taking part in medical research uk

Clinical trials

A clinical trial compares the effects of 1 treatment with another. It may involve patients, healthy people, or both.

How do I take part in a clinical trial?

You can ask your doctor or a patient organisation if they know of any clinical trials that you may be eligible to join.

You can also search for information on a number of websites and register your interest in taking part in research.

Be Part of Research website

The  Be Part of Research website has information about clinical trials and other research from several different UK registers.

You can also search the Be Part of Research site to find trials relevant to you, and you can contact researchers yourself.

World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials

The  WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) website provides access to clinical trials in countries all around the world.

For some health conditions, you can find out about clinical trials from the websites of charities.

Examples are:

• Versus Arthritis: Our current research
• Cancer Research UK: Find a clinical trial
• Multiple Sclerosis Society: Be in a study
• Target Ovarian Cancer: Clinical trials
• Parkinson's UK: Take part in research
• Blood Cancer UK: Clinical trials information hub
• Alzheimer's Research UK: Getting involved in research

Why join a clinical trial?

Clinical trials help doctors understand how to treat a particular illness. It may benefit you, or others like you, in the future.

If you take part in a clinical trial, you may be one of the first people to benefit from a new treatment.

But there's also a chance that the new treatment turns out to be no better, or worse, than the standard treatment.

To hear other people's experiences of taking part in a clinical trial, visit the healthtalk.org website

Will I get paid?

Some clinical trials offer payment, which can vary depending on what's involved and expected from you.

Some trials do not offer payment and just cover your travel expenses.

It's important to find out about the inconvenience and risks involved before you sign up, and to carefully weigh up whether it's worth it.

Bear in mind:

• it can be time consuming – you may be expected to attend a number of screening and follow-up sessions, and some trials require you to stay overnight
• there may be restrictions on what you can and cannot do – for example, you may be asked to not eat, or not drink alcohol, for a period of time
• you may experience unknown side effects from the treatment

What happens in a clinical trial?

Testing a new medicine.

All clinical trials of new medicines go through a series of phases to test whether they're safe and whether they work.

The medicines will usually be tested against another treatment called a control.

This will either be a dummy treatment (a placebo) or a standard treatment already in use.

Phase 1 trials:

• A small number of people, who may be healthy volunteers, are given the medicine.
• The drug is being trialled in human volunteers for the first time.
• Researchers test for side effects and calculate what the right dose might be to use in treatment.
• Researchers start with small doses and only increase the dose if the volunteers do not experience any side effects, or if they only experience minor side effects.

Phase 2 trials:

• The new medicine is tested on a larger group of people who are ill. This is to get a better idea of its effects in the short term.

Phase 3 trials:

• Carried out on medicines that have passed phases 1 and 2.
• The medicine is tested in larger groups of people who are ill, and compared against an existing treatment or a placebo to see if it's better in practice and if it has important side effects.
• Trials often last a year or more and involve several thousand patients.

Phase 4 trials:

• The safety, side effects and effectiveness of the medicine continue to be studied while it's being used in practice.
• Not required for every medicine.
• Only carried out on medicines that have passed all the previous stages and have been given marketing licences – a licence means the medicine is available on prescription.

Control groups, randomisation and blinding

If you take part in a clinical trial, you'll usually be randomly assigned to either the:

• treatment group – where you'll be given the treatment being assessed, or
• control group – where you'll be given an existing standard treatment, or a placebo if no proven standard treatment exists

While the treatments are different in the 2 groups, researchers try to keep as many of the other conditions the same as possible.

For example, both groups should have people of a similar age, with a similar proportion of men and women, who are in similar overall health.

In most trials, a computer will be used to randomly decide which group each patient will be allocated to.

Many trials are set up so nobody knows who's been allocated to receive which treatment.

This is known as blinding, and it helps reduce the effects of bias when comparing the outcomes of the treatments.

What should I know before I sign up?

When you express interest in a trial, a doctor or nurse is likely to tell you something about it in person.

You'll also be given some printed information to take away.

You may come back with some questions you feel have not been answered.

General questions

• What's the aim of the trial and how will it help people?
• Who's funding the trial?
• What treatment will I get if I do not take part in the trial?
• How long is the trial expected to last, and how long will I have to take part?
• How long will it be before the results of the trial are known?
• What will happen if I stop the trial treatment or leave the trial before it ends?
• What would happen if something went wrong? It's rare for patients to be harmed by trial treatments, but you may want to ask about compensation if this were to happen.

Practical questions

• How much of my time will be needed?
• Will I need to take time off work?
• Will I be paid?
• Will the costs of my travel to take part in the trial be covered?
• If the trial is testing a new drug, will I have to collect it from the hospital, will it be sent to me by post, or will I get it through my doctor?
• Will I have to complete questionnaires or keep a diary?
• What are the possible side effects of my treatment?
• How could the treatments affect me physically and emotionally?
• Who can I contact if I have a problem?
• Will someone be available 24 hours a day?
• How do I find out the results of the trial?

Things to weigh up

As with any treatment, you cannot be sure of the outcome.

You may be given a new treatment that turns out not to be as effective as the standard treatment.

Also, it's possible you'll experience unexpected side effects.

And bear in mind that you may have to visit your place of treatment more often, or have more tests, treatments or monitoring, than you would if you were receiving the standard treatment in usual care.

Leaving a trial

You may decide to stop taking part in a trial if your condition is getting worse or you feel the treatment is not helping you.

You can also choose to leave at any point without giving a reason and without it affecting the care you receive.

At the end of the trial, the researchers should publish the results and make them available to anyone who took part and wanted to know the results.

If the researchers do not offer you the results and you want to know, ask for them.

Some research funders, such as the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), have websites where they publish the results of the research they have supported.

Visit the NIHR website to find out more

How are trials regulated and judged ethical?

Before a clinical trial of a new medicine can begin, a government agency called the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) needs to review and authorise it.

The MHRA also inspects sites where trials take place to make sure they're conducted in line with good clinical practice.

Visit the GOV.UK website to read about the MHRA

The Health Research Authority (HRA) works to protect and promote the interests of patients and the public in health research. 

It's responsible for research ethics committees up and down the country.

All medical research involving people in the UK, whether in the NHS or the private sector, first has to be approved by an independent research ethics committee.

The committee protects the rights and interests of the people who will be in the trial.

Find out more on the HRA website

How are trial results used to improve treatment?

Clinical trials can help:

• prevent illnesses by testing a vaccine
• detect or diagnose illnesses by testing a scan or blood test
• treat illnesses by testing new or existing medicines
• find out how people can control their symptoms or improve their quality of life – for example, by testing how a particular diet affects an illness

Many clinical trials are designed to show whether new medicines work as expected.

These results are sent to the MHRA, which decides whether to allow the company making the medicine to market it for a particular use.

Licensing a treatment

If research has identified a new medicine, the MHRA must license it before it can be marketed.

Licensing shows a treatment has met certain standards of safety and effectiveness.

Safety must be monitored carefully over the first few years of a newly licensed treatment.

This is because rare side effects that were not obvious in clinical trials may show up for the first time.

