Research Design Service London
Enabling Better Research
Peter Lovell
Programme Manager
27th October 2011
Overview of presentation
An introduction to the NIHR Research Design Service (RDS)
Outline of the support that we can provide
Summaries of NIHR funding opportunities
Research Design Service (RDS)
What are they?
National network of support services, each region (SHA) has its own RDS
Funded by the Department of Health
Part of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)
Set up to increase the number of high quality grant applications for
applied, people focused health and social care research
Research Design Service (RDS)
Why are they needed?
For NIHR applications, typically
1 in 10 are successful!!
Proposal is out of scope (basic / laboratory research / knowledge generation)
Failure to demonstrate the importance of the topic
Insufficient case made for patient benefit (pathway needs to be well described)
Lack of clarity (committee members have a wide range of backgrounds)
Proposed methods are unsuitable, flawed or unlikely to yield results
Gaps within the research team (need appropriate methodological expertise)
Inadequate attention to PPI (present evidence of appropriate input)
Research Design Service London
Who are RDS London?
Partnership between four academic institutions
Our structure and expertise
RDS London Steering Group
Develop strategy, monitoring
progress
RDS London Core Team
Delivery of the service,
outreach, communications,
administration, PPI
Senior Research Advisers
Deconstruct proposals,
identify issues,
define way forward
College based experts
Statisticians, Health Economists
Qualitative researchers, Social
Scientists….
Research Design Service London
How can we help?
RDS INPUT
AT EARLY STAGES
Identify
research
area
Publish
research
results
The
Research
Cycle
Analyse
research
results
Design
research
study
Carry
out
research
Research Design Service London
How can we help?
Can provide advice and guidance on research design
Design
research
study
SUPPORTING those who are submitting grant applications
to national peer reviewed funding competitions
FOCUS: NIHR schemes.
Research Design Service London
Our mission:
Provide practical
advice and
guidance
Help increase the
quality of grant
applications
Achieve greater
success in
attracting funding
Research Design Service
When should I get in touch?
6 months prior to submission: Projects in their infancy
8 weeks prior to submission: More developed projects
4 weeks prior to submission : Absolute minimum
Delivering the service
Initial appraisal
• Evidence / rationale reviewed
• Importance / quality / focus
of the research question
• Positioning of the proposed
study
• Broad feedback on study design,
methods, outcomes chosen
• Potential for PPI
• Within scope of targeted
funding stream
• Suitable team
‘Primary
Care’
Specialist advice
and guidance
‘Secondary
Care’
• Specialist help in trial
design
• Statistics
• Qualitative methods
• Health Economics
• PPI
Facilitate
additional support
•
•
•
•
•
R&D offices
Clinical Trials Units
MAST
CLRN
Meetings with
patient groups
‘Tertiary
care’
Public and Patient Involvement (PPI)
Important component of NIHR funding applications
Improve
relevance of
research
Facilitate
dissemination
of results
Improve
recruitment
PPI
Provide advice and guidance on
appropriate levels of involvement.
Outcomes are
patient
focused
Enabling Involvement Fund –
launched April 2010
Facilitate links between researchers
and public / patient groups.
Aid in study
design
... a key part of the network
Integrated into our host institutions
access to a wide range of expertise
Formed links with established research
networks and NHS Trusts
Connect clinicians with academics,
researchers with service users
Good working relations with funding
programme managers / attend funding
committee meetings
Bridge the gap between researchers and
funding bodies
Access to the service
website / online support request form
website:
www.rdslondon.co.uk
drop-in sessions
clinics
RDS London will not......
Write proposals for researchers
Provide formal training for researchers
Respond to unreasonably late requests for support
Work miracles!
Some of the successes in London...
NIHR Research for Patient Benefit (17 awards)
NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research (5 awards)
NIHR Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (2 awards)
Supported 82
successful
proposals to date
NIHR Innovation for Invention (4 awards)
NIHR Health Technology Assessment (4 award)
NIHR Service Delivery and Organisation (5 award)
DH Policy Research Programme (2 awards)
NIHR Fellowship (11 awards)
MRC (3 awards)
Charity (10 awards)
£27 million
Research Design Service London
NIHR Funding Programmes
National Institute for Health Research
INVENTION
EVALUATION
Basic Research
Development Pathway Funding
MRC
Efficacy & Mechanism Evaluation
Invention for Innovation
Biomedical Research Centres
Biomedical Research Units
Patient Safety Quality Res Centres
Research for Innovation,
Speculation & Creativity
Research for Patient Benefit
Health Services Research
Programme Grants for
Applied Research
Public Health Research
ADOPTION
DIFFUSION
National Institute
for Health Research
Programmes / infrastructure to:
Develop innovation
Evaluate efficacy
Examine effectiveness
Focus on high priority areas for NHS
Deliver improved services
Patient benefit in short/medium term
Service Delivery & Organisation
Health Technology Assessment
Collabs for Ldrshp in Appl Hlth Res and Care
MRC and NIHR Funding Programmes
Medical Research Council (MRC)
Developmental Pathway Funding Stream (DPFS) - supports the pre-clinical
development of novel therapies, interventions and diagnostics.
Developmental Clinical Studies (DCS) - early stage clinical studies which are
on the development pathway for a new therapeutic/ diagnostic/ device/
intervention aimed at proof of concept.
