COVID-19: supporting your research

Updated 1 March 2022

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RDS working practices in light of COVID-19

The RDS South West is open as usual but all of our meetings and consultations will now be virtual - our staff are still working and can be contacted via email in the first instance. However, as they are working remotely, and many having caring responsibilities, they may not be able to respond immediately or within normal working hours but they will be able to offer support by email, telephone or video conference. Please do not come to the offices as they are all currently closed due to coronavirus.

Please note we will no longer be holding face-to-face meetings. This applies to one-to-one meetings with our advisers and Project Review Committee (PRC) meetings. All RDS events (such as the NIHR Grant Applications Seminar) have been postponed. We will continue to arrange meetings, but these will be held remotely (either by teleconference or video conference).

If you have any questions about our response to COVID-19, please contact us on rds.sw@nihr.ac.uk

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Since 30 June 2020, the NIHR and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) have evolved their funding of COVID-19 research, having awarded more than £32 million into urgent research to tackle the acute phase of the pandemic via the NIHR-UKRI COVID-19 rapid response initiative. The NIHR launched the Recovery and Learning funding call to better understand and manage the health and social care consequences of the global COVID-19 pandemic beyond the acute phase. This call is for research proposals of up to 24 months’ duration.

 

What the RDS South West is doing

Do you need support with a COVID-19 rapid-funding application? We're here to help. Contact us on rds.sw@nihr.ac.uk

COVID-19 resources

On this page you will find resources on:

• Rapid-calls
• Open calls
• Data, evidence, resources and trials
• eLearning
• Ethics and public involvement
• Global Health
• Government and other guidance
• Get involved (for researchers)
• Get involved (for the public)
• Impact of COVID-19 on current research

 

COVID-19 rapid funding calls

• Long COVID in non-hospitalised individuals rapid call – now closed
  
  
• MRC rapid-response rolling call – open to 1 April 2021 – for projects that could lead to benefits within 12 months – now closed
  
  
• NIHR new cross-programme call: COVID-19: Recovery and Learning
  First deadline 1.00pm, 23rd June 2020 - now closed
  Second deadline 1.00pm, 14th July 2020 - now closed
  
  
• NIHR Policy Research Programme (PRP)
  Recovery, Renewal, Reset: Research to inform policy responses to COVID-19 in the health and social care systems
  Deadline 1.00pm, 16th July 2020 - now closed
  
  
• Cross UK funding call – Global Effort on COVID-19 (GECO) Health Research
  First deadline 12.00pm, 22nd June 2020 - now closed
  Second deadline 12.00pm, 10th August 2020 - now closed
  Third deadline 12.00pm, 28th September 2020 - now closed
  
  
• This.Institute COVID-19 intensive care experiences – Fellowship opportunity for qualitative researchers – now closed
  
  
• *new NIHR call for research on the risk factors, transmission and prevalence of coronavirus as part of the NIHR/UKRI rolling call to December 2021
  - Highlight notices: – transmission of disease, 2 – priority groups – transmission, risk factors and seroprevalence – now recommending submissions by 1 Junec- now closed
  
  
• MRC/AHRC/ESRC Adolescence, Mental Health and the Developing Mind: COVID-19 rapid knowledge mobilisation – now closed
  
  
• MRC rapid-response rolling call
  Open to 1 April 2021 – for projects that could lead to benefits within 12 months
  
  
• Elrha research to support COVID-19 response in humanitarian settings – now closed
  
  
• #TestingMethods2020
  Call to address four challenges that will deliver COVID-19 testing solutions by end April 2020 – now closed
  
  
• MRC rapid-response rolling call
  Open to 1 April 2021 – for projects that could lead to benefits within 12 months
  
  
• Elrha research to support COVID-19 response in humanitarian settings – now closed
  
  
• BSAC funding call – now closed
  
  
• RSTMH / NIHR small grants programme – now closed
  
  
• NHSX Techforce UK – now closed
  
  
• BMA Foundation COVID-19 grant – now closed
  
  
• LifeArc rapid deployment call – now closed

 

Open calls

There are currently no open calls that we are aware of.

 

Data, evidence, resources and trials

Data

• GenPopWeb2 network – knowledge and collaboration hub for social research
• Monthly data on the impact of COVID-19 on UK population to be made available to researchers
• Imperial College London/YouGov COVID-19 Behaviour Tracker
• COVID-19 admissions data in ODP
• COVID-19 data portal
• Health Foundation – How better health and care data can support the fight against COVID-19
• Health Data Research – Championing the use of health data to respond to COVID-19

Evidence

• HEE – COVID-19 literature search bank
• McMaster guide to Covid-19 evidence sources (international)
• ISARIC COVID-19 Clinical Research Resources (international)

 

Research

• HRA COVID-19 study planning
• List of ESRC-funded COVID-19 research
• Maudsley BRC – COVID-19 and mental health studies register
• The Lancet – The UK hibernated pandemic influenza research portfolio: triggered for COVID-19
• HRA list of approved COVID-19 research
• NIHR list of urgent public health COVID-19 studies
• UKRI list of 21 newly-funded Covid-19 projects - see GermDefence
• Health Research Authority list of approved COVID-19 research
• NIHR Urgent public health research studies for COVID-19
• COVID-19 vaccine and therapies research boosted by six new NIHR/UKRI-funded projects
• Imperial BRC virtual theme
• COVID-19 research and trials funded by King’s College London

