Patient Safety Research Collaborations - Research Management System (RMS) Guidance

This document provides guidance for completing an online application in the Research Management System (RMS) for the Patient Safety Research Collaborations (PSRCs) funding call 2021/22.

The deadline for this call is 1pm on 09 February 2022

Any colleague(s) invited to participate on this bid will be required to log into the Research Management System (RMS), access the application and actively select the 'confirm' and 'approve' options where applicable. 

Signatures will be needed from the appropriate contact types in the ‘Other authorising roles – signatories (electronic)’ section of the form. These will need to be obtained prior to submission. The signature boxes will only be accessible to those responsible for signing. 

Whilst confirming and approving an application can be done at any time during the submission of an application, it is strongly encouraged that this is done well in advance of the deadline.

Details of the Proposed NIHR PSRC

Name of Proposed PSRC

Please input the PSRC Title. The title should consist of the word ‘NIHR’, the host NHS organisation name followed by the word ‘PSRC’ (e.g., NIHR <NHS Organisation> PSRC) (maximum 250 characters).

Details of the proposed PSRC Director

All information in the box below is auto populated from the ‘Manage my details’ section within the proposed Director’sRMS Portal account, which should be updated and edited prior to submission. The application form PDF will display these details.

Details of the proposed PSRC Co-Director (Optional)

Details for the Co-Director will be pulled-through from the ‘Manage my details’ section of their portal account. Please ensure their account is updated prior to submission. The application form PDF will display these details.

Host NHS Organisation Details

Host NHS Organisation

Please select the host NHS Organisation for the NIHR PSRC award from the drop-down menu.

NOTE: If your organisation does not appear on this list, please contact NIHR via email manager@ccfrms.org.uk or phone 0208 843 8050.

Details of the Host NHS Organisation Lead

Please provide details of the host NHS Organisation lead with authority to endorse the application for an NIHR PSRC and confirm that appropriate support will be provided should the application be successful. 

Specified representatives of the organisation should fully endorse the application for an NIHR PSRC award and confirm that appropriate support will be provided should the application for funding be successful. 

NOTE: Details for the Host NHS Organisation Lead will be pulled-through from the ‘Manage my details’ section of their portal account. Please ensure that this is updated prior to submission. The application form PDF will display these details.

Lead University Organisation Details 

Please provide details of the university partner organisation by selecting the name of the partner university from the drop-down menu

NOTE: If your organisation does not appear on this list, please contact NIHR via email manager@ccfrms.org.uk or phone 0208 843 8050.

Details of University Partner Organisation Lead

Please provide details of the university partner organisation lead for the NIHR PSRC and confirm that appropriate support will be provided should the application be successful. 

Specified representatives of the organisation should fully endorse the application for an NIHR PSRC award and confirm that appropriate support will be provided should the application for funding be successful. 

Details for the University Partner Organisation Lead will be pulled-through from the "Manage my details" section of their portal account, which should be updated and edited prior to submission. The application form PDF will display these details.

Any Other Partners (optional)

Please list any additional partners, organisations that will be formally associated with the NIHR PSRC and the proposed theme(s) they will contribute to. Formal agreement from these partners will be sought at the Business Planning stage.

NOTE: If your organisation does not appear on this list, please contact NIHR via email manager@ccfrms.org.uk or phone 0208 843 8050.

Summary

Please select which strategic patient safety challenge(s) the proposed NIHR PSRC will address.

• Improving patient safety intelligence and understanding of patient safety challenges (Tick box)
• Improving organisational patient safety culture and practice (Tick box)
• Patient safety behaviours (Tick box)
• Effective patient safety practices (Tick box)
• The patient safety impacts of alternative service delivery models (Tick box)
• Ergonomics, design and human factors (Tick box)
• Clinical risk scores (validation, implementation and outcomes) (Tick box)

Plain English summary

In plain English, briefly outline the scientific rationale/context to the areas covered by the proposed NIHR PSRC; and outline the vision and goals of the proposed NIHR PSRC. This summary may be made publicly available. Please avoid using jargon and explain any technical terms included

Many reviewers use this summary to inform their review of your funding application. They include clinicians, other practitioners and researchers who do not have specialist knowledge of your field as well as members of the public. If your application for funding is successful, the summary will be used on NIHR and other websites. 

