GET INVOLVED IN RESEARCH
National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network (NIHR-CRN) East Midlands
Gastroenterology is a broad church with a healthy and diverse research community. There are opportunities available to pursue highly specialised topics, or those that will affect the length and breadth of society.
The NIHR-CRN East Midlands is enthusiastic to support and encourage people interested in research to participate in the diverse projects being undertaken in the region.
Get involved
Getting involved in research can be intimidating for the uninitiated. As part of the key aims of the GARNet, we want to support people to get involved with research, particularly trainee gastroenterologists. To get involved in with the NIHR-CRN East Midlands we suggest the following steps:
1. Familiarise yourself with the Clinical Research Network
Have a look at the NIHR-CRN East Midlands website. The BSG research section has further information and advice on Clinical Research Networks here.
2. Review a list of the projects that are ongoing in our region
Some of the current projects are summarised in the table below. Consult NIHR-CRN East Midlands and your local site research teams for the latest information on current studies and recruitment status.
We recommend the national IBD BioResource study, which is open at sites across the East Midlands. Gastroenterology registrars can be a huge asset in supporting recruitment to this study. This involves identifying potential participants against inclusion/exclusion criteria, and seeking their permission to provide them with a study information leaflet and pass their contact details to your local CRN research nurse for IBD BioResource. Please see the study website for further information.
3. Complete or update your Good Clinical Practice training
Good Clinical Practice (GCP) is the international ethical, scientific and practical standard to which all clinical research is conducted. Compliance with GCP provides public assurance that the rights, safety and well-being of research participants are protected and that research data are reliable. For more information see the NIHR GCP pages.
Courses are available either online (Introduction to GCP e-Learning for Secondary Care, via CRN Learn) or as local face-to-face NIHR courses (one-day Introduction and half-day Refresher courses). These are available free-of-charge and are approved for study leave. Note that GCP training is not necessarily mandated to be able to identify potential participants or to raise awareness of research studies
4. E-mail one of the research contacts at your hospital or region to see how you can be involved
Please contact the Study Support Team using supportmystudyeastmidlands@nihr.ac.uk. The East Midlands CRN Team will be able to signpost you to the relevant person, team or study depending on your request, including contact details for the Research Teams at your local NHS Acute Hospital Trust.
5. Get involved
Once you have agreed to join a study team at your hospital, you name will usually need to be included on the delegation log for that study. To do this you're likely to be asked to provide a brief CV using this template. It is important that experience relevant to the specific research project is fully summarised, but the overall document should be kept concise. It is not necessary to provide a complete record of your professional and academic background.