A Day in the Life: Kitty Wood, Study Support Service Facilitator
As the Early Contact Lead for the CRN East Midland's Study Support Service, I can receive requests for advice, guidance and support from what I like to call the lightbulb moment (when a researcher has an idea which he or she would like to pursue) to study set up and delivery; therefore I thought why not give you some real life examples of some recent interactions and requests, along with what people think of the services we provide.
Early Contact – Grant Submissions and Cost attribution support
As part of the Study Support Service offering to our partner organisations we can and do tailor the support we provide when the need arises. This was the case not too long ago when, due to unforeseen circumstances, we were asked to provide additional support to a Trust in relation to costing grant applications. I jumped at the opportunity to further expand my skill set, although it was a little daunting to begin with. I received great support from senior colleagues within the CRN who reassured me on more than one occasion that my costings were of a high standard and I had picked this up very quickly (I am known to ask lots of questions).
This knowledge was further cemented when I met up with a grants manager at another NHS Trust to discuss ways of working, processes and perhaps to pick up some useful tips. The meeting was a great success and it was good to know we each approach grant application costings in a very similar way.
I have also started to receive feedback on the outcomes of grants I have been heavily involved in which have either been awarded or progressed to the next stage. One such grant was an NIHR HTA application from Dr. Joseph Manning, Clinical-Academic Senior Research Fellow in Children, Young People & Families Nursing in the University of Nottingham. It was great to hear that our joint effort had paid off and his proposal had progressed to stage two, it was also nice to know that as we had completed a very comprehensive costing for stage one, no revisions were required for the stage two submission. Joseph has provided the following feedback:
“As a clinical-academic nurse I have had the pleasure of working with the CRN as a chief investigator as well as a site principal investigator. They have provided the support, research intelligence, and infrastructure that are essential to informing a research study at the development stage. Their wealth of knowledge in the operational aspects of conducting research in the NHS ensures that even when developing study potential issues relating to the delivery can be identified and addressed. In relation to supporting principal investigators to deliver research, the CRN is invaluable. Robust infrastructure and established networks facilitate assessing feasibility and the set up of studies across multiple organisations. They have been able to pull on their resources to ensure that where issues arise at particular sites, these can be addressed in a timely manner. Their professional, flexible and 'can do' attitude ensures that there is effective working between patients, health professionals, and researchers to deliver research in the NHS.'
Study set up
Most requests for support come through to me from our generic Study Support Service inbox; however I can be contacted directly by researchers I have supported before , which is the case for my next example. Jim Thornton, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Nottingham, had been contacted by a sponsor in Amsterdam with a study they wanted to run in the UK and had asked him to act as the Chief Investigator in the UK. As the sponsor is based within the EU there was no requirement for a UK sponsor for this CTIMP study, however Jim needed support with setting up the study in the UK. I got involved in liaising with the CI, Sponsor, REC, HRA, MHRA and others, along with undertaking a review of some of the study documentation and resolving issues that would impact upon local NHS capacity and capability to recruit into the study in the UK. This has been a great learning experience for me. We are hoping this very important study will be open in the very near future.
Jim is a very active researcher and we are already onto the next study. It is slightly similar to the last as it is a non commercial Multi Centre study. This study however is a CTIMP which is being led from Adelaide, Australia, and therefore will require either a UK Co-sponsor or Legal representative/Legal entity. I have been asked to put together cost attributions and costs for the UK, which I need to start once I have completed telling you all about a normal day in the life of ME!
In recognition of my continued support and involvement in making this important study available to participants in the UK, Jim even added my name as co-author to an abstract of the study he presented to colleagues in Edinburgh.
In his own words Jim says:
“One of my jobs is helping international researchers get regulatory approval to conduct important maternity trials in the UK. There’s usually a lot of paperwork involved. Kitty is now my first port of call. She’s brilliant at bureaucracy busting!”
