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Research Development Awards

2019

GUIDANCE NOTES

These guidance notes contain all the information you need to help you complete the 2019 Research Development Awards application form and includes details on the submission deadlines. Please ensure you have read through these guidance notes before completing the application form, as they contain important information you need to consider before submitting your proposal.

INTRODUCTION

This handbook provides a guide to the application process for the Research Development Awards scheme, including the key dates that applicants should be aware of.

What you need to know before you start?

The application process for the 2019 Research Development Awards scheme opens on Wednesday 9th January 2019.

The deadline for completed applications is 1pm on Wednesday 1st May 2019. Please note that incomplete applications or any applications received after the deadline will not be accepted.

The interviews for those short-listed for the Research Development Awards will be held in London on Tuesday 9th July and Wednesday 10th July 2019. Please ensure that you are available to attend an interview during this time, in case you are shortlisted. An exact date and location will be provided to you at the shortlist stage.

Timetable for 2019 Research Development Awards

|2019 Research Development Awards launches |09/01/2019 |

|2019 Research Development Awards deadline |1pm on 01/05/2019 |

|Shortlisting outcome to applicants |14/06/2019 |

|Interviews in London |09/07/2019 & 10/07/2019 |

|Applicants notified of outcome |26/07/2019 |

What support is available?

The level of funding requested is at the discretion of the applicant to a maximum of £30,000 for the Galen Award and £45,000 for the Leverhulme Award. Please see section 6 for a list of items the funding can and cannot be used for.

General points for completing the form

o Please read this guidance document carefully before you start your application.

o Please ensure you meet the entry requirements listed on page 5 of this document (and note the additional requirement for the Leverhulme Awards funding).

o Please retain an electronic copy of the form you submit.

o All text (minimum 10 point font) must appear within tables.

o Please ensure your application complies with the UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research, which can be found on the NHS Health Research Authority’s website:

o Please allow sufficient time to obtain the necessary signatures and leave yourself plenty of time to complete your application.

o As we will not accept late, incomplete or hard copy applications, it is important that you make appropriate arrangements with your supervisors and institutional representatives to ensure all information is completed and submitted to us before the deadline.

Submitting your application form

Applicants are asked to submit a PDF (.pdf) and word (.doc) version of the completed application form (including the fully signed Declarations page) to the email address provided below:

applications@.uk

Please do not forget to attach your own and your supervisor(s) Curriculum Vitae to your application, as appending documents to the application form.

PURPOSE OF RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT AWARDS

The purpose of the awards is to develop pharmacy practice research capacity and, therefore, applications are assessed both in relation to the individual applicant and the proposed research project.

Whilst some research will have a direct impact on the way in which pharmacy is practised, other research will generate results which address theoretical and explanatory areas and are useful in developing and underpinning conceptual thinking in the profession, for example, research examining lay beliefs about medicines where the results inform practice. It is, therefore, essential that applicants consider how the outputs of their research will be used to inform practice, policy and patient outcomes.

Pharmacy Research UK fund two types Personal Research Awards:

o Galen Award (funded by a bequest by Rowland Henry Williams*) – one or more awards are made annually to a total value of £30,000.

o Leverhulme Award (funded by a grant from the Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust, to support research relating to community pharmacy) – one or more awards made annually to a total value of £45,000.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY?

All applicants must meet be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). The research must be taking place in the UK and should not exceed three years in duration (projects over 36 months will be considered but must be justified).

As the purpose of the awards is to build research capacity and capability in pharmacy the following groups have been identified:

o those requiring funding between PhD and post doctoral grants;

o those requiring funding to go from MPhil to PhD;

o practitioners new to research; and

o PhD students requiring ‘research costs’ to enhance their PhDs.

The awards can also be used to fund new areas of research, e.g. pre-pilot and feasibility studies that would not be considered by other funding bodies. The lead applicant must be the person who is going to undertake the majority of the research activity.

| |

|In addition, the Leverhulme Awards funding must be used for research that is of benefit to community pharmacy AND / OR the |

|applicant must be a community pharmacist. |

IMPORTANT – Please ensure you meet the above criteria before applying. If you have any questions about the scope of your proposal, please email office@.uk providing details about your proposal.

