Support to streamline study start-up
- Published: 01 October 2024
- 3 min read
Help to coordinate start-up activities across multiple sites
The NHS is made up of separate organisations across the UK. Each NHS organisation will be responsible for setting up and opening your study at your selected sites. They will work directly with you, or your delegate.
We understand how important it is to open sites quickly and commence recruitment. We can support study start-up by using our national network structure to enable your selected sites to collaborate.
We will provide the mechanism for your sites to share their insights and solutions to overcome potential obstacles and challenges during study start-up and delivery. This ‘do once and share’ approach enables study sites to open quickly and efficiently.
Benefits of using this service
- Efficient: optimises productivity, minimises resource requirements
- Collaborative: enables sites to proactively share and receive relevant information
- Proactive: enables sites to anticipate and address challenges
- Free: all our Study Support Services are free. Learn why this support is free
When to access study start-up support
Study set-up comprises a number of different activities involving multiple organisations. Our study start-up support is available once you have study-wide regulatory and ethical approvals in place, and completed costing and contracting with sites.
Get started: Schedule your study start-up call
For each participating site you will have a local contact in the Research Delivery Network (RDN) or devolved administration equivalent. Your lead RDN - the region where your Chief Investigator is based - will arrange a study-wide start-up call. The purpose of this call is to initiate the conversation with all your sites. The agenda will be tailored to your study and the outcomes will be shared with all your study sites.
Your study start-up call details (usually a video call) will be emailed when you have your approvals in place. To access and optimise this support simply accept your start-up call invitation and share with relevant colleagues.
What happens if I decide not to use the support described here?
The support and activities described on this page will help you to ensure your study is delivered within planned timescales.
All the studies we support must have clear value to the NHS, as explained in our Eligibility Criteria. Studies that are not progressing can have a negative impact on NHS capacity to deliver other research. This could result in NIHR support being withdrawn and reallocated elsewhere to ensure the flow of research participation opportunities to patients is maintained.
Our Study Support Service
The support described here is part of the NIHR Study Support Service - a specific set of these tools and services to help you plan, place and deliver research. This helpful 10 step guide for our Study Support Service for the life sciences industry explains how to access the right support, at the right time.
Our Life Sciences Industry Learning Centre contains resources that will help you to understand and optimise support available via the NIHR Study Support Service. Log in to NIHR Learn with your existing Central Portfolio Management System (CPMS) details, or create a CPMS account.
More support from the NIHR
This service is just one of the ways we help life science organisations. Discover our full range of services:
Services and support for the life sciences industry
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Contact the Industry team
Fill out our contact form to request a chat with our team. We aim to reply as soon as possible and always within two business days.
For assistance relating to a specific site or study that is already underway, you can contact your local or lead site support team.