A good quality plain English summary providing an easy to read overview of your whole study will help:

• those carrying out the review (reviewers and committee members) to have a better understanding of your proposal;

• inform others about your development work such as members of the public, health and social care professionals, policy makers and the media;

• the research funders to publicise the research that they fund.

If it is felt that your plain English summary is not clear and of a good quality then you may be required to amend it prior to final funding approval. 

It is helpful to involve patients / service users / carers / practitioners and members of the public in developing a plain English summary. 

The plain English summary is not the same as a scientific abstract - please do not cut and paste this or other sections of your application form to create the plain English summary. 

Further guidance on writing in plain English is available in the NIHR plain English summaries guidance and further support and advice on writing a plain English summary, please contact your local Research Design Service (where applicable).

Leadership and Governance

Leadership and Expertise of the Director (500 words)

Please describe the leadership and expertise demonstrated by the proposed Director and their proposed contribution to the NIHR PSRC, this should include:

• evidence of their track record of leadership within a research environment. This should cover examples from the national and international levels where relevant;
• evidence that they are at the forefront of their research fields; 
• evidence of their ability to facilitate translation of research into benefits for patient safety in the health and care system;
• experience in leading national or international collaborations/facilities/institutes; 
• evidence of championing the agenda around improving research culture including equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI); 
• evidence of commitment to developing research capacity and capability within the health and care system, including supporting early career researchers to become future leaders.

Leadership and Expertise of the co-Director, if applicable (500 Words)

Please describe the leadership and expertise demonstrated by the proposed co-Director and their proposed contribution to the NIHR PSRC, this should include:

• evidence of their track record of leadership within a research environment. This should cover examples from the national and international levels where relevant;
• evidence that they are at the forefront of their research fields; 
• evidence of their ability to facilitate translation of research into benefits for patient safety in the health and care system;
• experience in leading national or international collaborations/facilities/institutes; 
• evidence of championing the agenda around improving research culture including equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI);
• evidence of commitment to developing research capacity and capability within the health and care system, including supporting early career researchers to become future leaders.

If no co-Director is being appointed, please put N/A in the box

Management and governance (1000 Words)

Please describe the management and governance arrangements for the proposed NIHR PSRC, please include: 

• The arrangements for joint working between the lead NHS and university partners, and the arrangements with any additional organisations that will formally contribute to the NIHR PSRC. Please provide evidence of previous effective partnership working between the lead NHS organisation and the lead university partner;
• An explanation of how the proposed Director(s) and the proposed Theme Leads fit into these arrangements, including how responsibilities will be managed where there are joint appointments to roles; 
• Please describe how the NIHR PSRC proposes to prioritise and deprioritise research within the theme(s) to deliver a programme of work with the highest potential to translate into outcomes likely to benefit patient safety and respond to emerging innovations/developments and patient safety challenges;
• The proposed NIHR PSRC’s governance arrangements and processes for managing the use of the funding within Themes to support translational, applied and health services research on patient safety and service quality particularly where the majority of the research costs (>50%) are met by the NIHR PSRC award; 
• Please outline the NIHR PSRC’s governance arrangements for overseeing: training and capacity building; management and exploitation of intellectual property; and communication/dissemination of NIHR PSRC activities.

Organogram

Please upload an organogram showing the proposed governance arrangements (including any external governance body(ies)) for the proposed NIHR PSRC. 

NOTE: the size limit is one page, the required format is PDF.

Please confirm that the proposed Director (or where relevant co-Directors) of the NIHR PSRC will have responsibility for, and authority over, the NIHR funding if awarded.

Director:

YES/NO

Co-Director:

YES/NO

Membership of UK Health Data Research Alliance

Please indicate whether the host NHS organisation is currently a member of the UK Health Data Research Alliance (UKHDRA).

YES/NO

Network

Please indicate whether the proposed NIHR PSRC would be interested in being considered as the host organisation for the NIHR PSRC Network.