In England and Wales, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) decides whether the NHS should provide treatments.

Find out more on the NICE website

Where can I find results from trials that are relevant to me?

The results of clinical trials are usually published in specialist medical journals and online libraries of evidence.

Some of the most well-known examples are:

• The Lancet  medical journal
• British Medical Journal (BMJ)
• The New England Journal of Medicine
• Cochrane Library  – a collection of high-quality evidence

You can use a search engine such as Google to look for articles and read summaries (abstracts).

But you cannot usually see the full articles without a subscription to the journal.

Also, research papers are not written in plain English and often use many medical, scientific and statistical terms. They can be very difficult to understand.

Page last reviewed: 22 December 2022 Next review due: 22 December 2025

Taking part in medical research

There are many ways to take part in and support medical research. You can:

• give permission for your health information to be used in a study
• donate your body, some tissue or your brain
• take part in a population-based study
• join a clinical trial if you are undergoing treatment.

You can also consider donating to the Medical Research Foundation to support more research for human health.

People in Research can help you to find opportunities to take part in research .

You can also search for studies in your local area on the National Institute for Health Research ‘Be part of research’ page.

Giving permission for your health information to be used in a study

Health information can help to provide vital insights into the causes of disease, the effectiveness and long-term effects of treatments, and show ways to improve health through better provision of healthcare services.

If you take part in a research study, you will be asked to give consent to the use of your health information.

Donating your body or tissue to medical research

Tissue that is donated for research is used to develop and test new treatments or to learn more about the differences between healthy and diseased tissue.

The Human Tissue Authority gives advice on how to donate your body and tissue for use in medical research .

If you live in Scotland, see guidance from the Scottish government on how to donate your body .

Donating your brain to medical research

Brain tissue that has been donated for research is used to increase our understanding of human neurological disease and to develop new treatments. The MRC leads the UK Brain Bank Network, a coordinated national network of UK brain tissue resources for researchers.

The UK Brain Banks Network can provide you with further information, including how to contact your nearest bank to register to donate your brain and spinal tissue or that of a relative or partner.

The Human Tissue Authority also provides advice on how to donate your brain for use in medical research.

Participating in a clinical trial

A clinical trial is a study that is used to test a new medicine, medical device or treatment in people to check that it is safe and works well. If you are interested in participating in a clinical trial, the best thing to do is to ask your doctor or the health professional who you see most often.

If you have heard of a MRC-funded trial that you would like to get involved in or would like more information on, please contact the research unit or research university directly. Further details of MRC studies including the researcher can be found on Gateway to Research .

The MRC Clinical Trials Unit offers more information on taking part in clinical trials .

The ISRCTN registry lists current and past trials worldwide, and you can search for trials by name, area or health condition.

Participating in a population-based study

If you join a population study you will become part of a ‘cohort’ of people who answer surveys or take part in interviews over the course of the study. These studies provide a rich source of data that can be used for studying health and wellbeing throughout life.

There are many types of cohort studies, including birth cohorts, representative population studies, and studies focusing on specific disease areas. Recruitment to these studies can be done in a variety of ways, depending on the location of the research.

We have created a directory of the UK’s largest population cohorts to help researchers and policymakers to find and use them more easily.

Last updated: 27 August 2024

This is the website for UKRI: our seven research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Let us know if you have feedback or would like to help improve our online products and services .

Internet Explorer is no longer supported by Microsoft. To browse the NIHR site please use a modern, secure browser like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge.

I want to take part in a research study

Last year more than 1.3 million people, of all ages, took part in vital health and social care research. It is through high quality, ethically-approved research, that we can develop better treatments, improve diagnosis, learn more about prevention of illness and provide better care for everyone.

Why should I take part?

We can make faster improvements to people’s health and care if more people take part in research. There are a range of reasons that people choose to participate in research:

• To improve health and social care for others, as well as giving hope for future generations
• To learn more about their condition
• To try a new treatment or device
• To be more closely and regularly monitored by health and care professionals
• To help researchers learn important new information

You can read more about people’s experience of taking part in research from our Participant in Research Experience Survey . Last year more than 20,000 participants provided feedback on their experience of taking part in research. 94% of survey respondents said they would consider taking part again and 93% felt valued by researchers for taking part.

Everyone can take part in research

Often studies look for people living with a particular condition. But others may be seeking people who care for someone with a long-term illness, or people who do not have a condition (sometimes called ‘healthy volunteers’). Everyone can make a difference, whatever their circumstances.

You can ask your doctor, nurse or healthcare professional about clinical trials or other health and care studies that you may be suitable for. You can visit the Be Part of Research website or one of our other services, such as Join Dementia Research or the NIHR BioResource. You can also read more about our pioneering vaccine research .

How can I find a study I can take part in?

Be Part of Research  is an online service that helps members of the public understand what research is, what taking part might involve, as well as helping people find research studies and volunteer to take part.

The service is mobile friendly and has a search tool that allows you to search by illnesses or conditions that are of interest to you, or by location or postcode.

Once you’ve found a study, you can see all the details including who to contact so you can ask to take part. You can also download, save or print the full study details so you can talk to your doctor, nurse or healthcare professional.

What kind of research can I take part in?

There are many different types of research. For example, some studies test new treatments or require samples. Others may involve interviews or surveys. A study might take place in a hospital, GP practice, or other health and social care locations in the community (e.g. hospice) but some studies can also be done at home, online or by telephone.

Some research may require your one-off involvement, while others may have several follow ups over a period of time. But what might a study involve?

• Cognitive tests
• Drug trials
• Genetic studies
• Lifestyle studies
• Nutrition studies
• Observational studies
• Public health research
• Questionnaires
• Social care research
• Talking therapies

Researchers will explain what’s involved in their study before you decide if you want to take part. It’s always your choice whether to take part and you can change your mind at any time.

NHS COVID-19 Vaccine Research Registry

COVID-19 vaccine research is currently taking place at NHS hospitals and care settings across the United Kingdom, with thousands of people volunteering to help find vaccines to fight the disease.

Vaccines save thousands of lives every year, and they are the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases. We still need further research into the vaccines, to look at how best to protect communities and the population as a whole. To let researchers know you are happy to be contacted about taking part in COVID-19 vaccine studies, you can visit the NHS COVID-19 Vaccine Research Registry . You will then be contacted if they think you are suitable to take part.

To find answers to frequently asked questions about taking part in COVID-19 vaccine studies or which vaccines you could be contacted by, visit the Be Part of Research website.

• Join Dementia Research

Join Dementia Research  is a nationwide service, delivered in partnership with Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer Scotland to enable people to take part in vital dementia research across the UK.

Working like a matchmaking service, simply register your details and you will be notified when an appropriate study becomes available.

People with dementia or memory problems, their carers and anyone over 18 who is interested can sign up. You can sign up online, over the phone or by post.

Once registered, you can decide if you would like to participate in the studies you match to on a case-by-case basis, with no obligation.

BioResource

The NIHR BioResource  helps researchers understand more about the links between genes, the environment, health and disease.

Bioresource is a panel of thousands of volunteers, with and without health problems, who are willing to be approached to participate in research.

