The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has renewed its funding to CHSS and the Universities of Surrey and Brighton to manage the NIHR Research Design Service South East (RDS South East) for a further five years.As part of a national network of ten university based RDS centres in England, the RDS South East provides a free service to individuals seeking funding for applied health and social care research from open national peer reviewed funding programmes.
The new contract will enable health and social care researchers to continue to benefit from specialist support in formulating research proposals. This includes advice on identifying an appropriate funding stream, statistics, health economics, qualitative methodology, and support for patient and public involvement in research.
Professor Dame Sally C Davies, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Advisor at the Department of Health, said: ‘The NIHR is transforming research in the NHS to improve the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease. It is very important that researchers applying for NIHR funding access the services provided by the RDS so that they can submit their best applications’.
Co Director of the RDS South East, Bridget Carpenter said: ‘The award is great news. Over the last five years, we have built an excellent team who deliver really effective support. Advice is informed, confidential – and completely free. The new contract provides an opportunity to carry on working with academics and clinicians to develop high quality research applications that will ultimately benefit patients and improve health’.
For more information about RDS SE, or to apply for support, visit: www.rds-se.nihr.ac.uk/