As part of the Thames Valley
Comprehensive Local Research Network, the Royal
Berkshire's R&D Office is part of a network for those
involved in planning and managing research in Health and Social
Care in the Thames Valley.
The aim is to improve the environment
for research by facilitating and encouraging sharing of best
practice, and working with other organisations to increase
recruitment into research studies.
The Research and Development Office was established to promote,
co-ordinate and support R&D within the Royal Berkshire NHS
Foundation Trust (RBFT). Its remit encompasses the Health and
Social Care research needs across all sectors of the RBFT.
R&D exists to advise, assist and support all individuals across
the Trust who wishes to initiate or conduct any type of research on
Trust premises or with Trust patients, staff or their data.
All projects with implications for the RBFT
must be submitted to the R&D Office for review. This
includes projects:
- involving the participation of Trust
employees
- involving the use of Trust facilities
- involving patients under the care of the
Trust
- involving use of Trust resources.
The functions of the R&D Office are
to:
- assess the quality of the study and to ensure
all research is well governed and managed
- ensure that adequate information has been
obtained for registration of the project on the R&D database
and, where appropriate, on the Comprehensive Local Research
Network Portfolio
- register, administer and monitor all R&D
project activity
- ensure that the project has received a final
favourable opinion from a Research Ethics Committee
- facilitate compliance with all statutory
requirements and ensure best practice is adhered to
- ensure that the financial and resource
implications of the project are understood
- bid and manage R&D infrastructure
funding
- ensure that the project has the support and
approval of the management of the relevant clinical directorates
and support departments; ensure that any formal agreements or
contracts with external bodies have been finalised
- decide, in the case of 'own
account/Investigator led' projects (i.e. those with no external
funding), whether the Trust will take on the role of sponsor of the
project (as defined in the Research Governance Framework)
- facilitate appropriate agreements with
funders both commercial and non commercial
- ensure that any formal agreements or
contracts with external bodies have been finalised
- ensure that all researchers have substantive
or honorary contracts with the Trust
- acting as a liaison between academic and
other tertiary institutions.
Staff Details:
Leslie Frederick R&D
Manager
Edith Hawkins R&D Co-ordinator
Carys Jones Clinical Trials Implementation
Manager
Useful Contacts
Research & Development
Physio East, Level 2
London Road
Reading, Berkshire
RG1 5AN
Tel: 0118 322
8693
Fax: 0118 322 8425