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NIHR CRN Greater Manchester's Evening of Excellence: Categories and criteria

Contents

Commendations for Adaptive Working

An individual or a team who worked in a different or unfamiliar setting (but stayed within a research setting). They may have taken on a new role, perhaps as a result of being redeployed during the pandemic, and worked elsewhere, either within their own organisation or another organisation. They stepped up to the challenge and flourished in a new environment.

Exceptional Leadership in Delivery

An individual or a team who has shown strong leadership at any level. This may have been in frontline delivery, behind the scenes in coordination, as an investigator, in strategic management, or other relevant areas. They drove forward change when it was needed most and motivated staff to work together and achieve fantastic outcomes. They might have looked beyond their own organisation to lead collaboration across the Greater Manchester network for the good of local patients.

Innovation Influencers

An individual or team whose innovation, or good ideas, resulted in positive change for research. Their ideas challenged regular ways of working and brought about positive change which would not otherwise have happened. They thought differently and achieved something which fundamentally made things better - either in the way research is planned or delivered, or in the participant experience.

Compelling Collaborators

Individuals, teams, departments, organisations or stakeholders who came together and made a significant impact. Those involved, with their combined skill sets and dedication, collaborated to great effect to achieve a shared goal.

Community Catalysts

An individual or team who made a key contribution to the delivery of research in a community setting outside of a hospital environment. They may have made a real difference in research undertaken in Primary Care, Public Health, Social Care or to studies which participants could get involved with entirely from home. They may work in what’s traditionally a secondary care-based team but delivered research in a community setting that was convenient for participants to access.

Inspiring Inclusive Involvement

An individual or team who rose to the challenge to promote diversity, equality and inclusion in research participation. They recognised the obstacles to participation for different demographics in our local communities and took steps to provide equity of access for people to get involved in research. 

Trailblazers in COVID-19 research response

An individual or team who made a significant and important impact in response to the pandemic. They led, or made a vital contribution, to Urgent Public Health research which has helped turn the tide on COVID-19. The role they played will stand among Greater Manchester’s most impressive contributions when we reflect on the region’s response to the biggest health crisis of our generation.

Remarkable Contributions to Recovery

An individual or team who have been integral to getting non-COVID research up-and-running again following the pandemic-enforced pause. They might have implemented innovative processes to re-open recruitment to ensure participation opportunities were restored in a safe manner. They could have found entirely new delivery models to overcome hurdles presented by the pandemic.They will have excelled in recovering their portfolio, or sections of it.

Exceptional Experiences

An individual or team who provided first-class care and continually put the experience of their participants at the forefront of what they do. They may have instigated positive change as a result of participant feedback, or received glowing praise from a participant(s) for superb care that went above the norm. They may have taken steps to ensure that a participant’s carer or family had an excellent experience. They will have thought and acted outside of standard job roles to ensure gold standard care and provide the best possible research experiences.

Alternatively, they may have ensured that a stakeholder in the research system had an excellent experience while collaborating to deliver research in Greater Manchester. The stakeholder might be a representative from a sponsor, Clinical Research Organisation (CRO), academia or relevant equivalent.

Recognising Outstanding Engagement

An individual or team who recruited to a trial, or raised awareness of a research project, through proactive engagement outside usual methods. They may have worked with the public to ensure previously disengaged communities are more aware of research. They may have taken steps to encourage participation in research related to COVID-19 such as the vaccination trial programme to address hesitancies. They will have made new and valuable connections to ensure research is more inclusive.

Special Recognition for Services to Research

An individual or team, working at any level, who played a key role in a successful outcome. They might be described as an 'unsung hero'. Their efforts may have gone unnoticed by some, but it’s clear to you that their superb input should be recognised, and those who work closest to them know just how invaluable their work has been. You might not directly associate their contribution with any of the above categories, but their efforts deserve recognition during this celebration.