If you decide to join you will donate a blood or saliva sample, so your DNA can be extracted. You will be asked to complete a healthcare questionnaire, a consent form and to grant access to your medical and healthcare records.

Your sample will be matched to suitable studies and you will be invited to a maximum of four studies per year. You can choose whether or not to take part in these.

Related pages

External links.

• Be Part of Research
• Bioresource
• People in Research
• Become a Join Dementia Research Champion

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• Taking part in research

In this section

• Research at UCLH
• Find a study
• Biomedical Research Centre
• Becoming a research hospital
• Cancer clinical trials
• Clinical research facility

Get involved in research design

• Using data in research
• Joint Research Office
• Clinical and research informatics unit
• Centre for Medicines Optimisation Research and Education (CMORE)
• Centre for Nurse, Midwife and AHP Research (CNMAR)
• Working with UCL
• Information for staff
• Research news

Should I volunteer to take part in a research trial?

Many hundreds of people a year in the UK choose to take part in research. Some people choose to because they want to give something back and some want to help prevent and treat diseases in the future. Some do it so they can have access to new treatments.

If you are thinking about taking part in research, it’s important to remember:

• all research studies have a strict definition of which patients can take part. So even if you have the relevant disease, you may not be eligible.
• you won’t necessarily get a new better treatment. Bear in mind that the study is being carried out to find if the new treatment is better than what is currently available. It may be the same or it may be worse.
• However, some trials may monitor your condition more regularly than with standard care - ask a doctor or nurse what kind of monitoring is involved.

Before you agree to take part in a trial staff will explain to you the risks and benefits of getting involved and what is involved, for example how often you need to come to hospital and what test you will need to undergo. You will also be given an information sheet to take away and read in your own time.

If you decide not to take part in research, your care will not be affected. You can choose to withdraw from a trial and,  if you do, you will still receive the best treatment available.

If you want to take part in a research trial:

Find out more about the use of patient information in health and care research .

Ask your doctor or nurse about research you could take part in or...

Search Find a study

Find a Study is an accessible platform that enables patients to find studies they are eligible for.

Sign up to UCL Bioresource

Sign up to the UCLBioResource . Volunteers to the BioResource agree to be approached to participate in future medical research. Volunteers give blood and saliva samples to give information about their DNA, which, together with demographic and health information, enables us to match them up with trials they are eligible for.

Sign up to Dementia research

People with dementia, their carers and anyone interested in participating in dementia research can register online , by post or over the phone to join dementia research. It is also possible to sign up on behalf of a loved one, who may find it difficult to register themselves or manage their own account.

Our clinical research facility

UCLH has a dedicated  clinical research facility which is a purpose-built environment for patients and volunteers taking part in early-phase clinical trials and other research projects. 

UCLH is keen for patients and the public to help design and conduct research to help make our research better.

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Clinical research studies and trials help us understand health better and develop new ways of treating and managing conditions, including asthma, diabetes, heart disease and many types of cancer. With hundreds of studies happening at any one time across a wide range of conditions, we are able to offer many people the opportunity to take part in research. Our research could not happen without patients and the public and, each year, we work with thousands of volunteers to conduct research and improve healthcare.

There are three ways you can help us:

Clinical research helps us better understand human health and wellbeing so we can:

• improve current treatments, medicines and care, and develop new and better ones
• diagnose diseases and conditions earlier or more accurately
• prevent people from developing diseases and conditions

Clinical research trials and studies are part of everyday work in the NHS and, you might not know it but, most care that patients receive in hospitals and GP practices is the result of research.

This includes experimental medicine trials, which look at the causes of disease, how treatments work and whether they are safe, and trials to test the effectiveness of new treatments to see if they are better than what is currently available.

Our research could not happen without patients and healthy volunteers and, each year, we work with thousands of volunteers to conduct research and uncover better ways to treat, prevent, diagnose and understand human disease.

People participate in trials and studies for a variety of reasons. Healthy volunteers might participate to help others and to contribute to moving science forward. Participants with an illness or disease also take part to help others, but also to possibly receive the newest treatment and to have the additional care and attention from clinical staff.

Trials and studies offer hope for many people and an opportunity to help researchers find better treatments for others. In many cases, the research will not help you personally, but it may provide vital information that will help people in the future.

All clinical research trials and studies are designed and carried out differently depending on what is being researched. This means what is involved for participants can also vary.

Some trials and studies involve regular tests, appointments and observations to test a current or new treatment, whilst others might involve completing questionnaires.

Before taking part in a trial or study make sure you understand its purpose, what is involved and any risks or benefits.

For more information, visit the NHS ‘clinical trials’ or the NIHR ‘be part of research’ pages.

As well as patients, many of our clinical research trials and studies aim to involve ‘healthy volunteers’ – people who are interested in contributing towards research but are generally healthy or do not have the condition or disease being investigated.

Healthy volunteers help researchers better understand a variety of health conditions as their information can be compared with people who have a specific disease or condition.

You can search for a trial or study currently recruiting healthy volunteers using our ‘trial finder’ below.

In Southampton, we have a database of healthy volunteers and send information about trials and studies they might be able to take part in. If you would like to join this database please contact the NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility (details below).

If you have any questions or would like more information, contact us by calling 023 8120 4989 or by emailing [email protected] .

You can ask your doctor or nurse if they know of any clinical trials or studies that you might be eligible to join. Or, patients and healthy volunteers can search for trials and studies using our ‘trial finder’ here.

All clinical research trials and studies are designed and carried out differently depending on what is being researched. This means potential risks to participants can also vary.

Treatments are thoroughly tested in laboratory trials before they are tested with groups of participants and, when trials and studies are designed, every effort is made to eliminate any risk to participants. Any known risks will be explained when you sign up.

The research team, doctors and nurses responsible for the research will monitor participants closely to detect any side effects. If there are changes, medical staff will act immediately.

In general, risks can include:

• not being able to choose which treatment you get
• the new treatment may not work for you
• more severe side effects than current treatments

Taking part in a clinical research trial or study is voluntary and up to each individual. You may choose not to take part or you may leave at any time.

Choosing not to take part or leaving the study will not result in any penalty and your decision will not affect the care you receive.

If you decide to change your mind after signing up, your information (including any samples already taken) may still be used as planned. If you do not wish for this to happen, speak with the trial or study team to see if it is possible for your information to be withdrawn.

Some clinical research trials and studies offer payment or expenses (including for travel), which can vary depending on what is involved. You will be told about any payments before you sign up.

It is important to find out about the risks and other commitments (such as the number of appointments and travelling distance) before you sign up, and to carefully weigh up whether it is worth it.

If you have found a clinical research trial or study that you would like to take part in, contact the team using the details provided.

Or, general enquiries can be made by contacting the NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility by calling 023 8120 4989 or emailing [email protected] .

In clinical research, Patient and Public Involvement (known as PPI) is defined as ‘clinical research carried out with or by members of the public, rather than about or for them’. This includes:

• meeting up to discuss ideas for clinical research trials and studies
• reviewing clinical research information sheets and posters
• feeding back ideas on how to promote clinical research trials and studies and their results
• helping us identify research priorities
• taking part in a clinical research trial or study steering group

See the ‘help shape our research’ section of our website for more information, and how you can get involved with Southampton’s PPI activities.