SUPERVISION

All applicants must identify an appropriate supervisor(s), but where grants are used to support doctoral studies, the Scientific Advisory Panel may request further information (see below). More than one supervisor may be required if the research proposed is multi-disciplinary in nature. Normally the supervisor(s) will have a good track record in health services research and will be a senior member of an academic department of a university, or an experienced researcher acceptable to the Scientific Advisory Panel. The supervisor(s) must declare that they support your application.

Please ensure your chosen supervisor(s) has the time available to supervise you through regular meetings. Your supervisor(s) have a number of responsibilities; however, it is paramount that they are able to provide you with guidance about the nature of research and the standards expected, the planning of the research programme, appropriate literature and sources, attendance at taught classes, requisite techniques (including arranging for instruction where necessary) and about the ethos of research. In signing the application form, your supervisor is agreeing to the provision of these minimum requirements.

In the application review process the Scientific Advisory Panel may request further information regarding supervision arrangements, as outlined below:

a) Does the appointed supervisor(s) have the appropriate skills and subject knowledge to support, encourage and monitor the research student effectively?

b) Is training provided for new student supervisors?

c) Is there a minimum of one clearly identified point of contact for the student within the supervisory team?

d) Are there joint supervisory arrangements and/or others available who can advise on day-to-day procedures etc?

e) Have the responsibilities of the research student’s supervisor been clearly communicated to them?

f) Will the volume and range of responsibilities assigned to the individual supervisor impinge on the quality of supervision provided?

g) How much access will the student have to the appointed supervisor?

h) How many other students and postdoctoral workers do they supervise?

We strongly encourage you to think about the practical implications of your research proposal, as this will help guide you to towards reaching out to the relevant supervisors. For example, have you consulted with a statistician to justify your sample size calculations? Is there a health economic assessment to your proposal? Are focus groups the most effective way of gathering data? Depending on the nature of your proposal, these are some of the questions you need to ask, and you must consult with the relevant experts in that area.

COMPLETING THE APPLICATION FORM

The application form is available from the Pharmacy Research UK website. Please ensure you have read through the guidance notes before completing.

Section 1 – Personal Details

Please insert your personal and contact details as requested. Please also attach your Curriculum Vitae, as an appending document.

Section 2 – Current Employment Details

Please insert the information requested on your current occupation (if you work full/part-time). If you are not employed, please specify whether you are currently studying.

Section 3 – Details of Proposed Project

This section asks for details of your proposed research study. Please ensure that your proposed start date is realistic, for example, you may need to factor in time for research contract negotiation and obtaining ethical approval.

It is an expectation that applicants seek further support from the National Institute for Health Research’s (NIHR) Research Design Service (in England), other equivalent research support services or experienced peers, for help with the application. The NIHR services are free of charge, however you will need to book your place with those services as soon as you can, as it takes time to meet, discuss and refine your proposal ready for submission.

Please complete the whole of this section. Word limits accompany each section.

A Background (1,500 words)

This should address the following points:

• What is the problem to be addressed? (supported with figures to indicate the scope of the problem nationally)

• What are the principal research questions to be addressed?

• Why is a study needed now? (supported with published evidence, professional and consumer consensus and pilot studies, where available

• Describe how the research will differ from or complement any relevant planned, ongoing or recently completed research elsewhere in the UK or internationally. How will your proposal add value and fill the gap in the current research literature?

• How will the results of this study be used?

You will be expected to be aware of any other research currently being undertaken in the field. If your proposed research is similar to that being undertaken elsewhere, you will need to make a strong case for how your proposal will add further value.

B Aims & objectives (200 words)

The main aims and objectives of the research proposal should be stated here clearly and should coherently follow on from the background presented in the previous question.

C Plan of investigation (1,750 words)

Please cover the following points:

• Study design and delivery (including designs you have rejected during the development stages, if appropriate)

• Sample size, if appropriate

• Statistical design, if appropriate

• Justification of chosen methods

• Economic evaluations, if appropriate

• Justification of focus groups or questionnaires, if appropriate

Please also clarify whether you have worked with a Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) representative in developing your research proposal and consulting with them in developing your methodological approach to the proposal. Please also indicate whether you have consulted with your supervisors and any appropriate peer in the development of the methods.

