Research Design Services

Introduction

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has set-up a new network of Research Design Services. There are 10 of these services in England. Each one covers a Strategic Health Authority area. You can view these areas on a map.

Research Design Services (RDS) will support researchers to develop high quality research proposals. The team in each RDS will be able to offer advice on statistics, health economics, qualitative research methods, quantitative research methods, systematic reviews and a range of research areas across clinical research, public health and social sciences. This will mainly be to researchers who want to apply for funding from the national, peer-reviewed funding competitions for applied health or social care research, for example, those within the NIHR, the Medical Research Council and some medical research charities.

If you would like advice on your research contact your local Research Design Service who will be able to let you know whether your research proposal is within their scope.  Applications to the NIHR Research for Patient Benefit programme often take priority.

Public involvement and Research Design Services

Within each RDS team at least one person will be taking the lead for public involvement in research.

• Support to researchers

 The RDS will provide advice to researchers on how to involve members of the public in their research and may also be able to help researchers make contact with members of the public who are interested in getting involved in research projects.

• Opportunities for members of the public to get involved

Each RDS will have different opportunities to get involved. These might include:

• Peer reviewing funding applications (or research proposals)
• Being part of the Research Design Service management team
• Being linked with a research team to work with them on developing their research proposal

Most will also offer training to members of the public interested in getting involved in research.

Further information about the public involvement work in each RDS is detailed in a report which we have called the RDS public involvement ‘map’

For further information please contact your local Research Design Service

Local contact details:

North East:

North West:

Yorkshire and Humber:

East Midlands:

West Midlands:

East of England:

London:

South East:

South Central:

South West: