Study Support Service

Our Study Support Service offers a bespoke service to enable a collaborative approach that responds to your overall study delivery.

The Study Support team consists of highly skilled professionals dedicated to supporting researchers in the successful set-up and delivery of high quality research, so the study can be delivered on time. As a team we are able to offer a first-rate service focusing on working with researchers to add value during study planning and set-up activities, specialising in supporting the facilitation of multi-site studies running in our network.

Plan:

We encourage researchers to come to us at the earliest opportunity so that we can provide the full range of benefits to you for your study. This includes support with cost attribution, assistance with grant applications, protocol development and signposting to funders with calls for applications.

We are able to deliver comprehensive and efficient early feedback on your study, offering advice and guidance on study complexity, patient population, time lines and recruitment strategy. The aim of this service is to optimise set-up and delivery of the study across multiple sites enabling the study to reach its milestones and targets.

Our service uses a national approach to ensure that your study is set-up as quickly and efficiently as possible across all sites. As a network we are able to build on central knowledge and skills to create a bespoke plan for your study. We work closely with the research team to provide proactive solutions and recommendations to other networks and sites that enable R&D departments to assess site capacity and capability swiftly.

Place:

We offer a national approach to site identification, through which all NHS organisations and general practices can be notified of your study and provide an expression of interest. Following this you can engage directly with the interested sites to enable site selection.

For commercial studies with pre-selected sites, our site intelligence service forms part of the assessment to determine eligibility for access to CRN study support. It complements existing feasibility by using local site and study intelligence and expertise, including any competing or previous studies.

Perform:

Our data systems collate local site information providing study-wide oversight to support proactive performance monitoring. Our industry team and research delivery managers work closely with the research teams and R&D departments to ensure that recruitment to time and target is attained. This enables early identification of any issues that may arise and enables a swift resolution. For our lead LCRN studies we also work closely with our chief investigators and the sponsor representative.

Contact: studysupport.crnthamesvalley@nihr.ac.uk.