YES/NO

Strategic Plan

Please provide the proposed NIHR PSRC overall strategy for supporting translational, applied and health services research on patient safety that addresses the chosen strategic patient safety challenge(s) (2000 Words):

• the vision and aims of the NIHR PSRC and the relevance of these to patient safety;
• the theme(s), questions or problems that the NIHR PSRC is aiming to tackle and how the infrastructure provided by the NIHR PSRC will support these. This should include a description of how the research portfolio will contribute to patient safety, with demonstration that research is following patient need and reflects areas, services and diversity of the communities with the greatest need for improvement in patient safety;
• the proposed NIHR PSRC’s operational plan, including mechanisms for tracking the progress of the PSRC in respect to key activities, for example training, strategic partnership development, as well as overall progress of the portfolio of translational, applied and health services research on patient safety;
• provide a brief outline of the Theme(s), which describes how they are brought together into a coherent Collaboration. If applying for more than one Theme, please demonstrate how each Theme will work with the other Themes to enhance the proposed NIHR PSRC, and how each links to the overall objectives stated above. (One supporting diagram may be uploaded - page limit is one page);
• a brief outline of how the expertise of any additional partners will strengthen the delivery of the NIHR PSRC’s overall objectives;
• a summary of the NHS/university partnership’s current and proposed strategic partnerships, including with health and care organisations, local authorities, universities and other relevant partners, industry, research charities and with other NIHR-funded infrastructure. (One supporting diagram may be uploaded - page limit is one page).

Please complete a table that sets out overarching SMART objectives that will be used to track the progress of the proposed NIHR PSRC. Please include details of how the proposed NIHR PSRC will monitor and determine successful completion of each objective (75 Words/objective descriptor):

• short term (1-2 years);
• medium term (2-3 years); and
• long term (4-5 years).

Case Studies (400 words per case study and no more than three may be submitted)

Up to three case studies, which highlight previous successes in translating research findings that have led to improvements in patient safety in health and care services, can be included. The information presented should be understandable to both lay and expert members of the committee, written in plain English, without use of jargon. Any technical terms should be explained. 

Case Study 1 (400 words)

Case Study 2 (400 words)

Case Study 3 (400 words)

NIHR PSRC Theme Details

Theme details

Please provide the following details for the Themes that will be included in the proposed NIHR PSRC.

Clicking ‘create’ will open up a sub-page with the following question set:

Theme Name

Please insert theme name (maximum 100 characters) 

Please specify which strategic patient safety challenge is being addressed

Drop-down selection from:

• Improving patient safety intelligence and understanding of patient safety challenges 
• Improving organisational patient safety culture and practice
• Patient safety behaviours
• Effective patient safety practices
• The patient safety impacts of alternative service delivery models
• Ergonomics, design and human factors
• Clinical risk scores (validation, implementation and outcomes)

Theme Lead

This contact will need an approved RMS account in order to be found in the search box. Theme Lead details for each theme including organisation and ORCID number, will be pulled through from the 'Manage my Details' section of their portal account, which should be updated prior to submission.

Theme Co-Lead (if theme co-leads are appointed)

This contact will need an approved RMS account in order to be found in the search box. Theme Co-Lead details for each theme including organisation and ORCID number, will be pulled through from the 'Manage my Details' section of their portal account, which should be updated prior to submission.

Key contributing researchers who will add quality and depth to the proposed theme 

[Name and expertise/experience] (300 words)

Theme Description (1200 Words)

Please highlight:

• the strategic rationale for the Theme, how it will address the strategic patient safety challenge, and the key research hypotheses the Theme will aim to address; 
• the expertise in undertaking patient safety research in this area. This should demonstrate the track record in developing, validating and testing new innovations, approaches and interventions to deliver benefits for patients and the public, the health and care system, and for broader economic gain;
• demonstrate how the areas to be addressed and/or the approaches to be taken will lead to improvements in patient safety and the safety of health and care services. Please outline how you anticipate the likely research outputs will have potential for further translation to deliver benefits for patient safety within the health and care system;
• the relevance of the expected outputs to patient safety. This should demonstrate how the research will follow patient needs and reflect the diversity of the population (including support for research activities being conducted in delivering impact in areas, services and communities with the greatest need for improvement in patient safety in collaboration with local investigators); 
• how the proposed researchers will take account of the eventual setting where new interventions, innovations, or approaches will be delivered; and taking account of relevant services, settings, pathways, patients and service users;  
• how the NIHR PSRC award will enable the NHS/university partnership to build on its existing capacity and critical mass as knowledge and approaches in the area evolve in order to ensure the theme remains responsive over the course of the award.

