National Institute for Health Research Research Design Services (NIHR RDSs) aim to increase the volume and quality of successful grant applications for NIHR funding. To do this they provide expert advice to help local researchers to develop and design high quality research proposals for submission to national, peer-reviewed funding competitions for applied health or social care research. Each RDS is part of the NIHR infrastructure and this support is provided free of charge.

The NIHR RDS for the East Midlands (RDS EM) has its main bases in Leicester and Nottingham with a small team of administrative and information resources staff based in Sheffield and other associated staff located within the geographical area covered by the RDS. There is a wide skill-mix of staff including statisticians, qualitative researchers, epidemiologists, health economists and information specialists. RDS staff are research-active and have considerable expertise in developing and designing high quality research proposals.

In addition, the RDS maintains strong links with NHS and social care organisations across the East Midlands and South Yorkshire.

 Strategic aim

To provide an accessible and responsive service to researchers across the East Midlands offering expert methodological advice in order to significantly increase the number of high quality applications for funding to undertake applied people-focused health and social care research.

 Objectives

•  To provide an effective support service to researchers throughout the East Midlands for the preparation of proposals for submission to national, peer-reviewed funding competitions for applied health or social care research;

•  To provide a comprehensive range of expertise in research design, including in clinical trials, epidemiological studies, qualitative and social research, systematic reviews and economic evaluations;

• To raise awareness of research funding priorities, opportunities and requirements, particularly those relating to Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) and other NIHR research funding programmes;

• To support appropriate and meaningful patient and public involvement (PPI), particularly in research design;

• To foster collaborations between health, social care and academic researchers as well as users of health and social care services, the public and other relevant partners;

• To ensure a high quality service through monitoring and review of activities and outcomes;

•  To support the development of research design skills, including through educational activities where appropriate;

•  To signpost researchers to other sources of research support outside the RDS.

 Collaborations

Researchers within the Unit have extensive collaborations with research groups in health trusts and academic institutions across the East Midlands, including in cardiovascular medicine and diabetes, ageing and stroke, elderly care, renal transplantation and adult psychiatry. 

Research Income

The current value of the University of Leicester RDSU/RDS contract is approximately £580,000 per year.