NIAA Update: September 2018
Welcome to the September newsletter
New NIAA Board Chair
We are pleased to officially welcome Prof Mike Grocott as the new chair of the NIAA Board now that Prof Mythen's term has come to an end. Prof Grocott was recruited following an open application process and takes on the role during the NIAA's tenth anniversary year.
As Professor of Anaesthesia and Critical Care Medicine within Medicine at the University of Southampton and a consultant in Critical Care Medicine at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Prof Grocott brings a wealth of leadership expertise, academic and clinical experience with him.
Mike is also the UK NIHR Clinical Research Network national specialty lead for Anaesthesia, Perioperative Medicine and Pain Management and was recently appointed as an NIHR Senior Investigator. We thank Prof Mythen for his leadership during his tenure and look forward to developing the NIAA under Prof Grocott. Click here for the full news story.
NIAA Grants 2018 Round 2
The deadline for applications to the current round of NIAA grants is at noon, on Friday 21 September.
Funders in this round include the Association of Anaesthetists/Anaesthesia which is offering research grants of up to £75,000 for projects which focus on one of the Association's research strategy areas:
- Patient safety
- Innovation
- Clinical outcomes
- Education and training
- Related professional issues
- The environment
- Network based or other audits, QA/QI projects that may involve guideline implementation
Funding is also available from the BJA/RCoA, including a new International Collaborative grant with the College of Anaesthetists of Ireland. There are also non-clinical PhD Studentships available, one of which is being awarded in a new History category for the first time - to mark the history of the first 100 years of the BJA.
For more details on all funding available in Round 2 please click here. As all applications must be uploaded to the online ScholarOne platform by the deadline we encourage you to allow enough time to spare, so as to avoid any potential technical difficulties on the day. Please contact us if you have any queries.
If you would like information on funded projects awarded through NIAA Grants in previous rounds please visit the archive on our website here.
POM CTN Autumn Meeting 2018
The UK Perioperative Medicine Clinical Trials Network (POMCTN) Autumn Meeting will take place on 19 & 20 November 2018 at the Royal College of Anaesthetists in London. This is the first time the meeting has been run across two days and demonstrates the growth of the Network since its official launch in 2016.
There is a packed agenda for the meeting including Ask the Experts sessions on patient recruitment, research career pathways, and the role of PI. Plus the chance to hear about research proposals covering topics such as respiratory muscle training and frailty in colorectal cancer patients. There will be lots of opportunity for questions, networking and discussion and there are also sessions focused on trials-based skills training.
The single day delegate rate is £60, or you can make a saving by booking both days for £100. There is a 25% discount for trainees, research nurses, and medical students. Click here for details of how to book.
Get involved
If you are not a POMCTN member but would like to be, please click here to join.
If you have a study proposal that you would like to submit for discussion at the Autumn Meeting and potential adoption by POMCTN, please click here and submit an outline Study Proposal Form.
World-first study aims to improve survival rates after major surgery
Supported with funding from the Association of Anaesthetists/Anaesthesia which was awarded to Dr Gary Minto through a NIAA grant, the Coronary Anatomy and Dynamic Exercise Test (CADET) study is a world-first due to its unique approach in combining assessments to give a fuller picture of the patient.
The project, led by researchers at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust and the University of Plymouth, is investigating the effectiveness of different types of tests carried out prior to major surgery to assess patient fitness, and therefore the likelihood of a good post-surgery recovery.
Over the past two years nearly 200 patients from Devon, Cornwall and Somerset have taken part. The team are now in the process of assessing the results, and hope these will lead to improved patient pre-surgical care and recovery.
For more information on this innovative study click here.
NIHR Research for Patient Benefit Programme
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) Programme supports researchers from all disciplines and at all stages of their career including trainees, not just established clinical or academic researchers.
The programme assesses the research team as a whole, which enables newer and less experienced researchers to be the Principal Investigator. For this reason RfPB is often a researchers' first major competitive grant award and follows on well from a fellowship award. However, the programme has a track record of funding all researchers whatever stage of their career they are at.
The next RfPB submission deadline is Wednesday 21 November 2018 and applications are invited for research proposals that are concerned with the day-to-day practice of health service staff, which have the potential to have an impact on the health or wellbeing of patients and users of the NHS.
If you are working on a research project which meets the above objective or want to find out more information on this funding programme, visit the NIHR website here.
