Conducting Research in our Trust
Any research activity that takes place within the NHS is subject to the Department of Health's Framework for Research Governance in Health and Social Care which sets standards for the research process and formalises the responsibilities of all those involved.
In addition to obtaining approval from a Research Ethics Committee (REC), all research projects must receive authorisation from the Trust Research Directorate before work, including the recruitment of participants, may begin. Without Trust authorisation, the indemnity provided is invalid, the resulting papers will not be accepted by most journals, and the research team will not be given access to Trust patients, records or resources. Indeed, registering the project with the Trust is a prerequisite, in most cases, for obtaining the proof of sponsorship and indemnity without which the REC will not provide approval.
Beginning 1 August 2010, the Joint Research Office (JRO) of the Barts and the London NHS Trust and Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry will provide governance and ethics advice, costing of projects, training of research staff, and the assessment of all proposals to undertake research projects in the East London NHS Foundation Trust, including issuing honorary research contracts or letters of access as necessary using the national Research Passport scheme.
We encourage you to contact the Joint Research Office at your earliest opportunity, as they can help significantly is the preparation of your proposal.
Research design and analysis
Research Design Service (RDS) London provides help to those preparing research proposals for submission to peer-reviewed funding competitions for applied health or social care research. The advice is provided free of charge and is available through use of online resource and consultations with experts.
Costing
The Joint Research Office has a finance team, experienced in costing and pricing both commercial and non-commercial research. This team can also draft and review contracts between funding / sponsoring organisations and the research sites.
Ethics Preparation
One of the main complaints of researchers is the difficulty of negotiating the current system for obtaining ethical approval. The Joint Research Office has a dedicated member of staff able to screen applications and ensure that areas likely to cause problems are addressed before submission. This Research Ethics Administrator is also a single point of contact for any queries on indemnity and identifying a sponsor.
Governance and GCP advice
The Joint Research Office is leading edge in terms of the support available to help researchers through the current regulatory system. A dedicated team of staff advises on what the requirements are and how to put systems in place to ensure compliance with Research Governance, Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and Good Clinical Laboratory Practice standards.
Training
The Joint Research Office provides a range of in-house courses on research methods and quality assurance, as well as Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Research Governance and Research Regulations: For groups of 12 or more, courses can be arranged at the department / service. In addition, the JRO holds informal workshops, every two weeks or so, to provide researchers with practical guidance to help them put together submissions to gain Ethical Approval, R&D Approval and MHRA Approval.
Literature Searching
The librarians employed by QMUL offer a support service for staff wishing to carry out research. All QMUL staff are eligible for help in designing a search strategy and the use of search engines. NHS staff can complete a simple registration form on arrival to enable them to access the same services.
Intellectual Property
Researchers are able to access two units to help identify, protect and exploit any Intellectual Property (IP) arising from research. Staff with NHS contracts have support from the NHS Innovations London. QMUL staff can utilise the Innovation and Enterprise Unit.
Student Projects
Specific conditions apply to studies being undertaken as an educational project, usually in fulfilment of a thesis requirement.