Proposals

• all members, associate members and honorary members of the GARNet may put forward and support proposals, irrespective of grade

• all categories of project are welcome: audit, service evaluation, quality improvement and research

• remember the mission of the GARNet: our projects should be for the benefit of current and future patients in gastroenterology and hepatology

• you may find it helpful to refer to the BSG clinical research strategy for national priority areas and the James Lind Alliance database of research questions of priority to patients

 

Network

• the GARNet brings together a network of experienced trainees and consultant mentors, to help you to design, refine and deliver projects with a high potential for making an impact (and if necessary to help you to apply for funding from CORE and other bodies, and to get your study adopted onto the NIHR-CRN Portfolio): any ideas with potential are welcome as project proposals do not need to be fully developed or finalised prior to submission

• take advantage of the GARNet structure to design multi-centre projects, with simultaneous data collection across multiple sites (and potentially trainee networks in other regions or specialties), though projects need not necessarily be conducted at every site within the East Midlands

• each project is selected for support by the GARNet by democratic decision of members based on the relevance, innovativeness, feasibility, interest, simplicity, potential for impact, and publishability of the idea

 

Ideas

• a valid scientific underpinning for a project, or an established set of audit criteria and standards is desirable, as this is usually an advantage in successfully delivering output such as publications: if you're unsure then please still submit your idea, as the GARNet can support these efforts

• try to think about ideas, problems and solutions that share common ground at several hospitals, rather than being unique to a single site (rotating between hospitals gives trainees good insight into recurring problems and a variety of potential solutions)

• keep your question (+/- intervention) relatively straightforward, as complex procedures or measurements are significantly more difficult to manage when administered remotely and on a large scale; it is much easier to answer a simple question

 

Delivery

• planned data collection needs to be feasible and deliverable: we have systems for secure collection and sharing of unlinked anonymised data; data collection needs to be achievable on a wide scale and balance breadth/depth against simplicity/feasibility; approaches include "snap" data collection and longitudinal sampling; niche areas, rare patient cohorts and very specific circumstances are not impossible but need careful consideration

• each project needs a committed and dynamic project lead (or leads): delivering a project is rewarding but involves time and energy; the GARNet exists to support, advise and assist our members in order to deliver successful projects; we want you to retain ownership of your idea, though please do not be put off submitting a proposal as there are systems to delegate and share tasks if needed, which is the great advantage of a collaborative approach

 

The GARNet acknowledge the project tips and resources of PLAN and SWARM.