As an NHS organisation we use personally-identifiable information to conduct research to improve health, care and services. As a publicly-funded organisation, we have to ensure that it is in the public interest when we use personally-identifiable information from people who have agreed to take part in research. This means that when you agree to take part in a research study, we will use your data in the ways needed to conduct and analyse the research study. Your rights to access, change or move your information are limited, as we need to manage your information in specific ways in order for the research to be reliable and accurate. If you withdraw from the study, we will keep the information about you that we have already obtained. To safeguard your rights, we will use the minimum personally-identifiable information possible.

When you agree to take part in a research study, the information about your health and care may be provided to researchers running other research studies in this organisation and in other organisations. These organisations may be universities, NHS organisations or companies involved in health and care research in this country or abroad. Your information will only be used by organisations and researchers to conduct research in accordance with the UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research .

Your information could be used for research in any aspect of health or care, and could be combined with information about you from other sources held by researchers, the NHS or government.

Where this information could identify you, the information will be held securely with strict arrangements about who can access the information. The information will only be used for the purpose of health and care research, or to contact you about future opportunities to participate in research. It will not be used to make decisions about future services available to you, such as insurance.

Where there is a risk that you can be identified your data will only be used in research that has been independently reviewed by an ethics committee.

You can find out more about your information and health and care research here .

Health and care research should serve the public interest, which means that we have to demonstrate that our research serves the interests of society as a whole. We do this by following the UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research .

If you wish to raise a complaint on how we have handled your personal data, you can contact our Data Protection Officer who will investigate the matter. If you are not satisfied with our response or believe we are processing your personal data in a way that is not lawful you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

If you'd like to find out we handle your data and how you can gain access to the information, visit our  right of access pages . You can also contact the data protection office via  [email protected]  or 020 8120 4743.

While most of our research is done on an opt in basis, participants also have the opportunity to opt out of our research studies should they wish to.

Please note that when research is conducted using de-personalised data, with no way for researchers to identify individual patients, explicit consent from patients for use of their data is not required. For more information, please refer to the ICO Guide to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) .

If you would prefer for your patient data not to be used for the research listed here, you can opt out using the contacts below.

For more information about opting out, please contact [email protected] .

About opting out

As with all research collaboration agreements with non-NHS organisations, patients can opt out of any data-sharing system by emailing the trust’s data protection officer at [email protected] . Patients will need to include their NHS or medical records number in any messages.

If you don't want your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you can opt out of this. If you do opt out, there are some specific situations where your data may still be used. Data that does not identify you may still also be used. In this case, all future research will take place excluding those who have opted out.

As with all studies on anonymised datasets, measures will be adopted to render it impossible to identify any individual patients. It is therefore not possible to opt out of research already underway for this reason.

The CCP-UK (Clinical Characterisation Protocol – United Kingdom) is a study that collects information about infectious diseases and potential exposures of public health importance quickly and efficiently in response to potential public health crises. The study was activated in January 2020 in response to the emergence of COVID-19. Since being activated, we have recruited over 300,000 patients to the data collection aspect of our study. CCP-UK is the largest study of its kind answering questions about COVID-19 in the world. We have also been activated for UK cases of Ebola, Monkeypox, Lassa Fever, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and for Children with severe Hepatitis.

Please read this privacy notice for details on how patient data is used. For more information on ISARIC CCP, please visit the study website .

If you would like to opt out from your data being used for this study, please contact the study team to request this at [email protected] or call 07506 653560. Include your name, date of birth, NHS number and postcode. You do not need to give a reason for why you want to opt out.

The RIPCORD 2 study is a collaboration between University Hospital Southampton (UHS) and Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital (LHCH). The study is comparing two strategies for managing patients undergoing investigation for known or suspected problems in the heart arteries. Those who took part can read this privacy notice .

For more information about this, or should you wish to withdraw your data from the study, please contact Zoe Nicholas on 02381 208538 or email [email protected] .

Deciphering AMD by deep phenotyping and machine learning (PINNACLE)

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the commonest cause of blindness in the elderly. By 2020, 200 million people are expected to be affected with AMD, increasing to nearly 300 million by 2040. Unfortunately, doctors don’t know who will progress to the sight threatening stage of the disease. Some patients progress slowly or not at all and others quickly.

We can teach computers to analyse high resolution images of the inside of the eye. From UK Biobank and local eye clinics, we have access to hundreds of thousands of such images from people with AMD as well as those without. These images will allow us to train computers to identify what eye changes appear in patients with AMD. Alongside these images, we also have access to DNA results that we can match up to the image to see whether specific DNA changes affect the progression of AMD in individuals.

The records of patients over 50 years of age who have previously had retinal imaging performed in Southampton Eye Unit will be used for this study.

To opt out of this study, please contact [email protected] or call Janice Sutton on 023 8120 5049.

Investigation of Anaemia in Hospital (ISAIAH)

Currently there are no specific guidelines for doctors on how to diagnose and treat anaemia in hospital in the UK, with different approaches used depending on who treats the patient. The ISAIAH study aims to investigate current practices in a large teaching hospital, and develop new guidelines to ensure all anaemic patients receive the best possible care.

If you were diagnosed or treated for anaemia at any stage in 2016, anonymised data from your health records may be used in the analysis for in this study.

If you would prefer for your data not to be used in this study, please email Dr James Plumb at [email protected] , call 023 8120 4989 or send a letter to: Clinical Research Facility, Southampton Centre for Biomedical Research, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Mailpoint 218, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton, SO16 6YD.

Improving major trauma triage

Clinicians in Southampton are evaluating a tool used by ambulance crews to decide on the most appropriate hospital destination for patients involved in traumatic incidents.

If you were taken by ambulance or air ambulance to Southampton General Hospital with traumatic injuries between 1 October 2016 and 30 September 2017, anonymised data from your health records may be used in the analysis in this study.

If you would prefer for your data not to be used in this study, please email Els Freshwater at [email protected] .

CHARIOT study follow-up

Researchers are looking at one-year outcomes and readmission rates of CHARIOT study participants, to see whether the tropinin test can predict future cardiac events. Those who took part can read this privacy notice .

This would allow researchers to use the test in the future to identify the groups who are at higher risk of having a cardiac event, and better target further care.

For more information about this, or should you wish to withdraw your data from the study, please contact the coronary research group on 023 8120 8538 or email [email protected] .

Troponin test review

Cardiac experts in Southampton are investigating whether a blood test that is used to diagnose heart muscle damage can help doctors predict the long-term health outcomes of intensive care patients and ensure they get the most appropriate treatment.

The test, which is known as a troponin test, measures levels of the protein ‘troponin’ in the blood. Normally troponin is present in blood in very small quantities but when there is damage to the heart muscle, such as during heart attack, it is released into the bloodstream causing levels to rise. A troponin test is used alongside an electrocardiogram (ECG) to help doctors determine if an individual has suffered a heart attack. However, raised troponin isn’t always the result of a heart attack and can be a sign of other forms of heart injury.

