Funding

Research Costs are not care costs.  They are activities that are being undertaken to answer the research question and only exist because the research exists.  Research Costs are met by grant funders through the award of a research grant. 

Examples include:

• Screening / assessments to determine eligibility for a study, performed after the patient has been approached about the study and before they are accepted on to the study.

• Study specific central trial co-ordination and management (normally includes study set-up at practice).

• Investigation, assessments and tests to see if an intervention works.

• Investigations or assessments that are not reported back to the patient or GP.

• Patient follow-up, if not part of usual care.

• Associated costs associated with placebos.

You do need to invoice. These will continue to be paid by the research teams/Sponsor. You need to ensure the reimbursement in the agreement is correct before proceeding with the study. The agreement between your organisation and the Sponsor should only list the Research Costs, not the Service Support Costs or ETCs. 

The additional patient care costs associated with the research, which would end once the  study in question had stopped, even if the patient care involved continued to be provided. Activities are primarily concerned with the safety of the patient, or a duty of care to the patient, during the study. 

Examples include:

• Processing of a patients record to identify if they are suitable to approach for a research study.

• Obtaining informed consent.

• Additional investigations / assessments where results are required by the GP to ensure patient safety.

You do not need to invoice. These costs will be calculated based on the research activity completed at your organisation.

Review meetings will be held throughout the year to monitor activity and check your level of funding is suitable. The RRDN relies on information from your organisations and/or the study team to identify research activity that has been completed. Review meetings are valuable as they may help identify any missing activities for which you could be entitled to reimbursement.

The difference between the Treatment Costs and the costs of the existing standard treatment is referred to as the Excess Treatment Cost (ETC). ETCs are paid for by service commissioners. The ETC amount will be clearly stated on any of our Research Information Sheets for Practices, which will be shared with you when the study researchers are looking for practices to take part, along with any other reimbursement. 

You do not need to invoice. Practices initially cover the ETCs incurred during the study. Reimbursement is processed based on cumulative ETCs and paid directly to the practice by the RRDN. For a small number of studies, ETC reimbursement may follow a different route, which will be specified when applicable. 

The WCS Funding scheme run by South Central Regional Research Delivery Network provide funding to help build infrastructure for research at practices and other primary care organisations. This funding is from the Department of Health and is distributed to primary care organisations to enable research delivery. You can apply for regional funding to:

• support the delivery of research in community, residential and primary care settings

• increase the capacity and capability to deliver NIHR portfolio research through developing infrastructure. In previous years, the Research Delivery Network (RDN) has provided funding for wider care settings through regional schemes, such as the Research Site Initiative (RSI) scheme. This replaces these schemes.

Wider care settings include GP practices, schools, care homes, prisons. 

Funding runs in each financial year (April - March) and organisations will be invited to apply for the schemes in Autumn.

If we hold your contact details, we will let you know when the scheme is open to applicants. Full information about the funding scheme can be found here. Please contact sc.rrdn@nihr.ac.uk if you have any questions.

When your application has been reviewed you will be notified by email.

You do not need to invoice. Payments will be made directly to the practice. Primary care organisations are evaluated based on specific performance criteria to ensure effective and meaningful engagement in research activities. Payments reflect the level of research activity undertaken.

We are offering this opportunity for strategic projects with long-term goals for improving access to research opportunities for health and care professionals and those they care for. It is offered annually alongside an opportunity for Wider Care Settings to complement delivery investment by funding innovative projects rather than direct research delivery activities.

If we hold your contact details, we will let you know when the funding call is open to applicants. Full information about the funding scheme can be found here. Please contact sc.rrdn@nihr.ac.uk if you have any questions.