1. What is the Research Design Service? Andy Vail Associate Director - Greater Manchester Research Design Service

2. The NIHR RDS Network East of England East Midlands London North East North West South Central South East Coast South West West Midlands Yorkshire and Humberside

3. Purpose of the RDS To help people design and develop high quality research proposals Focus on NHS-based researchers applying to peer-reviewed, open competition funding –Research for Patient Benefit –NIHR Programme Grant for Applied Research –Other NHS Portfolio studies

4. Why the investment? Relatively high proportion of low quality applications Relatively high proportion not in scope Not enough collaboration Public involvement weak Simple administrative errors in applications.

5. Cumbria & Lancashire Lancaster University with Universities of Cumbria and Central Lancashire Mersey and Cheshire University of Liverpool with Bangor University Greater Manchester University of Manchester with University of Salford Regional service, 3 local bases

6. Core RDS Expertise Research synthesis Qualitative methodology Statistics Health economics Scheme-specific application advice Developing collaboration Public involvement

7. Frontline advisers with support Specialist PPI Adviser Dr Tracey Williamson (UofS) Greater Manchester Local Centre Associate Director: Andy Vail Andy.vail@manchester.ac.ukAndy.vail@manchester.ac.uk Administrative Support: Gwen Alvey – gwen.alvey@manchester.ac.uk gwen.alvey@manchester.ac.uk Health Economics Senior Methods Leads Prof Katherine Payne Prof Matt Sutton Adviser Dr Mark Harrison Statistics Senior Methods Leads Dr David Reeves Mr Andy Vail Advisers Sarah Cotterill Dr Mark Hann Qualitative & Mixed Methods Senior Methods Leads Dr Sarah Peters Dr Fiona Ulph Adviser Kate Weiner Specialists Prof Iain Buchan (Informatics) Dr Lucie Byrne-Davis (Patient Reported Outcome Measures PROMS) Dr Sue Kirk (Nursing) Prof Sarah O’Brien (Epidemiology) Dr Mary Tully (HSR) Prof Sarah Tyson (UofS) (Rehabilitation)

8. PPI “How To” Guide http://www.rds-nw.nihr.ac.uk/PI/how_to_guide.php Dr Sue Hinder (RaFT Consulting) and Dr Tracey Williamson (RDS Adviser University of Salford) had significant input into producing the content of the guide and providing feedback.

9. Support pathway 1. Originality and feasibility feedback to client on expert review 2. Case management of design support Identifying potential collaborators Methodologist input PPI input from the beginning of the research process Reviewing and refining the research question(s) Funding scheme-specific guidance 3. Pre-submission review of proposals (lay, research, clinical) 4. Conditional funding response & amendments 5. Unsuccessful applications support with resubmission Can join at any point in application process

10. For further information and to access RDS http://www.rds-nw.nihr.ac.uk http://www.rds-nw.nihr.ac.uk/about/contact.php