How to develop a research project
Research-flowchart
First steps
The Research design Service is funded by the National Institute of Health Research. The service provides design and methodological advice to health and social care researchers across England. All advice is confidential, free of charge, and can support the development of grant applications to the NIHR and other national peer-reviewed programmes. Research and Development at Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust can also provide support in the initial stages of designing a research project. Both the Research Design service and Research and Development at CPFT are able to provide assistance with peer reviewing the research proposal.
Feasibility
The C2:AD is able to help with determining feasibility of research participants in the Trust. Feasibility checks can ascertain whether there are sufficient numbers of service users experiencing the mental health issue you are hoping to research. You may need to consider whether you have support from clinical teams, and whether you have access to the right equipment, such as an MRI machine.
The CRIS research database is a CPFT initiative using software that feeds electronic clinical records into a database. The information is anonymised such that electronic records are only identifiable by a research ID number.
Researchers will be able to use the database for epidemiological studies, as well as to identify potentially eligible CPFT patients. For more information about the CPFT database, click here.
Patient and Public Involvement
Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) is key when developing a research study. The C2:AD holds Lived Experience Group meetings that are able to review research studies and comment on the ethical issues, materials and projects. We have a separate page dedicated to PPI and our Lived Experiences Group.