Case Studies

Please include up to 3 case studies (these should be maximum 400 words or an A4 infographic each) that illustrate the partnership's expertise in high quality translational, applied and health services research on patient safety of relevance to the Theme. Case studies should be understandable to both lay and expert members of the Committee and written in plain English, without use of jargon. Any technical terms should be explained. Please provide references for up to 3 primary publications per case study.

Case Study 1

This answer can be given via:

• Text box (400 words); or
• A4 Infographic (1 page maximum, PDF format)

If you do not wish to include a case study here, select N/A

Case Study 2

This answer can be given via:

• Text box (400 words); or
• A4 Infographic (1 page maximum, PDF format)

If you do not wish to include a case study here, select N/A

Case Study 3

This answer can be given via:

• Text box (400 words); or
• A4 Infographic (1 page maximum, PDF format)

If you do not wish to include a case study here, select N/A

Partnerships/collaborations required to support the Theme(s) (300 words)

Please provide details of how any proposed additional partner organisations (as listed in “Other Partner Details”) will contribute to the Theme. This should include details of:

• the additional expertise they will bring to the Theme;
• roles that they will contribute to the Theme;
• examples of previous successful research collaborations between the additional partner(s), universities or NHS organisations, and the NHS and/or university partners.

Approach to Collaborative Working

Please outline the strength of the existing strategic partnerships between the NHS and university partnership and other collaborating NHS/university partners highlighted in the application who will form part of the proposed NIHR PSRC. (600 words)

Please describe the approach and strategy of the proposed NIHR PSRC for working collaboratively with other universities, local authorities, other health and care organisations and other relevant organisations with responsibilities and/or expertise in a wide range of health and care services (including primary, secondary, tertiary, mental health and social care providers). (600 words)

Please describe the approach and strategy of the proposed NIHR PSRC for working with industry, charities and other (non-NIHR) public funders of research. Please provide examples of key strategic partnerships already in place that are directly relevant to the proposed Theme(s). (600 words)

Please outline the approach and strategy to support the proposed NIHR PSRC’s commitment to collaborative working across NIHR and with other parts of the NIHR infrastructure. This should outline how the proposed NIHR PSRCs will work with other parts of the NIHR infrastructure (including Local Clinical Research Networks, NIHR Biomedical Research Centres, NIHR Applied Research Collaborations and NIHR Medtech and In vitro diagnostics Co-operatives) to strengthen regional partnerships and ensure NIHR infrastructures are appropriately joined up to maximise opportunities for driving the translation of research into benefits for patients and the public, the health and care system and for broader economic gain. (600 words)

Patient and Public Involvement, Engagement and Participation (1000 words)

Please describe the partnership's approach to and future plans for Patient and Public Involvement, Engagement and Participation (PPIE) in research. This section should consist of a summary of:

• The proposed NIHR PSRC’s strategic objectives for PPIE including the approach that will be taken for equality, diversity and inclusion and the need to reach underserved communities. The programme(s) of activity to deliver the strategic objectives including involvement and engagement across the Theme(s);
• An outline of the resources that the proposed NIHR PSRC intends to commit to delivering the programme of activities, highlighting the role(s) and FTE that will be committed to enable delivery of the PPIE strategy. Please consider what resources you will put in place to support novel involvement and engagement mechanisms such as community engagement, digital engagement or other models that broaden reach;
• The relevant strategic and operational partnerships and collaborations at the local, regional and national levels;
• The processes for assessing and evidencing the impact of the proposed NIHR PSRC’s PPIE approach - and for capturing and sharing the wider learning that is generated - across the full spectrum of research delivery/dissemination;
• The leadership mechanisms that ensure progress in delivering the plans feeds into the management and governance processes of the proposed NIHR PSRC.

Research Capacity Development (1000 words)

Please describe the partnership’s approach and future plans for Research Capacity Development. 

