What is the Research Design Service?
Andy Vail
Associate Director - Greater Manchester
Research Design Service
The NIHR RDS Network
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East of England
East Midlands
London
North East
North West
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South Central
South East Coast
South West
West Midlands
Yorkshire and Humberside
Purpose of the RDS
• To help people design and develop high quality
research proposals
• Focus on NHS-based researchers applying to
peer-reviewed, open competition funding
– Research for Patient Benefit
– NIHR Programme Grant for Applied Research
– Other NHS Portfolio studies
Why the investment?
• Relatively high proportion of low quality
applications
• Relatively high proportion not in scope
• Not enough collaboration
• Public involvement weak
• Simple administrative errors in applications.
Regional service, 3 local bases
Cumbria &
Lancashire
Lancaster
University
with
Universities of
Cumbria and
Central Lancashire
Greater Manchester
Mersey and
Cheshire
University of Liverpool
with
Bangor University
University of Manchester
with
University of Salford
Core RDS Expertise
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Research synthesis
Qualitative methodology
Statistics
Health economics
Scheme-specific application advice
Developing collaboration
Public involvement
Frontline advisers with support
Greater Manchester Local Centre
Associate Director: Andy Vail Andy.vail@manchester.ac.uk
Administrative Support: Gwen Alvey –
gwen.alvey@manchester.ac.uk
Health
Economics
Senior Methods
Leads
Prof Katherine Payne
Prof Matt Sutton
Adviser
Dr Mark Harrison
Statistics
Senior Methods
Leads
Dr David Reeves
Mr Andy Vail
Advisers
Sarah Cotterill
Dr Mark Hann
Qualitative &
Mixed Methods
Senior Methods
Leads
Specialists
Prof Iain Buchan
(Informatics)
Dr Lucie Byrne-Davis
(Patient Reported Outcome
Measures PROMS)
Dr Sarah Peters
Dr Fiona Ulph
Dr Sue Kirk
(Nursing)
Adviser
Prof Sarah O’Brien
(Epidemiology)
Kate Weiner
Dr Mary Tully
(HSR)
Prof Sarah Tyson (UofS)
(Rehabilitation)
Specialist PPI Adviser
Dr Tracey Williamson (UofS)
PPI “How To” Guide
http://www.rds-nw.nihr.ac.uk/PI/how_to_guide.php
Dr Sue Hinder (RaFT Consulting) and Dr Tracey Williamson (RDS Adviser University of Salford)
had significant input into producing the content of the guide and providing feedback.
Support pathway
1. Originality and feasibility feedback to client on expert review
2. Case management of design support
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Identifying potential collaborators
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Methodologist input
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PPI input from the beginning of the research process
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Reviewing and refining the research question(s)
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Funding scheme-specific guidance
3. Pre-submission review of proposals (lay, research, clinical)
4. Conditional funding response & amendments
5. Unsuccessful applications support with resubmission
Can join at any point in application process
For further information and
to access RDS
• http://www.rds-nw.nihr.ac.uk
• http://www.rds-nw.nihr.ac.uk/about/contact.php