Cost Attribution – NHS Costs/Patient Pathway
Some of the large multi-centre studies originating in the East Midlands receive trial management support from Nottingham University Clinical Trial Unit (CTU). When the CTU has agreed to support a study, I am contacted for input into the study design, defining the patient care pathway and cost attribution aspects. Given that all partner organisations become extremely busy as funding deadlines approach, it is not always possible for me to attend meetings in person. We have agreed and implemented a robust process to overcome this. I am provided with draft documents in advance of the meeting to review and feedback on and also an agreed level of support in relation to NHS support costs and patient pathways.
Charlotte Curnow, Nottingham University Clinical Trials Unit Manager says:
“Kitty is our ‘go to’ person for all of our research and service support cost questions for our Clinical Trial grant applications. She is very knowledgeable in this area and always responds to our questions in a timely manner to enable us to meet our deadlines. Kitty is a pleasure to work with and is always really flexible and committed to supporting the NCTU and the research we do.”
Partner Organisation support:
Part of my working week is spent at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (SFH) where I support the research team with various SSS activities which have included processing mapping, SOP review, identification and request of service support costs, study feasibility and set-up. I am also asked to support the team with particular training needs that they have identified through their appraisal process. This has included an overview of the Study Support Service, AcoRD cost attribution , contracts and feasibility. The team also hold inductions for new members of staff, students and staff in other departments which I am invited to present at. SFH is a very research active site and such a close knit team that I love being part of, plus they have the most amazing fuddles*.
Becky Boulton, Research Nurse at SFH says:
“Kitty works within our department 2 days per week as part of our study support offering and has quickly become part of our team. She is very approachable and nothing is ever too much trouble.
She has supported me personally with objectives set in my PDR which involved looking at feasibility and site set up. This included; learning the process of feasibility, Understanding the requirements of the HRA/REC for research studies, the importance of recruiting to time and target, the importance of the IRAS form and; helping in designing a feasibility form. Kitty's knowledge and contacts within the research arena have become invaluable to us all”.
I spend the rest of my time at the QMC campus of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH). I am based in CRN Offices within the Nottingham Health Science Partners along with colleagues from the RDS, CTU, R&I and Nottingham University. My base is ideally situated and being so accessible to support our Partner Organisation is of real benefit, people are always stopping by with a quick query or request.
Stefan Michalak, R&I Manager, NUH says:
“In undertaking her role within the Study Support Service, Kitty’s support to Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) is invaluable. She has been integral in supporting the early stages of grant submissions; offering key guidance for willing researchers and using her knowledge and experience to navigate through the complexities of the research environment. Furthermore, she has been a great support for the R&I team based at NUH, Kitty has stepped in to offer help with full grant costings when required and continues to support the development of patient pathways and AcoRD cost attributions – it’s a massive help to know that Kitty is capable and always willing to support these activities, especially when working to such tight deadlines.”
In Summary
The opportunities I have been given, along with the strong working relationships I have built and continue to build, sees me invited to attend various events in the East Midlands to talk about my role and how we as a CRN can support researchers and studies throughout the research journey.
Researchers really do value and appreciate the Study Support Service we provide (which can as I mentioned before also be tailored to their specific needs) and it is lovely when I receive positive feedback. A recent CI I have been supporting in the set-up of a non-commercial international multi-centre study had organised a UK investigator meeting in Nottingham to which both the sponsor and international CI (both based in the USA) had been invited. Not only was I invited to the investigator meeting, but the dinner party hosted by the UK CI. Unfortunately due to other commitments I was unable to attend, but the CI in question has assured me that “Next time you will taste my cooking! We will have more of those grants in the future!”
So as you can see no two days are ever the same, I love my role with the CRN and the great feeling I get working with such a variety of people who have a shared passion and goal in their quest to make research happen.
* Fuddle - an East Midlands’ term for a ‘bring and share’ lunch, origins unknown, although they have been running in the CRN, and its predecessor organisations, for a number of years.