Please provide:

• The proposed strategy and objectives for delivering academic capacity development and training within the proposed NIHR PSRC. This should include consideration of the whole of the academic career pathway (including post-doctoral training and future career development), pathways to impact of all proposed activities, and personal and professional development opportunities such as access to mentorship and leadership programmes; 
• Evidence of strengths that the NHS/university partnership brings to delivering successful research capacity building; 
• Demonstration of commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in capacity building and to improving research training culture; 
• The proposed organisational oversight and responsibility for the delivery of the academic career development strategy, including the role of Academic Career Development Lead (and/or co-Leads if appropriate) and where they will fit within the strategic and operational governance structures of the proposed NIHR PSRC;
• Demonstration of how the NIHR PSRC’s approach to Research Capacity Development is complementary to the national offer provided by the NIHR Academy.

Financial Plan and Justification of Resources

NOTE: The text in this section provides guidance on filling out the template finance form, which should be downloaded from this section, completed, and then re-uploaded in the upload slot in Excel format.

Applicants will need to complete three main sections:

• the ‘PSRC Details’ tab;
• the cost category sections (tabs 1 - 11); and
• the ‘Financial Plan & Justification of Resources’ tab.

The summary tabs on the financial plan will auto-populate depending on the information added to cost category sections (tabs 1-11). These summary tabs include summaries of all costs, direct and indirect, and NHS support costs, staff by type, staff by role, by organisation costs, costs by Theme(s) and costs by Strategic Patient Safety Challenge Area(s). Applicants should refer to the specific guidance provided within the form

Financial Plan

Applicants will need to complete a detailed financial plan for each Theme. This will require a detailed breakdown of costs for staff posts and salaries, travel, subsistence, conference, equipment, consumables, PPIE, dissemination, costs associated with open access publishing, NHS support costs, other direct costs and indirect costs 

NHS/university partnerships applying for more than one Theme will need to present the combined cost of core functions and facilities (e.g. Director’s salary, management costs) which underpin the Theme(s). Please note that ‘Core’ is not a Theme; this is prescribed purely for finance purposes. The costs of core functions and facilities should not be spread across multiple Themes.

Summary of Finances and Justification of Resources (500 words)

Please provide a description of how the resources will be deployed to support the work of the proposed NIHR PSRC, including:

• Justification for the resources requested, including the level of resource required for core costs if there is more than one Theme; 
• Please state the resources that will be required to be allocated in order to manage and administer the proposed NIHR PSRC; 
• Please state the resources that will be allocated to (i) PPIE and (ii) Research Capacity Development activities;
• Please outline how the funding provided will build on DHSC/NIHR investment via other funding schemes (including other NIHR Infrastructure) to deliver value for money.

Contingency Plans (300 words)

Please provide a statement outlining what areas would be prioritised in the event of the final award being decreased by:

• -10%, or
• -50%.

Other authorising roles- signatories (electronic)

Electronic signatures

These approvals are required to ensure that the costs submitted are agreed by the Host NHS Organisation and partner university as an accurate estimate of the cost of undertaking the proposed research. These approvals must be in electronic form and can only be completed by the selected contacts below via the Research Management System. Failure to complete these approvals will result in the application failing validation at submission.

The proposed NIHR PSRC Director must add the following supporting roles from the host organisation to the application:

• Chief Finance Officer of the Host NHS organisation;
• Authorised signatory for the Host NHS organisation;
• Authorised signatory for the lead partner university.

On assigning these contacts an email will be sent to each by the system requesting they approve the application and confirm the content by checking the boxes on this tab. Once these contacts have approved the application it will be possible to submit.

No original or ‘wet ink’ signatures are required for this application.

Chief Finance Officer of the Host NHS organisation

The Chief Finance Officer must approve the application and check the access controlled box below before the application can be submitted.

In ticking this, you as the Chief Finance Officer for the Host NHS organisation confirm that you have checked the financial details of this application and that the named institution is prepared to carry out this research at the stated costs and to administer the award if made. You also confirm that the staff grades and salaries quoted are correct and in accordance with the normal practice of this organisation. 

Ticking this box constitutes an electronic signature of the supporting role with regard to this application.

Authorised signatory for the Host NHS organisation

This is the individual who can authorise this application on behalf of the Host NHS Organisation. 

The authorised signatory must approve the application and check the access controlled box below before the application can be submitted.