 

Funding resources

• Frontiers coronavirus research funding monitor (list of International funding calls)
• University of Oxford list of research and funding opportunities
• Wellcome Trust on funding gaps and list of global efforts

 

Mixed/comprehensive resources

• RDS North West COVID-19 research resources and relevant methodological approaches
• Coronavirus tech handbook
• Crowdfight COVID-19 and Crowdfight Covid-19 resources
• CHAIN network list of resources

 

Trials

• ACCORD – national collaborative platform launched to fast-track potential COVID-19 treatments
• NIHR Innovation Observatory COVID-19 trials database
• NIHR COVID-19 Research & Platform (Complex Innovative Design) Trials infographic (needs NIHR Learn login)

 

eLearning

• Help for Heroes – A field guide to self-care
• Blake and Bermingham – Psychological wellbeing for healthcare workers
• HEE’s coronavirus eLearning programme
• Imperial IGHI tool – learn how to ventilate COVID-19 patients in 30 minutes

 

Ethics and public involvement

• HRA – Fast-track review guidance for COVID-19
• Cochrane Training – Working together to beat COVID-19: engaging and involving patients and public – webinar 5 June 2020
• HRA blog – Supporting research during a pandemic
• RDS blog – Public involvement during a pandemic

 

Global health

• Social Progress – insights for Covid-19 challenges
• Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data – COVID-19 resources

 

Government and other guidance

• Germ Defence – advice for the home to protect you and the people around you from coronavirus
• IDEAL – five tips to support people with dementia and carers while in lockdown
• COVID-19: adult social care action plan
• COVID-19: guidance for the public, health professionals and other organisations
• NICE guidance for COVID-19
• NIHR & NICE: Guide to COVID-19 clinical evidence generation
•  

Get involved

For researchers

• Add data to the PAN-COVID registry – Pregnancy and neo-natal outcomes for women with COVID-19
• MQ survey – What is the psychological impact of the COVID outbreak on NHS and non-NHS health workers
• WeShare.Healthcare – join this growing global community of clinicians and scientists sharing best practices and innovative solutions for COVID-related healthcare challenges
• #EUvsVirus hackathon – registration extended to 24 April
• NIHR Biostatistics mapping survey
• COVID Core Outcome Set survey
• COVID-19 speech and language therapy data collection
• Cochrane’s work on rapid reviews
• Sign up to the UK Parliament COVID-19 expert database
• Get involved in data drive research and innovation with Health Data Research UK
• Take the Academy of Medical Sciences/MQ mental health research survey on the impact of COVID-19 – now closed

For the public

• Take part in NIHR-supported COVID-19 studies
• Take part in the Writing and COVID-19 – LIO-C study
• Get involved with the Maudsley BRC’s Hype project
  survey for 16+ understanding the needs of young people following the COVID-19 pandemic
• Take part in UCL’s COVID-19 Social Study UK survey – UCL are especially looking to hear from BAME communities
• GermDefence – a tool containing advice for the home, to help protect you and the people around you – updated for COVID-19
• Take part in QMUL and partners COVIDENCE study
  aiming to identify who is most and risk and why some people become more ill than others
• MQ – CCCopeY survey – Young people’s mental health and coping styles during and after COVID-19 lockdown
• Survey from Black Thrive responding to a UK Gov. call for evidence into disproportionate effects of Covid-19 on people of colour
• NHS status checker
• What does COVID-19 mean for our mental health? – Get involved with the RAMP study
• Be part of research for COVID-19
• UKRI – Coronavirus: the science explained
• Use the COVID-19 symptoms tracker
• COVID Core Outcome Set survey - now closed

 

Updates on the impact of Covid-19 on current research and applications

In some cases research application deadlines have been extended, whereas others remain unchanged. We recommend you check in with your funding body directly. See also:

DHSC and NHS England and Improvement
Guidance on funding research staff redeployed to the NHS during the COVID-19 pandemic

NIHR
Supporting the restart of paused NIHR activities

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
Support for PhD students as a result of coronavirus disruption

DHSC
Guidance on the impact of COVID-19 on research

NIHR
Q&A on the impact of COVID-19 on research funded or supported by NIHR

Health Research Authority (HRA)
Guidance for sponsors, sites and researchers
UK student research update

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
Advice for management of clinical trials

Medical Research Council (MRC)
Update for funded researchers

NIHR Academy
Message for all NIHR Academy members

Health Education England (HEE)
Information for trainees

HEE, HEIW, NHS Education for Scotland, GMC, and Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency
Joint guidance regarding Medical Education and Training

Cancer Research UK
Information for grant applicants and grantholders

Medical Schools Council
Advice to UK Medical Schools on actions surrounding COVID-19

Wellcome
Information for grant applicants and grantholders

British Heart Foundation
Managing your grant

Royal College of Physicians
FAQs for trainee

Academy of Medical Sciences
Coronavirus guidance