Cluster E&F
Please use the following links for accessible versions of the information presented in the drawings below:
NSG Meeting Dates
Ageing, Dementia, Neurodegeneration, Neurological Disorders, Genetics and ENT NSG Meetings
Cancer, Surgery and Oral & Dental NSG Meetings
National Specialty Group Meeting Papers
Please click on the hyperlinks below to access the folders with agendas and minutes for the respective specialty.
Specialty Projects and Initiatives
NIHR CRN Rater Programme
The NIHR CRN RATER programme has launched to provide a standardised and structured programme of support for raters who administer psychometric scales and global assessments for the NIHR Dementia portfolio of research. It has long been recognised that training and support for this specialist community is essential to build the necessary competence and capability of raters to consistently administer study scales to the highest standard.
The programme consists of four main workstreams: NIHR Learn online educational toolkit, Practice Lead Facilitators (PLFs), Local CRN support, National community.
The coordinated approach offered at a national and local level by the RATER programme aims to increase capacity and competency at sites to successfully deliver commercial and non-commercial funded dementia studies and enable efficient and quicker site identification and set up.
Musketeers' Memorandum
The NIHR Musketeers’ Memorandum allows a single lead UK genetics centre to promptly enable set-up for a rare disease non-CTIMP project. This can then be delivered across all host NHS organisations of UK regional genetics centres.
The agreement means that when a regional genetics centre - supported by their NHS Trust - develops a rare disease non-CTIMP project, the R&D teams responsible for all the other regional genetics centres in the UK sign off without a full review of protocol and the need for individual negotiations. This applies to non-interventional rare disease studies adopted onto the CRN portfolio and managed by the Genetics specialty.
The original agreement was a legal document and will not be renewed. However it is currently being adapted into an agreed ways of working document, so that the musketeers' studies can continue to be delivered in the same collaborative way.
Radiotherapy Trials Quality Assurance (RTTQA) Service
Radiotherapy Quality Assurance (RT QA) is essential for the safe delivery of radiotherapy trials within the NIHR CRN study portfolio. The NIHR funded RTTQA Group is a national resource providing central RT QA programmes for all NIHR CRN Portfolio trials that include a radiotherapy component and ensures that radiotherapy trial QA processes are as streamlined as possible to facilitate timely engagement whilst maintaining standards.
Elizabeth Miles and Jonathan Wadsley (NSL for Radiotherapy & Imaging) worked to produce service support costs guidance for local radiotherapy centres and local clinical research networks. Please follow this link to access the guidance.
Genetics Research Practitioners LEARN Network
For those working in the area of genetics research, communicating and sharing knowledge between colleagues in the various UK genetic research centres can be onerous and time-consuming. There was a need identified to better connect genetics research practitioners across the UK, to create a community enabling easy-to-access, efficient information, document and knowledge-sharing.
Cluster E facilitated the development of a Genetic Research Practitioners Network, via the NIHR LEARN platform, which aims to increase communication between the often geographically-dispersed workforce via an online community forum. This is self-managed and maintained by Genetics Research Practitioners.
Surgical Subspecialty Leads
In addition to our Local Surgery Leads, we have appointed surgical subspecialty leads (for example colorectal surgery, neurosurgery etc.) and are now holding weekly Surgical Subspecialty Meetings. These meetings are an opportunity for leads to discuss each subspecialty's research portfolio and activity within the LCRNs.
Cancer Subspecialty Champions
Our Cancer Specialty group have developed Subspecialty Champion roles to help drive portfolio development nationally and within each LCRN.
The Cluster holds Subspecialty meetings chaired by the relevant Champion to drive portfolio research in that particular subspecialty.
Oral & Dental Primary Care Dental Champions
Our Oral & Dental Specialty Group have put together a group of Primary Care Dental Champions, a group of dentists who work in the Primary Care setting and are interested or already take part in Research.
The aim of this group is to get more Primary Care practices involved in Oral & Dental Health Research.
Cross NIHR Initiatives
Remote Methods of Trial Delivery Project
The remote methods of trial delivery project (RMTD) was formed by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) at the start of the pandemic to support research efforts and respond to the challenges it brought. This project aimed to share learnings and good practice in relation to remote methods of trial delivery, for the benefit of patients and their families, the research community and wider life sciences sector. With input from across the clinical research community, a central resource has been created in the form of the RMTD website, containing remote trial delivery guidance for professionals, the public and policy makers.
The project has also provided some clear recommendations to ensure that the UK positions itself as a world leader in remote trial delivery.
Supporting those New to Research
Cluster E lead or support a number of initiatives designed to engage or provide formal training to clinicians, nurses and AHPs who are new to research for the Cluster E specialties.
These include:
The CRN Associate PI Scheme through NSGs
The CRN Ageing Early Career Researcher Database of Contacts
Genetics Research Matters II f2f Event (February 2024)
More information on how the Medical Directorate is leading or supporting other initiatives is available below.
Multiple Long Term Conditions - Multimorbidity
The Medical Directorate is responsible for developing policy and guidance for the NIHR on the recommended approach to research for those living with multiple long-term conditions (MLTC-M). Led by Cluster A and E and supported by Cluster B and C, the project will focus on:
(a) Liver disease related to alcohol and obesity
(b) Hearing loss in the aged and those with dementia
Working with Industry
Each of our Specialties has a dedicated National Specialty Lead for Industry.
The Dementia Industry Group (DIG) is a life-sciences collaborative group involving Professor John O’Brien (Dementia National Specialty Lead) and Dr. Robert Barber (Industry Lead on the Dementia National Specialty Group) as well as industry colleagues from several companies.
Professor Eamonn Maher (Genetics National Specialty Lead) and the Genetics National Specialty Group have worked with Theo Christie from Business Development and Marketing to review the industry pipeline for genetic studies. This work was with a view to understanding and boosting the commercial portfolio of studies in genetics.
The NIHR INCLUDE Project, which is led by Cluster E, focusses on making clinical trials more accessible for under-served groups. Business Development and Marketing and the INCLUDE project team are working closely together with interested parties from industry to help them use the INCLUDE framework to make their studies more inclusive.
The Remote Trial Delivery project, which is led by Cluster E and has had input from industry throughout the project phases, is also working with Business Development and Marketing and the ABPI to understand what is of interest to industry in this area.
Other National Specialty Groups in Cluster E, such as Ageing and Neurodegeneration have plans in place to work more closely with industry and to leverage the links they already have to ensure that more commercial studies take place in their portfolios.
Find out how other Clusters and Specialties are supporting commercial research.