The study will analyse the routine blood tests and troponin levels of patients admitted to intensive care at Southampton General Hospital, with the aim of identifying what levels are considered ‘normal’ in this patient population.

Any patients admitted to intensive care at Southampton General Hospital during the study period who have a blood test will be included in this study. A troponin test will be added onto any blood remaining after the tests requested by the clinical team have been performed. This will be repeated through the intensive care stay. The research team will then observe the clinical progress of each patient to see if there is a relationship between the troponin level and patient outcomes. The research team will not perform any testing other than adding the troponin test onto left over blood that was taken by the clinical team. The clinical team can request the troponin test if clinically indicated but if the test was not clinically requested then the troponin result will be hidden from the clinical team. This study has provided useful clinical insights and as such the research team plan to assess the one year outcomes of this cohort using data obtained from NHS Digital. Those who took part in this study can read the privacy notice , which contains further information regarding this study.

For more information, or if you wish to withdraw your data from this study, please contact the coronary research group on 023 8120 8538, by emailing [email protected] or [email protected] , or by sending a letter to: Coronary research group, Cardiovascular and thoracic unit, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton SO16 6YD.

Opt out of all studies

If you do not wish for your patient data to be used for any research studies or trials, please contact [email protected] .

The study team were brilliant at reassuring me about any concerns I had before taking part. I'm proud of the fact I was able to be a part of this study. Healthy volunteer

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Learn how you can take part in research and support our clinicians to improve care for all

Taking part

If you are treated at one of our hospitals, you may be invited to take part in clinical research. It is entirely up to you whether or not you wish to be involved. If you decide not to participate, you will still be treated with the best care currently available.

The length of time each study takes and what you’ll need to do varies depending on what is being investigated and on the specific tests and measurements that are needed. Some trials may involve overnight stays, or making additional visits to hospital. We’ll make these clear to you when you sign up for the trial.

If you enquire about one of our clinical research studies our research staff will give you more information on the estimated length of the study and what to expect if you agree to take part. They will also discuss eligibility and screening with you. Most studies have quite specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, and all potential participants are screened to make sure they are eligible for a study.

Patients from hospital outside our Trust can take part in our trials dependent on eligibility criteria but would need referral to a specialist team at our Trust.

Healthy volunteers can take also part in some healthcare research.

What type of clinical research studies do we carry out?

We carry out two main types of clinical research: observational studies and interventional clinical trials.

Clinical trials

During a clinical trial, participants receive a pre-planned medical ‘intervention’ under development. This might be a particular new drug, device or medical procedure.  Some clinical trials are designed to compare a new treatment to one that already exists. In other trials, a new treatment is compared to a placebo or to the results of a participant who receives no treatment at all. All trials seek to understand if the new treatment is both effective and safe.

This type of trial is thoroughly regulated in line with national and European law, to ensure patient safety, informed consent and scientific effectiveness.

Observational studies

Observational studies do not involve a medical ‘intervention’, but instead involve observing the behaviour of a group of participants within routine clinical practice, and recording the results. An observational study may follow a group of participants over time to assess the incidence of disease when exposed to one more risk factors. For example, the incidence of lung cancer in participants who smoke and those who don’t smoke. In some cases, additional clinical tests may be required (e.g. blood/urine samples) for participants, over and above routine clinical care.

Why do organisations conduct healthcare research?

• To look at a new treatment or technique and evaluate how effective it is in the treatment of particular disease or condition
• To identify ways of stopping or reversing the development of a particular disease or condition
• To identify ways of diagnosing a particular disease or condition
• To look at ways of improving the quality of life for people who have a particular disease or condition
• To prevent the incidence of particular diseases or conditions in specific patient populations

What are the benefits of taking part in a trial?

Research trials examine potential new treatments and techniques which, in the long-term, could help to cure or control a particular health condition. Dependent on the condition you are suffering from, the trial you take part in could help to improve your symptoms. By taking part in healthcare research you will have access to new drugs and techniques that are not yet licensed or available on prescription. You will be supported throughout your trial and have regular access to healthcare professionals and experts.

Many people participate in studies from an altruistic perspective. They understand that while the research trial they are taking part in might not make a difference to their prognosis or symptoms, it may help sufferers of a particular condition in future generations. They are happy to be able to support the advancement of healthcare and the development of new techniques and therapies.

What are the risks of taking part in a clinical trial?

The risks of taking part in clinical research are low due to the levels of expertise, regulation and quality assurance involved. However, in studying new treatments and investigations, our research teams may be aware of possible side effects, and will discuss these with you in advance. For earlier phase research, there is a possibility of unknown side-effects but again, this will be discussed with you, so you can make the decision as to whether the risk outweighs the potential benefits. It is important to bear in mind that many routine treatments and investigations have the potential for side effects, but these are rarely serious.

We will closely monitor your health during a study and ask you to tell us about any illnesses or changes in your body that you notice.

What typically happens during a clinical research trial?

During an interventional trial you may be given a particular drug, or device, or treated using a new procedure. How you respond to this intervention will be closely monitored and recorded. During the trial you will probably need to be examined, which might involve measurements such as your weight, height or blood pressure. You may need to have blood tests and scans, to see how you react to a particular intervention. If you enquire about a trial, the research team will be able to provide you with more detail on exactly what you will need to do.

How long do trials take?

The length of a particular trial or study will vary. If you enquire about a particular trial, the research team will be able to explain to you the time commitment, how long the trial will last, where it’s located, how many visits you will need to make to hospital and whether you will need to stay overnight. Some studies only involve one visit and be over in a few months, while others can continue for several years. The length of time depends upon how long it takes to identify and recruit an appropriate number of participants, how long each participant needs to spend in the study and how long is needed to follow up and analyse the resulting data.

What about confidentiality?

If you take part in a study, people other than your doctors will need access to your medical records. However, this information is usually anonymised. Everyone who will have access to your records has to follow the same confidentiality guidelines as all other hospital staff. Sometimes the research is carried out at many hospitals and we need to share the information about how the study is progressing. If we do send out information to other organisations, your personal details will be replaced by an anonymised identification number to protect your confidentiality. All confidentiality issues will be detailed in a patient information sheet accompanying each research study, which you can read and discuss before you give your consent to participate.

How do I know if I’m eligible to take part?

Every trial has specific eligibility criteria, which may include age, gender, your medical condition and treatment history.

Who does the research?

This will depend on the study, but it is likely to be a combination of doctors, nurses or midwives and other healthcare professionals. Research can also involve medical students. Please feel free to ask who is carrying out the research and who is funding the study, if this may affect your decision to take part. 

Who approves the study?

All studies carried out at our Trust are approved by an independent research ethics committee, following national procedures and guidelines. They examine everything that will take place in the study and how it will be done, with a particular focus on the interests of patients.

Will I be able to find out the results of the research?

The research team will be able to tell you when the project is completed and when the results will be available.

What if I have concerns about the research?

