Getting Involved in Research
Research Ready® is a quality assurance programme for all research-active UK GP practices. It is designed in line with the UK Research Governance Framework's legal, ethical, professional, and patient safety requirements. The programme serves to provide information, support and guidance to accredited practices in research; both to assist with meeting the requirements above, and with considering and conducting research.
The Research Support Initiative Scheme was set up to enable GP practices to implement processes that will support research delivery. This has since been expanded to include community pharmacies.
The Clinical Research Network South West Peninsula administers three levels of funding to enable practices to carry out different levels of research activity – Level 1, Level 2 and Sessional.
All practices can be supported by research nurses and other NIHR funded staff who work across sites in a geographical location, and all practices receive service support costs to cover the actual cost of the research activity within the practice. These costs are paid direct to the practice via a ‘triggered’ process quarterly
Affiliate practices do not attract ‘up front’ funding to the practice but service support costs are paid for activity and affiliated practices are supported by the local CRN Clinical Support Team.
Level 2 funding is designed to support practices already delivering NIHR research but wishing to expand this activity, having demonstrated a commitment to increasing their research activity.
Level 1 funding is designed to support practices new to research who wish to engage with the Clinical Research Network which can support a lower level of research-related activity.
Sessional funding is given to research-experienced practices which are able to support research delivery broadly.
They contribute to recruitment and study feasibility within the region and other initiatives like peer support and sharing of best practice
Study Support Service (SSS) South West Peninsula
The SSS helps investigators/teams with studies eligible for CRN Portfolio adoption. Support is offered regardless of location, study type, study size, therapy or research area. Whether the study is medical, diagnostic, pharmaceutical, bio-tech or looking at healthy populations of people with social care needs, the SSS can support set up and delivery of high quality research to time and target in the NHS and the wider health and social care settings.
Adoption to the portfolio - benefits:
CRN support throughout the study lifecycle from idea to archiving
Signposting and troubleshooting
Supporting site level costing and attribution of costs for grant applications
Site identification in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
Business intelligence and research targeting
Communications support
Support and advice about the patient pathway of the target population in the NHS and social care
Links to research staff and infrastructure in primary, secondary and tertiary health and social care.
Dedicated performance review leads to monitor and support recruitment and performance of research on the portfolio.
Access to funds which may support identification of study participants.
For information about which studies are eligible for CRN support please visit the link below.
https://www.nihr.ac.uk/documents/eligibility-for-nihr-clinical-research-network-support/23746