A new service aimed at strengthening applied health and social care research to ensure it benefits patients is being launched this week.

The launch of the Research Design Service (RDS) for the East of England, co-ordinated by the University of Essex, takes place on 27 February at Clare College, Cambridge.

The RDS for the East of England is an active and dynamic network of five universities and four NHS Trusts offering research advice and support across the region. The RDS supports local health and social researchers to strengthen research design so that innovative research ideas become strong research proposals which will attract funding.

The RDS will provide academic support to, and help to build, research teams with health and social care professionals and patients so that research that develops in the region is firmly grounded upon the ideas, experiences and priorities of those who deliver and receive health and social care services.

There are eight new RDS units across England, which have been awarded five-year contracts. These contracts provide National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funding for expert advisory services to help develop bids for funding for health and social care research. These new units aim to increase the volume and quality of successful grant applications for NIHR funding.

The RDS for the East of England is co-ordinated by the University of Essex and Professor Gill Green, who is the Director of the Service, said: ‘We are delighted to have this opportunity to work with health and social care professionals to ensure that the Eastern Region conducts high quality research focused on the needs of patients and the public.’

The RDS co-ordinators can be contacted on 01206 874856, e-mail: eoferds@essex.ac.uk.