Academic Support Unit

Many research projects begin with a question or observation. We can help you develop these early ideas into clear, well‑defined research proposals.

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We support you to:

• discuss and refine your idea in a structured conversation

• understand the feasibility and scope of your project

• develop a researchable question

• connect with relevant experts, including methodologists, statisticians, and PPI contributors
   

In practice: 

You may approach us with an idea at any stage. We will work with you to shape it into a project that is achievable and methodologically sound.

Ethics and governance processes are essential to ensuring research is safe, compliant, and high‑quality. We provide clear, practical support to help you navigate these requirements.

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We support you to:

• identify the approvals and documentation required

• complete IRAS applications

• prepare ethics submissions

• meet sponsorship requirements

• ensure study documentation is complete and compliant
   

In practice: 

We can review your materials and guide you through each step of the process, ensuring your project meets regulatory standards.

Once your project has received approval, we can assist you with the practical aspects of study delivery.

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We support you with:

• recruitment planning

• site set-up

• study documentation and EDGE

• troubleshooting during early delivery stages

• Monitoring and auditing study delivery

• Closing studies
   

In practice: 

We help you establish the foundations of your study so that delivery is efficient, compliant, and well‑supported.

Meaningful involvement of patients and communities strengthens the relevance and quality of research. We can support you to embed PPI throughout your project.

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We can help you to:

• engage with PPI contributors

• obtain feedback on study ideas and materials

• design inclusive and accessible recruitment approaches

• build ongoing partnerships with people with lived experience
   

In practice: 

PPI contributors provide insight into what matters most to service users and communities, helping to ensure your research is grounded in real‑world priorities.

We provide accessible support to help you design your study and analyse your data appropriately.

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We can support you with:

• study design and methodology

• statistical analysis

• qualitative methods

• data governance

• using Qualtrics XM
   

In practice: 

You bring your study plan or dataset, and we help you determine the most appropriate analytical approach.

We offer a comprehensive programme of training to support staff at all levels.

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Our training includes:

• Getting Started in Research

• Researcher Development Programme

• Research Leaders Programme

• CRIS training

• 1‑to‑1 support

• IRAS and ethics workshops

• writing for publication

• qualitative and quantitative methods

• monthly drop‑ins

• online templates and videos
   

In practice: 

You select the sessions that align with your goals, and we support you to develop your skills and confidence.

CRIS enables clinicians to analyse routinely collected clinical data in a secure and responsible way. We can support you to develop and deliver CRIS‑based projects.

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We support you to:

• understand the capabilities and limitations of CRIS

• develop a CRIS research question

• use NLP tools where appropriate

• navigate governance and approval processes

• prepare outputs for publication
   

In practice: 

You bring a question about clinical practice, and we help you explore it using CRIS data.

We can help you prepare your research for publication and share your findings across the Trust and beyond.

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We support you to:

• write manuscripts

• prepare conference abstracts

• respond to peer‑review feedback

• design posters and presentations

• disseminate your work internally and externally
   

In practice: 

Whether you have a draft or are starting from scratch, we can help you develop high‑quality outputs.