In ticking this, you as an authorised signatory for the Host NHS Organisation, confirm that the Host NHS Organisation fully endorses the application for an NIHR PSRC award and assert that appropriate support will be provided to the PSRC should the application for funding be successful. You also confirm that the Host NHS Organisation will comply with all NIHR research governance initiatives, including use of model research agreements/contracts and compliance with the UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research requirements.

I confirm that I have checked the financial details of this application and that this Organisation is prepared to carry out this research at the stated cost and to administer the awards if made. The staff salaries quoted are correct and in accordance with the normal practice of this institution.

Ticking this box constitutes an electronic signature of the supporting role with regard to this application.

Authorised signatory for the lead partner university

This is the individual who can authorise this application on behalf of the partner university.

The authorised signatory must approve the application and check the access controlled box below before the application can be submitted.

In ticking this, you as an authorised signatory for the lead partner university, confirm that the lead partner University fully endorses the application for an NIHR PSRC award and assert that appropriate support will be provided to the PSRC should the application for funding be successful. You also confirm that the university will comply with all NIHR research governance initiatives, including use of model research agreements/contracts and compliance with the UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research requirements.

I confirm that I have checked the financial details of this application and that this Organisation is prepared to carry out this research at the stated cost and to administer the awards if made. The staff salaries quoted are correct and in accordance with the normal practice of this institution.

Ticking this box constitutes an electronic signature of the supporting role with regard to this application.

Administrative contact details

Please provide the contact details of an individual as a secondary point of contact for any queries relating to the application, should it be supported. 

NOTE: This person does not need to be a co-applicant.

• contact name
• contact job title
• contact telephone number
• contact email address

This contact will need an approved RMS account in order to be found in the search box.

Research office contact details

Please provide the contact details and job title of a person in the R&D office so that the NIHR is able to notify them of the outcome of this application including any associated feedback.

NOTE: This person does not need to be included as a co-applicant.

• R&D office contact name
• R&D office contact job title
• R&D office contact telephone number
• R&D office contact email address

Acknowledgement, review and submit

Conflicts of Interest (COI) declaration (300 words)

Please declare any conflicts or potential conflicts of interest that you or your co-applicants may have in undertaking this research, including any relevant personal, non-personal and commercial interest that could be perceived as a conflict of interest.                   

Please declare any conflicts or potential conflicts of interest that you or your co-applicants may have, including any facts that, should they come to light at a future date, could lead to a perception of bias. Include any relevant personal, non-personal & commercial interest that could be perceived as a conflict of interest. Examples include (this list is not all encompassing): secondary employment, consultancy, financial or commercial gain (pensions, shareholdings, directorships, voting rights), honoraria, etc. In a case of commercial sector involvement with the application or the study, please state clearly the relationship to ownership of data, access to data, and membership of project oversight groups. 

Agreement to terms and conditions - Director

In ticking this, you as Director confirm that the information given on this form is correct and that you will be actively engaged in this research and responsible for its overall management.  In addition, you will accept responsibility for ensuring that the Host NHS Organisation, lead University and interested parties are kept informed.

Ticking this box constitutes an electronic signature of the Director with regard to this application.

Agreement to terms and conditions - Co-Director

In ticking this, you as Co-Director confirm that the information given on this form is correct and that you will be actively engaged in this research and responsible for its overall management.  In addition, you will accept responsibility for ensuring that the Host NHS Organisation, lead University and interested parties are kept informed.

Ticking this box constitutes an electronic signature of the Co-Director with regard to this application.

Validation Summary

Applications are considered confidential by the NIHR and all reasonable steps are taken to ensure that this confidentiality is not breached. Further information and guidance can be found within the Confidentiality and Guidance Document. 

Please follow the next steps in order to complete your application submission process;

• Complete all mandatory/required fields listed below before submitting;
• Click 'Save and Close';
• Click the 'Submit' option (this must be completed by 1pm on 09 February 2022).
  

Please note that your submission will not be considered complete until all applicants have both confirmed and approved the application and the 'Submit' button becomes available and is then used.

You will receive an automated email containing the acknowledgment that NIHR has received your application.

If you have any queries about the RMS and the application process please contact NIHR via email at ccf-infrastructure-team@nihr.ac.uk or phone (020 8843 8050). 

If there are no validation requirements you will be able to submit the application. To do so 'Save and Close' the application and then click ‘Submit'.