Navigating the routes to research Tony De Soyza Prof Pulm Medicine, Newcastle University NIHR National specialty lead Anthony.de-soyza@ncl.ac.uk
Disclosures • I am a research addict • I have undertaken numerous clinical trials for most major pharma for which my institution has received fees
Outline • Declutter the jargon of research in the UK • Convince the audience that research is good for you, your team and your patients • Provide useful tips and contacts
Start with a vision where you want to end up • More of you want to have research studies as part of your job • We as a group have more research emphasis • More grant applications for respiratory research come into the National Institute for Health research • Trainee network developing nationally important research projects
Research is important but its not quite for me… • “I didn’t do research as a trainee” • “I’m too busy” • “its not in my job plan” • “I need a research nurse” • “they do all that stuff up at the University hospital” • “what's in it for me?”
Challenge yourself and look at most BTS guidelines… • 3 themes • The strong recommendations come from people like you getting stuck in doing research • The guidelines mostly have weak recommendations as high quality studies have not been done • The guidelines all have research recommendations (and often these remain unanswered between guideline versions)
Research routes • Research is NOT something you are born into • You can enter it at any stage… • Drive research ( develop your own ideas and funding) • Deliver research (support the recruitment into Others’ studies)
Entry level research routes • Prestigious fellowships; NIHR, Wellcome Trust, MRC • “Soft money”- departmental funds/ smaller schemes • Part of a larger grant • NIHR CLARCs/ BRCs
Medical Research Council
Studentships • Doctoral Training Partnerships - 15 DTPs across 29 organisations - £13.5m per year - ~156 notional studentships - Includes a flexible supplement • Industrial CASE studentships • Associated students - MRC units, institutes and centres - Partnership and Centre Grants - Collaborations with EPSRC’s CDTs We support ~1,600 PhDs students at any one time
https://www.nihr.ac.uk/our-research-community/NIHR%20ACADEMY/Fellowships/NIHR-Fellowships-Summary.pdf
NIHR predoctoral fellowship • 1 year WTE • This Fellowship will be at pre-doctoral level and aimed at giving people the necessary skills and experience required to undertake a PhD • Applications will only be invited from individuals looking to undertake research training with a view to submitting a future PhD application • Must NOT have registered for or completed a PhD. • Assessment Criteria: Applications will be assessed broadly on the applicant’s commitment and potential to develop as a future leader in research relevant to NIHR, the quality of training provided and the support they will receive from their host organisation and supervisory team.
NIHR PhD Doctoral Fellowship • This Fellowship will support applicants to undertake a PhD in an area of NIHR research. • Fellowships will be 3 years WTE and may be taken up on a part time basis of between 50 and 100% WTE. • Clinical applicants will be able to include up to 20% clinical time as part of the Fellowship, to ensure maintenance of clinical competence whilst undertaking the Fellowship. • Fellowships will be available to start from September 2019 with competitions launching biannually, the first launched in October 2018
NIHR Advanced Fellowship • This Fellowship will be at post-doctoral level and aimed at several specific points of a researcher’s career development. These being: • For individuals who have recently completed or about to be awarded a PhD but haven’t yet established themselves as independent researchers. • For individuals starting to establish themselves as independent researchers or those already established as independent researchers but not yet recognised as an international leader in their field. • For individuals looking to transition into applied health research from a basic science background or those looking to re-establish their research career following a significant career break. • All the above will be available with a ‘clinical academic’ option whereby clinical applicants will have the option to request between 20% and 40% of their time be dedicated to clinical service/development, which would be covered by the Fellowship.
The UK landscape has changed dramatically… • National Institute for Health Research is now the biggest funder of medical research in the UK • Funding schemes (developing ideas) • Research infrastructure (LCRN; delivering funded research)
NIHR Funding schemes • Research for patient benefit (RFpB)- local competition- smaller projects; very patient focussed • Efficacy Mechanisms Evaluation (EME)- National competitions across specialties. “Can it work? Small scale proof of concept studies” • NIHR Health Technology assessment (HTA) grants “Does it work?” • Evidence synthesis grants • Pragmatic trials £1m-£2m usually; occasionally higher • NIHR Health services delivery research • How can we put research evidence into practice
NIHR EME
NIHR HTA • Several respiratory colleagues sit on NIHR panels or have NIHR grants • They have expertise ; USE IT • NIHR TWICS • NIHR Develop • NIHR FAST
We need more Resp HTA applications HTA spends £140,000,000 £120,000,000 £100,000,000 £80,000,000 £60,000,000 £40,000,000 £20,000,000 £0
NIHR TWICS study; opened up many new research sites
Research grant development support NIHR RDS
UK Clinical trials gateway; supports patients & clinicians to find open research https://bepart ofresearch. nihr.ac.uk/
Supporting research Delivery (England) • 15 Local Clinical Research Networks (LCRNS) • Each has a BUDGET-> nurses/ physio/ pharmacy/ Consultant PA sessions/ R&D • Each has a respiratory lead who has tasks; • Grow respiratory research in your region • Support new research activity (sites/ PIs/ schemes) • Support national group and represent your region & its challenges
https://www.nihr.ac.uk/nihr-in-your- area/respiratory/national-respiratory-clinical- specialty-leads.htm
Local specialty leads • Will try and help you deliver studies or attract them to your site • Provide a good link with “academics” who might be mentors for a research careers • Help you map out a study design or point you to the Research design service • Advise you on how to get a good quality study supported via the NIHR portfolio..
Successes in the NIHR Resp portfolio • Growth in recruitment over 17,000 recruits
Respiratory; Green is Good!
Getting involved • As potential PhD candidates you will have research mentors • As trainees consider asking to help in local studies../ undertake Good Clinical Practice study day • Signpost your patients to UK Clinical trials Gateway • Ask local lead who are grant holders/ active networks
Regional / national trainee research network developing pragmatic trials ALL STs have basic consent training & have helped recruit into NIHR portfolio studies
Research is here to stay; you already benefit from it but you can now DRIVE it so much more easily…
In summary
Many thanks to all the research sites, nurses, physios, radiology, lab staff and medics but most of all thanks to the participants
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