The University of Birmingham has a large amount expertise in clinical research and excellent facilities to support you. However, it can sometimes be difficult to locate the help you need.
The process of setting up a research project involving the NHS is complicated. It involves a number of different organisations and authorities, and different teams within those. It can seem quite overwhelming. There is, however, help available.
Sources of support:
- The Research Design Service. This NIHR funded service offers help in developing research grant applications. They’re a useful team to contact for support in the initial stages of project design.
- The NIHR Clinical Research Network Study Support Service. This service can be contacted for support with putting together your document set for regulatory submissions and for help with calculating the NHS costs for projects (according to the ACCORD guidelines) and help with the Statement of Activities and Schedule of Events. They can also offer some support on the practicalities of the IRAS form. They can be contacted here: studysupport.crnwestmidlands@nihr.ac.uk
- Clinical Research Compliance Team (CRCT). CRCT write the University’s clinical research policies and Standat Operating Procedures and conduct monitoring, audit and sponsor support visits in order to support researchers in delivering high quality research. They may be contacted at the design stage of a project to make sure that the project documentation is of a high standard that is likely to result in good quality science and to get through Sponsor and regulatory checks with the minimum of changes.
- Research Governance Team (RGT). The RGT are responsible for the initial Sponsor review of your application, and also for ongoing monitoring of your project. They are able to offer limited support with applications and advice on the correct approval routes for particular projects. Before contacting them please make sure that you have checked ‘University of Birmingham Answers to IRAS questions’ which answers many common queries.
- University of Birmingham Clinical Trials Units. The University of Birmingham has two UK Clinical Research Collaboration registered Clinical Trials units: the Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit and the Cancer Research Clinical Trials Unit. The units have the capability of delivering large and complicated clinical trials and are able to offer support from original idea, through study design, funding application, trial delivery, publication and archiving.
Note: University of Birmingham policy is that all projects which are classified as Clinical Trials of Investigational Medicinal Products under the regulations should be run through a Clinical Trials Unit.