Researchers aiming to improve health and social care in the East of England have been given a £5 million funding boost.
The five-year funding means researchers seeking funding for research can get support to develop high-quality research proposals for a wide range of projects which aim to improve the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease across the region.
The funding will go to the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Research Design Service East of England (RDS EoE), which is based in the School of Health and Human Sciences at the University of Essex with partner sites at the Universities of Bedfordshire, Cambridge, East Anglia, Hertfordshire and NHS trusts. Researchers who are developing research ideas and seeking national, peer-reviewed funding can request support from the RDS EoE.
The RDS EoE has already supported the development of a range of projects which aim to benefit patients, including:
• Assessing the best support literature for people trying to give up smoking
• Working out the most effective way for patients to control their pain after a knee replacement
• Launching a patient blog project to get better feedback on local healthcare provision.
The work of the RDS EoE is to be celebrated and promoted during a special event on 9 October at Newmarket, where researchers can find out more about seeking funding for applied and social care research.
Professor Gill Green, Director of NIHR RDS EoE at the University of Essex, said: “We are striving to improve the health of the nation through research by supporting collaborations between academics, NHS Trusts, Clinical Trials Units and third sector organisations.”
“This continued funding of the RDS is a great opportunity to develop applied health research partnerships which incorporate the knowledge of the clinician, the research skills of the academic and the lived experience of the patient.”
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Notes to Editors:
For more information, please contact the University of Essex Communications Office on 01206 872400 or e-mail: comms@essex.ac.uk.
• About the Research Design Service East of England
The Research Design Service (RDS EoE) helps individuals seeking funding for applied health and social care research. The service offers free advice on all aspects of formulating a research proposal including methodology, statistics, health economics and support for Patient and Public Involvement in research.
• The structure of the RDS EoE includes 5 Universities and 4 Trusts (including 2 Clinical Trials Units (CTUs)) who have a broad range of experience in promoting research in the NHS, and have worked together as part of the current RDS EoE. All the Universities involved in delivery of RDS EoE service have well-established and long-standing close working relationships with NHS trusts and NIHR organisations in the region.
• The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is funded by the Department of Health to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. Since its establishment in April 2006, the NIHR has transformed research in the NHS. It has increased the volume of applied health research for the benefit of patients and the public, driven faster translation of basic science discoveries into tangible benefits for patients and the economy, and developed and supported the people who conduct and contribute to applied health research. The NIHR plays a key role in the Government’s strategy for economic growth, attracting investment by the life-sciences industries through its world-class infrastructure for health research. Together, the NIHR people, programmes, centres of excellence and systems represent the most integrated health research system in the world. For further information, visit the NIHR website: www.nihr.ac.uk.