RSS USP & SCPH Working Agreement

Working Agreement - NIHR Research Support Service (RSS) Hub and Specialist Centre for Public Health delivered by the University of Southampton and Partners

This page describes the role of our Research Support Service (RSS) Hub and our RSS Specialist Centre for Public Health (SCPH), both delivered by the University of Southampton and Partners. It provides information on how we can advise and support you in developing research funding applications and delivering funded research. It describes both what you can expect from our Hub and our SCPH, and what we anticipate from you in return.

Scope

Our Hub and SCPH are funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to assist researchers in preparing research proposals (more information about the Research Support Service is available on the NIHR RSS website). Our Hub and SCPH also provide post-award advice, provided the project has been supported pre-award by either our Hub or SCPH. Priority will be given to supporting proposals to be submitted to a NIHR funding scheme.

Nature of support provided

Our Hub and SCPH staff have the knowledge and expertise to advise on a wide range of issues relating to applied health research design and methodology, and crafting funding applications. We can also advise on issues such as involving patients, service users and the public, and identifying resources. Depending on the nature of your research proposal, one or more Hub and/or SCPH staff may become involved, bringing complementary skills. We also have a wide range of other contacts in other RSS Hubs across England, and academic and clinical disciplines to whom we can signpost researchers where this may be useful.

Eligibility

The NIHR RSS website defines eligibility for our support.

For any queries concerning eligibility, please contact us to discuss your situation at nihr-rss@soton.ac.uk

Mutual Understandings

You can expect a professional and accessible service delivered in a timely manner. You may approach our Hub or SCPH at any stage of development of a research proposal – from simply wanting to discuss an initial idea or identifying a funding scheme, through to requesting input on a specific issue on a well-developed proposal or a pre-submission review. The earlier you approach us, the more comprehensive our advice can be. Due to capacity issues, we might not be able to offer support to requests received less than five weeks before the relevant funding deadline.

The best way to contact our Hub and/or SCPH is by email to discuss the services we offer. In order to access our support, you will need to submit an online support request.

If you have any concerns about the service you receive from our Hub or SCPH you can email us at nihr-rss@soton.ac.uk.

If eligible for support, you can expect the following from our Hub and SCPH:

• Professional advice about aspects of developing an application for research funding and practical support for such development, free of charge. Advice will be given to all projects meeting eligibility criteria.

• Support in developing your application.

• Advice on drafting relevant sections of applications, as required.

• Support in identifying and approaching other potential lay and professional collaborators, as required.

• Support in identifying a suitable NIHR funding stream and advising on its application processes. If not eligible for NIHR funding we will try to provide advice on other potential funding bodies.

• Support for obtaining appropriate patient and public involvement and community engagement in project development.

• Support in designing inclusive research.

• If your application is unsuccessful, we can review your submission and support you to decide what to do next.

• If you have received pre-award support from our team, there may be an option to collaborate with our Hub/SCPH advisors/partner CTUs (if interests align and staff have the capacity).

• Advice on study set-up.

• All discussions regarding the proposal to be treated with appropriate confidentiality.

In return, we expect that you will:

• Use our Hub and SCPH only for eligible purposes.

• Carefully consider proffered advice, discussing as necessary.

• Where our Hub or SCPH staff are invited and become funding application co-applicants, agree on appropriate costs to include in the funding application to cover any work they will undertake in the conduct, analysis and reporting of the project.

• Inform our Hub or SCPH of the funding committee’s decision on your application following pre-award advice.

Conflicts of interest

All projects submitted to our Hub and SCPH are subject to the same eligibility criteria. They are treated equally in line with our mutual understandings (above) and with the eligibility criteria. All discussions are held in confidence, therefore there should be no concerns about conflict of interest in situations where we support different researchers (or teams) in submitting to the same funding call. All Hub and SCPH staff are aware that conflicts of interest should be disclosed and addressed, and we will make every effort to ensure that our staff are not exposed to researchers/projects where there is or might be a conflict of interest.

Conflicts of interest exist only in circumstances where:

• A member of our team is a co-applicant on a competing application. Where this is the case, the team member will not participate in discussions relating to the relevant project and another member of staff will be assigned to support the project.

• A member of our team is in a position to directly influence a funding decision (e.g. if they sit on a funding panel). Our staff will be explicit about any conflict and will discuss this with you.

RSS USP & SCPH Working agreement, v1.0 Sept 2024