D Project Timetable (500 words)

Please provide an estimated timeline for project deliverables, including an estimated start date, and risks of delays such as ethics approval processes and recruitment. Please also consider any contingencies for unexpected delays or issues with attrition and participant recruitment – how will you account for such delays should they arise? Working with a PPI representative will help you to factor any potential delays that may arise and support you in contingency planning.

If your application is successful, the progress of the project will be monitored against these stated milestones, and funding may be withheld if progress is not satisfactory (unless under exceptional circumstances such as significant delays outside of the control of the project team).

A Gantt chart illustrating the project timetable and dependencies between activities is the preferred presentation format here, which you are welcome to attach as an appending document if you wish. Any appendices need to be clearly referenced in the text.

E List of outputs/deliverables and plans for dissemination (500 words)

Please provide details of planned outputs, for example, conference abstracts, protocols, presentations and journal papers that you intend to produce from this research. Please also include any planned dissemination or engagement activity with key stakeholder groups, including patients and the public. Please also include a list of the available journals and platforms that you are intending to submit outputs to. You can refer to as a tool to scope the journals you may want to approach.

The information in this section should be clearly presented, ideally in a listed format, so it is clear what dissemination activities have been planned and any other avenues for presenting your work. Working with a PPI representative will help to guide you in being aware of the relevant patient groups and avenues you can take to disseminate your research.

F Supervisory input (500 words)

Please provide further information on the level of involvement that the supervisor(s) will have on this proposal, with respect to providing expertise and guidance on the conduct of the research, or at any other point in the research process. Please specify how often you will meet with your supervisor to review research progress and whether any risk management plans involve the supervisor’s input. Please include any other relevant information on the involvement on the supervisor on the proposal, also considering whether they will be co-author on any outputs. You may wish to use this section to discuss the other inputs you have had from other experienced peers in the development of your proposal and whether you feel the supervisors you have are appropriate to the research you are proposing. Are there any areas of the proposal where you feel further supervision would be necessary?

G Risk management (500 words)

Describe any risks to the project and how these will be identified and minimised. Ensure that you have accounted for any potential delays that may arise, for example obtaining ethical approval or recruiting participants, response rates to questionnaires etc. Please consider such factors and mention these in this section so that they are recognised, and any plans are in place to mitigate such delays relevant to your proposal. Working with support services, such as the NIHR’s Research Design Service or an experienced researcher, can help to flag up the potential delays that may arise, so you are as prepared as possible for any possible pitfalls.

H Plain English summary (500 words)

Provide a summary of the proposal in plain English, without the use of technical terms, for a reader without prior expertise to understand. Further guidance on what makes a good plain English summary is available here: .

I Value for money (300 words)

Please consider how the proposal represents good value for money. Have you considered where the proposal lies on the trajectory to patient benefit? Are the dissemination activities you have planned relevant to your target audience and have the reach necessary to fulfil the appropriate impact? Please include any other information that will support the value of the proposal, including any potential future cost savings or process improvements in current services and standards of care, which this proposal would highlight.

Section 4 – Developing Research Capacity and Capability in Pharmacy

A Development of research skills (500 words)

Please provide details of how the grant will contribute to the development of the applicant’s research skills. Please also give details of any formal or informal research training and mentorship you propose to undertake as part of the grant. If possible please provide details of the course(s) provider(s) and estimated costs.

B Professional Development (500 words)

Please provide details of how the grant will contribute to your professional development and career progression.

C Benefits of proposed research (500 words)

Please describe here how the project will benefit patients/public and pharmacy practice.

D Balancing work activities (500 words)

Please describe how you will organise/split your time to conduct the research in light of the existing commitments that you have in place.

Section 5 – Sources of Advice and Supervision

You will be asked to give details of your sources of advice and supervision arrangements.

