What you should know about submitting a research project
Is my project research? Not all projects are research. For example, many service evaluations and service improvement initiatives also generate important and useful information which contributes to better services.
If you are not sure if your study would be classed as research this link may help:
Does my study need external ethical approval?
Health Research Authority (HRA) approval is the process for reviewing and approving research in the NHS in England and Wales. This involves a centralised risk assessment of governance and related matters undertaken by the HRA and where required review by an NHS Research Ethics Committee (REC) and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Learn about if you need approval from HRA here: External Ethical Approval
How do I find out about the processes to follow?
The standard operating procedure: Gaining Confirmation of Capacity & Capability to Deliver Research at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust (insert link) outlines the processes undertaken by the Research and Innovation (R&I) team at Mersey Care to confirm capacity and capability for research studies being conducted in the Trust. Obtaining confirmation of capacity and capability is an essential prerequisite to conducting research at Mersey Care, unless the HRA has specified that a research study does not require formal capacity and capability review.
If you need any further advice please email a member of the R&I team at Research.department@merseycare.nhs.uk
What other information do I need to submit a research application?
Please refer to the standard operating procedure - Gaining Confirmation of Capacity and Capability to Deliver Research at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust (insert link).