igniting our potential

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igniting our potential

• UKCRC Public Health Research
• Centres of Excellence
• Open Meeting
• 11th January 2007

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Structure of the Open Meeting

• Welcome and Introductions
• Background
• Aims and Objectives of the Centres of Excellence
• Application Process
• Question and Answer Session

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Purpose of the Open Meeting

• Raise awareness and provide information
• Chance to ask questions
• Opportunity to meet colleagues
• Representatives from funders present
• New Initiative wont know all the answers
• May need to be further dialogue between funders
• QA will be posted on the website

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Coordinating Research Funding

• Aim - Develop a coherent approach to research
  funding
• Publication of the first national analysis of
  health research in the UK
• Forum for discussions - Strategic Planning Groups
  
• Public Health Research
• Microbiology Infectious Diseases Research

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Strategic Planning Groups (SPG)

• Senior representatives from funding organisations
• Review status of research in a particular area
• Analyse ongoing and planned activities
• Consult with experts and stakeholders
• Identify barriers and opportunities
• Implement joint or coordinated actions to address
  issues
• SPG models from National Cancer Research
  Institute initiatives eg National Prevention
  Research Initiative (NPRI)

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Coordinated approach by the funders

• Establishment of UKCRC Public Health Research
  Centres of Excellence is a major outcome from the
  SPG
• Part of an ongoing dialogue between funders on
  public health research

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UKCRC Public Health Research
Centres of ExcellenceAims and Objectives
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UKCRC Public Health Research SPG

• Established July 2005 - Ian Diamond (ESRC) chair
• Senior representatives from relevant funders
• Aim co-ordinated approach to strengthening
  public health research environment in UK
• Gathered evidence
• Major reviews in area
• Mapped activities of funders
• Consulted with stakeholders and experts
• Scoping papers on key emerging themes

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Issues emerging

• Overall need to boost infrastructure and build
  capacity
• Main issues emerging
• Training and career structure
• Multi-disciplinary and collaborative working
• Maximising use of existing data
• Methodological issues
• Specific areas highlighted
• Diet and nutrition
• Physical activity
• Alcohol, tobacco and drugs

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Response by funders

• Main outcome - Joint initiative to establish
  UKCRC Public Health Research Centres of
  Excellence
• Funding partners - BHF, CRUK, DH, ESRC, MRC, RD
  NI HPSS, WORD and Wellcome Trust
• New investment of 20m aimed at increasing
  infrastructure and building research capacity

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Objectives of Centres

• Promote research excellence
• Increase investment in infrastructure
• Build sustainable research capacity - new
  academic posts and training programmes
• Encourage multi-disciplinary partnerships between
  leading academics, practitioners and policy
  makers
• Promote leadership to tackle issues such as
  methodology and use of existing data sets

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Structure of the Centres

• Flexible model
• Partnership of organisations or
• Multi-disciplinary teams from single organisation
  or
• Hub and spokes
• Teams of leading experts from a range of
  disciplines in partnership with practitioners,
  policy makers, NHS, wider stakeholders
• Strong career development programme
• High-quality, broad programme of research

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Focus of research

• Areas which potentially will have a large impact
  on improving public health
• Diet and nutrition
• Physical activity
• Alcohol, tobacco and drugs
• Other significant areas will be considered
• Focus on translational and applied research
• Contribution to methodological issues, research
  design and secondary use of data

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Funding

• Total funding available 20m
• Will support 3 5 Centres
• Each Centre may apply for up to 5m over a 5 year
  period
• Expected that Centres will be self-sustaining
  within 10 years
• Funding available for
• New academic posts
• Training and career development programmes
• Infrastructure and resources such as staff, IT,
  equipment, facilities
• Ring fenced funds for outreach work
• Expected to compete for direct research funding
  from existing sources

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Selection Criteria

• Scientific excellence - past and potential
• Contribution to aims and objectives of Initiative
• Strategic management
• Demonstrate added value achieved by bringing
  together critical mass of expertise through
  multi-disciplinary working and additional
  resources

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Take Home Message

• Think big
• Work with others
• Focus on topics that will make a difference

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Application Process
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Introduction

• Commissioning Process
• Guidance Notes for Applicants
• Application Form
• Case for Support
• Scientific Case for Funding
• Key Dates
• Contacts

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Commissioning Process
CMB interview top ranking proposals and make
final decisions December 07
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Guidance Notes for Applicants

• Form (1)
• All applications must be submitted via the
  Research Councils Je-S system https//je-s.rcuk.a
  c.uk/
• Je-S registration is required in order to apply
  and it is VERY IMPORTANT that prospective
  applicants begin the registration process as
  early as possible.
• Helpdesk
• JeSHelp_at_rcuk.ac.uk or 01793 444164
• At least 48 hour lead time to submission should
  be planned due to approval required within
  submitting organisations

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Guidance Notes for Applicants

• Form (2)
• Project Details
• Disciplines
• Investigators
• Act as Reviewer
• Resource Summary
• Summary
• Project Partners

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Guidance Notes for Applicants

• Case for Support (1)
• Institutional Commitment to the Centre (max. 1
  side of A4)
• Research Experience (max. half a side of A4 per
  applicant). Applicants should also use this
  section to briefly define the intended
  disciplinary make-up of the centre.)
• Commitments to the Centre (max. 1 side of A4)
• Other commitments

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Guidance Notes for Applicants

• Case for Support (2)
• Scientific Case for funding (max. 6 sides of A4)
• Non-academic Impact and Involvement (max. 1 page
  of A4)
• Centre Management (max. 1 page of A4)
• Contribution to Aims and Strategic Objectives of
  the Initiative (max. 1 page of A4)
• Capacity Building (max. 1 page of A4)

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Guidance Notes for Applicants

• Scientific Case for Funding
• the proposed scientific and strategic vision of
  the centre (including overview of the Centre's
  long-term direction and development)
• key objectives of the proposed Centre
• the proposed programme of activities
• a draft set of major outcomes
• the added value of long-term support in the form
  of a co-ordinated Centre (rather than as a series
  of individual awards for direct research or
  postgraduate training funding).
• how the Centre fits with the research
  organisations financial and academic strategies
  as well as plans to develop research performance,
  research capacity and infrastructure.

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Key Dates - 2007

• Initiative launched - 11th January
• Intentions to Apply Due - 3rd March
• Closing date for outline proposals - 27th March
• Panel meeting to shortlist outline proposals -
  Mid May
• Notification of outcome to applicants - Late May
• Closing date for submission of full proposals -
  July
• Panel meeting to Rank proposals on scientific
  merit - Early October
• Centres Management Board consider ranked
  proposals - October
• Notification of outcome to applicants - Early
  November
• Interviews - Early December
• Centres Management Board makes Funding Decisions
  - December
• Notification of decisions to applicants - Mid
  December
• Contract negotiation for successful applicants

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Contacts

• Enquiries relating to
• Guidance Notes for Applicants
• ESRC Research Funding Rules and
• Application procedures in relation to this scheme
  
• should be addressed to PHCentresComp_at_esrc.ac.uk
• Enquiries relating to
• Technical aspects of the Je-S form
• should be addressed to JeSHelp_at_rcuk.ac.uk