If you have any questions or concerns about the research, you should contact t he research team in the first instance. If you need to take your concerns further please then speak to the patient advice and liaison service (PALS) at the hospital.

Will I have to decide straight away if I want to take part?

No. It is better to take the time to discuss the benefits and the risks with other healthcare professionals (such as your GP) or with relatives or friends before you decide. The research team will also be available to discuss the study further.

Will I be paid to take part?

Some healthcare research trials pay their participants a fee to take part. Others reimburse their participants for any expenses incurred such as travel to and from hospital. It is worth discussing the financial implications of the trial with the researcher responsible for it when you enquire about taking part.

Can I withdraw from the trial at any time?

Yes you can withdraw from a clinical research study at any time, without giving a reason, and your ongoing treatment and care will continue as normal.

My first language isn’t English – do you provide interpretation?

Yes, study documentation such as patient information sheets are often translated into a number of other languages.

Questions for you to ask the researcher or principal investigator:

• What are the aims of this particular research study/trial?
• What will happen to me during the trial? (e.g. what medical interventions will I receive or what additional tests/measurements will I be required to contribute?)
• Will I receive any reimbursement or payment for the trial? Will there be any upfront costs, e.g. parking?
• How long will the study/trial last and what is the time commitment?
• Who is the principal investigator?
• Who are you likely to see during the research study/trial?
• What happens after the study/trial?

About this page

• Last updated 9 Aug 2023

Patient and public involvement Learn more

Patients and the public bring a valuable perspective to how research is designed and delivered. 

Read more about how we are involving patients and the public via our research forum and panel. 

© Copyright 2024 Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

Take part in research

Many departments within our hospital are involved in research which you may be asked to take part in. You will only be asked to take part in a research study if it is appropriate for you.

If you are asked to take part in a research study:

• We will explain the research and what it involves
• You will have time to think about the research and will be given the chance to ask questions before you make a decision
• You can refuse to take part or change your mind and withdraw from the study at any time, without giving a reason and without your care being affected. You will always continue to receive the best care we are able to offer.
• You can be sure that your dignity, rights, safety, confidentiality and well-being will always be respected

If you would like to take part in a research study please speak to a member of the clinical team at UHCW to see if there are any studies that you may able to participate in.

Be Part of Research  is a website developed by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) which provides information about clinical research running in the UK. You can search for research taking place in your area or for a particular condition.

We sometimes conduct research studies which require health volunteers to take part. If you are interested in taking part in a healthy volunteer study please contact us at [email protected] .

How is my information used in research studies?

You can find out about how our health researchers use information from patients by reading our Generic Data Information Document .

Visit the UHCW CHarity Website

Enquiry about my Appointment

How to take part in research

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“Taking part in these trials was a fantastic opportunity and has really helped me to not just recover but become stronger than I was before I experienced these difficulties.

I think it made a big positive impact on the trajectory of my recovery and the tools I have built up to manage my mental health better day to day.”         

One of our service users who took part in research study

We want everyone who uses our services to get the chance to take part in research that interests them and fits their need. If you would like to know about what research opportunities are available to you, speak with your clinical team. They'll be more than happy to help to share with you the current research studies that are looking for participants. 

Every research study has an information sheet that prospective participants can read, it explains in detail what being involved in the study will look like. They can also put you in touch with the research team so they can answer any of your questions. The research methods you can take part in could involve:

• Questionnaires
• Completion of a week-long diary
• Brain scans
• Blood tests
• Computer games
• Clinical trials for new treatments

Why participate in research?

People who take part in research often feel they are taking an active part in their health care, sometimes they are able to learn more about their condition. They are also assisting others and researchers, by helping to find the causes of problems and the best treatments for these for now and for the future generations. 

What is a clinical trial?

Clinical trials cover a wide range of different types of research. Trials are often used to test new medicines or vaccines, but they can also be used to look at new combinations of existing medicines. Trials can also be used to test whether giving a treatment in a different way will make it more effective or reduce any side effects. Some trials are designed to try out new ways to prevent a particular disease in people who have never had the disease, or to prevent a disease from returning. Clinical trials are not always about testing medicines, they can be used to find ways to help people change their behaviour or lifestyle. This could include an education programme designed to improve a person’s understanding of their medical condition so they can manage it more effectively, or psychological treatment such as cognitive behaviour therapy to treat anxiety or depression.

How do we ensure the safety of our research participants?

All research, particularly clinical trials are carefully designed to reduce any risks and get the most benefits for everyone taking part, whatever treatment they receive. Some research will have very little risk involved. However, the risks of a trial of a new treatment may be greater when less is known about the treatment being tested. Before any drugs are first given to people, they will have been developed in a laboratory and tested for safety. On occasion, the treatment may cause side effects that doctors cannot predict. Sometimes these may be unpleasant and,in rare cases, can be serious. You should be told everything the researchers know about any possible risks and side effects, and why the trial is necessary, so that you can make an informed choice about whether to take part. If you take part in a clinical trial you will be monitored regularly during and after the study. You will have regular tests and you may be asked extra questions about how you are feeling. The research team will always be available to contact during this period.

What is informed consent?

A doctor, nurse or other researcher should get your permission (your ‘informed consent’) before entering you into a research study. They cannot enter you if you do not give your consent. However, there are a few exceptional circumstances when people might be entered into a study without their informed consent (for example, in a trial of the treatment of head injuries or dementia, when the individual may not be able to give consent). In these cases the permission may be given by a relative or other legal representative. If a study involves children, the process of getting informed consent is different and will be fully explained to you by our researchers. It is important that you are satisfied that you have enough information to make an informed decision and to give your informed consent.

What happens if you decide you no longer want to take part in a study?

You can leave a study at any time without giving a reason, even if you have already given your consent to take part. If you are part way through a study the researchers may want to see you one last time to give you a medical exam just for your safety.

Do you receive payment or compensation when you take part in research?

Each study will be different in how it could reimburse you for being involved, so it’s best to check the study page or speak with the research team for this information. Many projects will reimburse the cost of travel expenses, and/or offer some payment either in cash or vouchers, depending on the time it takes and the requirements of the study.

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Get paid for your time

Make a real difference, improve the standard of living for millions of people worldwide by participating in paid clinical trials, healthy black african volunteers aged 18 to 45.

Have you been diagnosed with heart failure due to decreased blood flow in the arteries i.e. coronary artery disease?

Healthy volunteers aged between 18-45

Heart failure study, recruiting healthy adults.

We are conducting a clinical trial for an experimental drug that could be used to treat people with alcohol addiction.

Recruiting adults with High Blood Pressure

We are conducting a clinical trial for a potential new medicine that could be used to treat people with hypertension (high blood pressure).

Recruiting adults with Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) or premature Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

The purpose of this study is to see if an investigational medication can help to lower the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in people who have FH or premature CAD.

Recruiting adults with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD)

We are conducting a study for participants with genetically diagnosed alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD).

