public Health Research Operational Group have proposed a package of initiatives, which you can find out more about below.
Public Health Local Authority Research Practitioners
One of the initiatives agreed was to 'route' funding via the LCRNs to employ local-authority-based Research Practitioners who would work closely with their regional CRN Clinical Director, Public Health Clinical Research Specialty Lead and Research Delivery Manager for Public Health to support public health research delivery and activity within local government.
These local authority based Research Practitioners roles will be NIHR CRN posts broadly equivalent to clinical research nurse posts within the NHS and will focus on:
Expanding the local and national public health NIHR portfolio
Providing research delivery support for research outside of the NHS
Connecting local authority colleagues with the NIHR, NIHR CRN and existing regional academic networks (e.g. PHE research hub, NUPHE, ADPH, HEE, AHSN)
Contributing to a regional network to foster communication and collaborations between public health researchers and practitioners across organisations outside the NHS
Fostering integration of public health research and health and social care delivery.
Helping to develop a research aware and research ready local public health workforce that can deliver the NIHR CRN wider remit.
Local authorities are at different stages of research development, so the research they support varies. For example, some may be recruiting individuals, while others may be at a population level supporting data linkage. The posts vary in terms of the specific work they are doing to reflect this.
The equivalent of one full-time role within one local authority in each LCRN has been funded through March 2023 by the DHSC.
Protected research time for Directors of Public Health (DPHs) / Consultants in Public Health
This initiative funds a local authority DPH or Consultant in Public Health for half a day per week to develop their own research interests and activity within their LA. They focus on developing new research rather than supporting existing research or CRN activity specifically, but the kind of work undertaken depends on the level of existing research activity.
The funding enables post-holders to undertake research activity that can help generate evidence for local decision-making and encourage a culture of research within local government. It is for DPHs/Consultants who want to further develop as well as start to develop a research culture in their Local Authority and they will be expected to work closely and have an honorary contract with a research organisation. Protected time for working on research enables DPHs and consultants to:
Connecting with academic partners and the NIHR CRN to seek out opportunities for their organisation to develop, host or contribute to research.
Driving the development of embedded evaluation in both health and non-health locally delivered interventions
Encouraging the generation of research questions and a culture of research within local government.
Supporting the development of capacity to do research in and across their own organisation
Supporting the development of a culture where findings and research evidence are at the centre of decision making in their organisation
Encouraging the development of the NIHR CRN portfolio and the uptake of research training within their public health team and wider organisation
Participating in NIHR CRN regional and national events where appropriate and agreed by their LCRN, and linking with other areas of the NIHR locally (e.g. ARC, RDS)
Providing updates (at 6 months) and an annual report of progress to the NIHR CRN and contributing to any wider national evaluation of this initiative
This initiative funds one local authority DPH or Consultant in Public Health within each LCRN for half a day per week through March 2023.
Contact: Julie Solomon (Specialty Cluster Lead - Cluster C)