MRC / NIHR
Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME)
KEY FACTS: EME
Response / themed calls
Annual budget: £15m
Max award: not fixed
Duration: not fixed
3 competitions per year
DCS / EME Funding Programmes
DCS
EME
Evaluates
Early clinical studies.
Safety / Proof of Concept
in humans
Clinical efficacy under controlled
conditions (PoC already achieved).
Dose / intensity decided.
Technology
A new intervention or a
new indication for an
existing intervention
Mostly developed, but some refinement
may still be needed
Outcomes
PoC in humans,
surrogates OK, safety
Validated surrogates OK (which are
indicators of health outcomes). Provide
justification for a pragmatic trial.
Mechanistic
Not a focus, can be
opportunistic
Can include a mechanistic evaluation
especially when it aids understanding of
how intervention works.
Diagnostics
Development
Validation of a diagnostic
Health Technology Assessment (HTA)
Evaluates a wide range of “technologies” delivered within the NHS
Supports projects which study effectiveness, cost effectiveness (Phase III/IV)
Often a pragmatic multi centre RCT with comparator (best active / usual care)
Key requirements:
Problem being addressed is important to patients / NHS
Rationale / need is based on evidence (systematic review)
Fully defined and developed technology
KEY FACTS: HTA
Response / themed calls
Outcomes matter to patients / measure health gain Annual budget: £88m
Max award: not fixed
Participants represent the case mix in NHS
Duration: not fixed
4 competitions per year
EME or HTA programme?
EME
HTA
Evaluates
Efficacy under ideal
conditions
Effectiveness in an real life NHS
setting
Number of participants
Small – large, single or
multi centred
Generally large, multi centred
Technology eg drugs,
tests, devices)
Mostly developed, may
still require fine-tuning
Fully defined and developed
Outcomes
Surrogate markers are
acceptable
Clinically important outcomes
that measure health gain
Design
Clinical trial or evaluative
study
Often a randomised controlled
trial
Health economic
component
Not usually
Usual
Mechanistic study
Can be included
Not usually considered
Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB)
Funds projects which are regionally focused; often derived from day-to-day
practice; informed by NHS patients and service users; likely to have an impact
/patient benefit (or has a well defined pathway to patient benefit)
Evaluate the effectiveness / cost effectiveness of interventions
Studies which encompass feasibility / pilot trials are in scope (that then
require a major grant application to another funder).
KEY FACTS: RfPB
Response mode
Annual budget: £25m
Max award: £250K
Duration: up to 3yrs
3 competitions per year
NIHR RfPB
Innovation for Invention (i4i)
Funds research to help turn inventive ideas (medical devices, implantable devices, in
vitro diagnostic devices, develop a technology from another sector) into new products to
meet a healthcare need.
i4i Early stage product development awards: 1-3 year investigation involving a
collaboration between industry / academic / clinical researchers to carry out feasibility
or pilot studies that support the development of technology. Prototype products should
emerge.
i4i Late stage product development awards: 1-3 year collaborative project, provide
evidence of a capability to deliver improved healthcare and a commercial opportunity.
An advanced prototype should emerge, along with plans for commercial exploitation.
NIHR i4i
Public Health Research (PHR)
Main focus is on evaluating effectiveness / cost effectiveness of public health
interventions which are delivered outside of the NHS (complementary to HTA)
Provide knowledge on the costs, benefits, acceptability of non-NHS
interventions to improve the health of the public, prevent disease and reduce
inequalities. Topics related to health protection may also be addressed
KEY FACTS: PHR
Response / themed calls
Annual budget: £10m
Max award: not fixed
Duration: not fixed
3 competitions per year
Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR)
Provide funding for a programme of applied research (projects / workpackages
linked with a clear theme, where combination gives added value)
Provide some stability of funding to a well balanced NHS / academic team.
Lead applicant and associated team who have a record of achievement /
leadership in applied health research
Research priority areas for the NHS / focus on conditions causing a significant
disease burden. Research will provide benefits in 3-5 years (and also interim)
Fund health service / public health research, economic evaluations and
modelling. Developmental work (at least 30%), evaluation expected.
KEY FACTS: PGfAR
Response mode
Annual budget: £75m
Max award: £2m
Duration: up to 5yrs
2 competitions per year
NIHR PGfAR
Health Services Research (HSR)
Provides funding for a broad range of health services research with the aim of
improving service quality and patient safety. HSR will fund projects on:
Primary research or evidence synthesis
Applied methodology research
Cultural and organisational issues around patient safety KEY FACTS: HSR
Knowledge transfer within organisations
Measurement of quality improvement
Response mode
Annual budget: £5m
Max award: not fixed
Duration: not fixed
2 competitions per year
Service Delivery and Organisation (SDO)
Funds research on the way that health services are organised & delivered
Generate research evidence for improving services - to increase the quality
of patient care, ensure better outcomes.
Allow those who manage, organise and deliver service to carry out research
(capacity building)
KEY FACTS: SDO
Response / themed calls
Annual budget: £11m
Max award: not fixed
Duration: not fixed
2 competitions per year
NIHR SDO
Summary
Provide support to researchers throughout grant application
Offer a wide range of expertise
Committed to meaningful Patient and Public Involvement
Focus on NIHR, but support all funding streams
Can we help?? Please contact us as early as possible.
NIHR Research Design Service London
website: www.rdslondon.co.uk