You will need to provide details of your supervisor(s) – name, current position and research background. Please also include a brief summary Curriculum Vitae for your supervisor(s) (maximum two sides of A4) to be included in your appending documents.

Please also ensure you outline your supervisors’ role and expertise in relation to the proposed project, time commitment and number of students currently supervised at what level (i.e. MSc/PhD) under the heading, ‘research experience’.

Section 6 – Finance

The level of funding requested is at the discretion of the applicant to a maximum of £30,000 for the Galen Award and £45,000 for the Leverhulme Pharmacy Research Fellowship.

Please outline the resources that are required for your proposed project, under the appropriate headings (or state if not applicable).

The awards can be used for the following items:

• salary costs

• locum costs

• training costs/ course fees

• supervision costs [if the study being undertaken is outside an academic institute supervision costs may be applied for]

• research costs

• reasonable costs for travel and subsistence

• other potentially eligible costs need to be fully justified

The awards can not be used to fund:

• overheads

• appointment of research assistants

• transcribing (unless applicant can demonstrate sufficient experience in this exercise)

• research consumables

• IT equipment – i.e. laptops and computers

Full Economic Costing/overheads

Pharmacy Research UK is a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) and therefore only funds direct research costs, with infrastructure funded by the Department of Health under AcoRD. Any costs relating to overheads can be claimed by the host institution, via the Charity Research Support Funding available in England. Equivalent funding is available through the Scottish Funding Council in Scotland, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales and the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland.

Pharmacy Research UK are is a non-commercial partners. This means that the research we fund can be adopted onto the NIHR portfolio and is entitled to NIHR Clinical Research Network support. Therefore, we encourage applicants to involve the Clinical Research Networks (and the local Research Design Service) in the development of their study, including the realistic costing of the project.

Formal and informal training and support

Please include the costs of any formal training programmes, meetings with mentors and/or organisations such as PRUK and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society for advice and support throughout the project.

AMRC Open Research

PRUK have partnered with the AMRC and other member charities, to enable researchers to disseminate their research in a swifter and transparent way compared to traditional journals. AMRC Open Research is an open access publication platform that allows for research to be published within days of submission, and for transparent peer review to take place on the output. The value of research published on this platform is maximised, as it enables the researcher to swiftly publish key findings of their research and take more control of the peer review process.

If you are considering submitting any outputs through AMRC Open Research, please specify which types of outputs you would be looking to submit, whether you are considering submitting, or if you are not interested. Please note that this is optional and is not a requirement of funding.

Further information about the types of outputs are available here, with further detail on the Article Processing Charges available here.

Section 7 – Declarations

We require that the applicant provides declaration from their department or organisation confirming the work can be accommodated in the department and organisation.

Please also ensure that signatures are received from the administering organisation’s finance department and Head of Department. All applicants named on the proposal must also complete this section.

THE SELECTION PROCESS

External peer review is the process by which applications submitted to PRUK are judged by experts within a relevant research field. The only applications which are not reviewed by external peer reviewers are the Level 1 and 2 Research Training Bursary applications, although these are assessed by the Chair of our Scientific Advisory Panel. Each application received will be independently reviewed by at least two external reviewers, as well as two expert members of our Scientific Advisory Panel.

The awarding of the Research Development Awards is undertaken by the Scientific Advisory Panel, which is appointed by Pharmacy Research UK. The panel comprises of health service researchers drawn towards pharmacy research. One or more Panel members will, therefore, be familiar with the areas of research and will be aware of any duplication.

Applicants will be assessed against the following criteria:

o Person (what will the award add to the applicant’s career, what will it add to pharmacy research)

o Project (research question, methodology, timetable, costings)

o Supervision (is the supervision requested suitable/sufficient)

All short-listed applicants will be invited to the PRUK headquarters in London for a short interview (approximately half an hour) where they will be asked to give a short presentation on their application and answer questions from the interview board. The final funding outcome, with feedback, will be provided shortly following the interview stage.

* All applications will be judged on merit, but in the event of two or more being of equal merit, the wishes of the original testator that applications from pharmacists with registered addresses within the geographical area covered by the former counties of Anglesey, Caernarfon, Denbigh and Flint will be favoured.

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