Participate in clinical trials and help to discover the medicines of the future

Comments from volunteers

Unbelievable service they looked after me so well, and i would recommend them to anyone interested in participating in a clinical trial. i want to thank all the staff at trials4us for their continued efforts and for looking after me so well., very impressive. thank you for taking care of me and for the valuable service you offer., very professional environment in the heart of london to conduct studies that help discover the medicines of the future., the initial process to get accepted on the trials was easy, and the payment was prompt and precise. the staff here at the clinic are lovely, very professional, helpful, and understanding., take a tour, what you can expect when taking part in a clinical trial, why volunteer.

By volunteering for a clinical trial, you are helping to find a treatment or cure to help improve the standard of living for millions of people and sufferers of different medical conditions. We frequently work with medicine development companies who specialise in diabetes, heart failure and hypertension treatments.

As a medical trial volunteer, you play an important role in the development of new drugs. We appreciate the time you give, and we make sure you are reimbursed. You can receive £100 per day.

You can make a difference

Whether you are a patient or a healthy volunteer, you can participate in our clinical studies. You will help to improve the lives of millions of people by finding new treatments for medical conditions.

Refer a friend

Recommend a friend or family member successfully to take part in a clinical trial, and once they have completed the study you could receive up to £250!

We have had over

250,000 volunteers, we have completed over, we have established, highly qualified, 200 experienced staff.

Trials4us is part of Richmond Pharmacology. With the help of clinical volunteers, our medical research contributes to drug development which improves the lives of millions of people living with a variety of medical conditions. More about us >

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Taking part in research can offer many benefits. It may provide access to new treatments or help participants learn more about their condition. The close monitoring of participants by healthcare professionals during a research study can also help to improve outcomes.

However, people can only take part in research if they know that it’s happening.

Be Part of Research is an online service that provides an opportunity to help members of the public find out what research is currently happening across the UK.

The aim is to help people make informed choices about taking part in health and social care research and make sure everyone has the chance to get involved, if they want to.

You can search by condition, by location or via keyword, and will be given a list of trials which may be suitable for you.  You may need referred by your own specialist or GP, so please do discuss with if you find a study you think you want to take part in.

Visit Be Part of Research for more information.

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Research involving children

There are many ethical and legal issues to consider when involving children and young people in research.

The requirements for consent, where participants are children and/or young people depend on the type of study and where in the UK it is taking place. 

Below you will find specific guidance on consent by and on behalf of children and young people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

Is your project is taking place in Scotland?

We have produced specific online guidance on the principles of consent by and on behalf of children and young people in Scotland. Our online guidance includes information on involving children and young people in the consent process including when to seek assent. To find out more please visit our online consent and participant information sheet preparation guidance .

Clinical Trial of an Investigational Medicinal Product (CTIMP) 

Consent for under 16s .

The Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations prohibit children under the age of 16 from giving consent to take part in a Clinical Trial of an Investigational Medicinal Product (CTIMP ). 

Those who are able to give consent on behalf of children / young people, to take part in a CTIMP, in the UK are: 

• parent or someone with parental responsibility (agreement of only one parent is required)
• personal legal representative i.e. a person not connected with the conduct of the trial who is suitable to act as the legal representative by virtue of their relationship with the child / young person, and is available and willing to do so
• a legal representative should only ever be approached if someone with parental responsibility cannot be contacted prior to the proposed inclusion of the child / young person, by reason of the urgent nature of the treatment provided as part of the trial. If a personal legal representative is not available
• professional legal representative i.e. a doctor responsible for the medical treatment of the child / young person if they are independent of the study, or a person nominated by the healthcare provider. 

You must ensure that parents or legal representatives: 

• understand that you are asking them to give consent on behalf of the child / young person
• understand the objectives, risks and inconveniences of the trial and the conditions under which it is to be conducted
• have been informed of the right to withdraw the child / young person from the trial at any time
• have a contact point where further information about the trial can be obtained. 

Children and young people should be involved in the decision-making process whenever possible. You should ensure that they receive information about your trial, which is understandable to them.

Consent for over 16s 

Young people over 16 are presumed to be capable of giving consent on their own behalf to participate in Clinical Trials of Investigational Medicinal Products (CTIMPs) . 

Any young person, over 16, who is not capable of giving consent, should only be included in a CTIMP in the UK in line with the adult provisions of the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations. 

Consent in non-CTIMPs 

There is no statute in England, Wales or Northern Ireland governing a child's right to consent to take part in research other than a Clinical Trial of an Investigational Medicinal Product (CTIMP), i.e. consent for non-CTIMPs. 

Consent for treatment

Common law presumes that young people aged between 16 and 18 are usually competent to give consent to treatment. 

Case law suggests that if a young person has sufficient understanding and intelligence to understand fully what is proposed, and can use and weigh this information in reaching a decision (i.e. they are 'Gillick competent'), he or she can give consent to treatment. 

When a child or young person is not competent, the Children Act and the Children Act (Northern Ireland) Order permits parents (and those with parental responsibility) to consent to medical treatment on their behalf. Consent of only one parent is required. 

When a young person is believed to be competent, consent from those with parental responsibility is not legally necessary. However, the involvement of parents in decision- making is encouraged in most circumstances. 

Consent for research

In the absence of law relating specifically to research, it is commonly assumed that the principle of 'Gillick competence' can be applied not only to consent for treatment, but also to consent for research. 

A child / young person's right to give consent is dependent upon their capacity to understand the specific circumstances and details of the research being proposed, which in turn will relate to the complexity of the research itself. 

Children and young people's; competence may well be reflected in their ability or otherwise to understand and assess risk. 

Competence to understand will be heavily influenced by how the information is presented to the child or young person, and the language used. You must ensure that you maximise a child / young person's chances of understanding what is involved in your study. 

Consent for 16 and 17 year olds who lack capacity

If a young person, aged 16 and over, is deemed not to be competent to give consent themselves to participate in a non-CTIMP; you must proceed in line with the Mental Capacity Act (in England and Wales) or the Mental Capacity Act (Northern Ireland) 2016. 

Children and young people's wishes and assent

Even when a child or young person is competent, it is still normally good practice to involve the family in the decision-making process, however, if the young person objects, you should respect their privacy. 

Even when a child or young person is deemed not competent to make a decision for themselves, or in situations where they are not legally empowered to do so, (e.g. in a CTIMP), it is important that:

• you give the child / young person information about your study, which is understandable to them and which explains what is involved and the potential risks and benefits
• staff with experience of working with children / young people should provide this information
• if the child or young person is capable of assessing the information provided you must consider their explicit wishes. This includes their refusal to take part, or desire to withdraw from the study
• it is usually inappropriate to ask very young children (e.g. under fives) to sign an assent form, however their views should be considered. 

Whenever practical and appropriate, a child's assent should be sought before including them in your research. 

When is it appropriate to seek assent from a child? 

You have to make an informed judgment to determine when seeking assent is appropriate; the age of a child can only be taken as a guide. We would usually consider it inappropriate to obtain written assent from very young children. 

Consider also the child's developmental stage, knowledge of illness and experience of health care. 

How are decisions usually made in the family? How much autonomy does the child normally exercise? From observation does the child wish to be involved in the discussions? What are the parent's views and can they help with this decision? They know the child best. 

Although there is a danger that children can be asked to exercise greater autonomy than normal, this must be balanced with the potential loss of trust associated with denying their assent. 

