Exploring opportunities for health research collaborations between Australia and the UK

1. Exploring opportunities for health research collaborations between Australia and the UK Professor Nigel Mathers & Dr Susan Nancarrow Institute of General Practice and Primary Care, School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield Trent Research & Development Support Unit

2. Overview • Purpose of our visit • About our organisations • Institute of General Practice, University of Sheffield • Trent Research & Development Support Unit (RDSU) • Royal College of General Practitioners, UK • Potential areas of research interest & collaboration • Research capacity building • Research themes

3. Purpose of our visit • Potential for mutual learning / sharing • Potential for collaborative / comparative research • Research assessment exercise • European initiatives

4. About our organisations • Institute of General Practice and Primary Care, ScHARR • Trent RDSU • Royal College of General Practitioners

5. Institute of General Practice and Primary Care • Research • 92 bids submitted worth £7.8m • Total income won £3.9m • 50% of submitted bids successful • Total annual budget £2.87m (40% from research) • Trent RDSU budget £3m (contract to 2010) • Teaching • MB ChB • CPD

6. Service Development • Income 2003-4, £274k • Diabetes education programme • Service evaluation toolkit (DoH) • 3rd Stream (knowledge transfer) • Consultancy (Primary Care Trusts)

7. Research Assessment Exercise 2007 • Census date 31 Oct 2006 • Results December 2007 • 4 outputs for each researcher • 15-20 main panels, 70 sub-panels • 4 star quality rating • Free to return any % of research active staff above RA 1

8. Institute of General Practice, ScHARRResearch Themes Evaluation of complex interventions in primary care Research capacity and support Cancer pathways in primary care Rehabilitation and the management of disability Teaching and learning Health and social care

10. 4 universities 6 counties 50 staff £10m until 2005 Support development of R&D Research capacity building Trent RDSU

11. Trent RDSU – Capacity Building Responsive to local need Tailored courses New researchers training programme Designated Research Teams Research Capacity Development Awards Capacity Building Bursaries Training and development Initiate and Collaborate in Research Research advice and support Primary Care Researchers Eg support with proposals and funding applications Science of building research capacity PND study Support networks Health Related Social Care (SCARE)

12. RDSU areas of research and collaboration • Access to a wide range of health services • Collaborative research network (CRN) • Range of methodological expertise – health economics, statistics, qualitative research, clinical trials support unit • Links with over 45 research networks – locally, nationally, internationally • Expertise in diabetes, pharmacology, workforce change, older people’s services, mental health, alcohol and drug, dermatology

13. www.trentrdsu.org.uk

14. Research capacity building

15. The Science of Building Research Capacity Definitions • Research for Practice • Research through Practice • Research by Practice

16. Evaluating Research Capacity Building • Outcome Measures “Knowledge Capital” • Process Measures “Social Capital”

17. RCGP Strategy Aims (2004-7) • Building Research Capacity and Capability in Primary Care (eg Primary Care Research Team Assessment) • Raising the Profile of Primary Care Research (eg NCCRCD and UKCRC) • Increasing the resources available to support Primary Care Research (eg Scientific Foundation Board and Primary care Awards)

18. Six Principles of Research Capacity Building (Process) • Building skills and confidence • Developing linkages and partnerships • Ensuring research is ‘close to practice’ • Developing appropriate dissemination activities • Investing in Infrastructure • Sustainability