Such judgment needs a framework of considerations for analysis, a record of observations and discussions and a documented decision. 

In circumstances where seeking assent at the outset is not appropriate you could provide the child with information as and when required (i.e. 'drip feeding').

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Giving up your time to help others can be rewarding. As well as getting paid for your time, you will receive a free comprehensive health check as part of your enrolment. You will get to relax amongst a group of like-minded people, while It can also be the perfect place to catch up on your studying.

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Our research is not possible without patients and public volunteers. can you help us make our research even better.

Without people volunteering to take part in research, we would not be able to determine the causes of diseases nor find new and better ways of preventing or treating them.

CUH has a proud history of medical research, and has long been at the forefront of delivering pioneering treatments from the first successful liver transplant in Europe to the development of an artificial pancreas.

If you are interested in taking part in a research study in Cambridge, please have a look at the information below to find a study that is right for you.

Taking part

If you would like to take part in a research study about a particular illness or health condition, you should first ask your doctor or GP who can discuss current research studies or refer you to appropriate trials.

Similarly, the Cambridge Cancer Trials Centre (opens in a new tab) has trials running for many different kinds of cancer, alongside important information about how clinical trials work and why they are important.

You don’t need to have a health condition to take part in clinical trials; some trials need healthy volunteers as well. The NIHR Cambridge Clinical Research Facility (CRF) has studies open (opens in a new tab) for healthy volunteers or you can join the NIHR BioResource (opens in a new tab) .

The UK Clinical Trials Gateway (opens in a new tab) provides easy to understand information about clinical research trials running in the UK. You can research for trials taking place in your area or for your condition and also find more information about clinical trials in general.

If there are no trials currently suitable for you to take part in, you can help us by getting involved. We need patients, carers and interested members of the public to get involved in research projects by sharing your thoughts and experiences with us so that we can make research even better.

Patient and public involvement panel

Can you help us make our research better for future patients.

Taking part in clinical trials is not the only way to make a positive impact on research.  We need you to share your experiences, opinions and feelings about our research and to tell us what research questions are really important to you.

Getting involved in this way also gives you a chance to see how research happens ‘behind the scenes’ and meet researchers in person, working together with research teams to make research more relevant and accessible to everyone.  

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (opens in a new tab) (BRC) is located on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus and is a partnership between Cambridge University Hospitals and the University of Cambridge. With over 1,000 research projects currently on-going, researchers need your involvement to let them know what you think of their studies.

How can you get involved? 

Ppi members.

The NIHR Cambridge BRC has a thriving Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) panel of 80+ volunteers who are interested in research and want to make a difference. They talk about their experiences with researchers, review research plans, join focus groups and help researchers to write and talk about their work in ways that can be understood by everyone.

No prior experience or specialist knowledge is required and we need people of all ages and backgrounds, both with and without experience of health conditions to join the panel. All you need is an interest in medical research and a willingness to share your opinions.

How does it work?

If you would like to join the panel we will ask you for some basic information about yourself and what interests you about medical research. We will then try and match you with studies and opportunities as they become available.

All work will be sent to you electronically and the studies you will receive will depend on the research that is happening at that time. If you choose to participate in focus groups or panel meetings, your travel costs can also be reimbursed. You will not be under any obligation to assist in a study and can withdraw from the panel at any time. It will not affect any treatment you receive here at CUH.

More information about the PPI panel, getting involved and how you can help our researchers is available on the NIHR Cambridge BRC website here (opens in a new tab) , or to become a member of the panel you can:

Contact details

Email the patient and public involvement team

Write to us at: Patient and Public Involvement Team Box 406 Cambridge Biomedical Campus Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QQ

Or phone us on: 01223 254620

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Medical Research Work Experience

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Medical research is a vast field, with endless opportunities for discoveries and insights into the human body. But how exactly can you get involved within the field?

There’s one key way and that is gaining medical research work experience. This guide will help to explain what exactly research work experience is, what you learn through it and opportunities where you can get this first-hand experience of the medical research world.  

Written by Ayma Ahmed

What is medical research work experience?

When applying to medical school one key element of your preparation to gain a place should be work experience . For those who have a particular passion for research, undertaking a medical research work experience can be a brilliant way of getting introduced to the field.  

Gaining medical research work experience allows you to delve into the scientific processes that underpin medical advancements and see the full process from generating a hypothesis to data analysis and publication. There are a number of benefits to gaining research work experience including:

Benefits of Medical Research Work Experience

Understanding the foundation of medicine.

As future doctors, your clinical work will be based upon evidence gained from research. Being exposed to the process will allow you to get a better understanding of why evidence-based practice is key and the rigorous nature of the evidence that you will practice upon.

Problem-solving skills

A key part of being a doctor is being able to solve problems and adapt to any hurdles you may face, and there is no better place to learn this skill than through research. Research work experience will come with many challenges from producing experiments to tricky research papers, so getting used to these can help build those key skills of problem-solving and adaptability that you will need as a doctor.

Building up your medical school application

As I mentioned earlier, gaining medical research work experience can be an incredible way to build up your application, especially when it comes to interviews and Personal Statements. It will show that you are a proactive individual and will build a variety of skills from communication to teamwork, all of which are key in your career as a doctor.

Supportive for medical school

As medical students, many of your peers will be taking part in research projects as well as research often being integrated within your courses (for example at Imperial medical students have a dedicated module towards medical research), so getting a head-start in the medical research world can prove to be beneficial for your time at medical school.

So, as you can see, medical research work experience can be a really beneficial way of gaining insight into medicine. But how can you find these opportunities?

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Medical Research Work Experience Opportunities

There are a number of ways to find openings in medical research, such as:

Nuffield Research Placements

These are run by Nuffield themselves and are undertaken in your Year 12 summer. These are opportunities to work alongside professional scientists, engineers and researchers and get first-hand experience in the medical research world.  

MSC Summer Schools

These are summer schools which are run by the Medical Schools Councils , which can contain elements of research within. You may be able to take part in smaller-scale research projects, as well as being able to shadow people within the field. However, this will vary from summer school to summer school so it is important you check with each establishment.

Research Competitions

Many organisations run programmes where you can enter your own research, no matter how big or small. An example is the Crest Award scheme run by the British Science Association.

Directly Contacting Hospitals

Many hospitals will have research projects running, so emailing consultants or general work experience sectors of hospitals may be of help and may even provide you with opportunities to aid with current research projects.

As you can see there are many opportunities out there available for applying students to get that invaluable direct experience in medical research. While these are some pretty popular options for research opportunities, they can be extremely competitive and difficult to get into. So next, let’s think about how you can actually get into a placement like this.

How To Get Research Medical Work Experience

While there’s no sure-fire way to get a spot on one of these experiences, here are my tips for when you apply to ensure you find the best fit for you and get your place:  

What Are Your Interests?

The first port of call for finding the right placement is generally asking “what are my interests in medicine?”. If you can answer this question, your search field narrows greatly. You can have a targeted approach on who to contact.

Where To Look

You are probably asking, I know what I like, but where do I go to get this? Research is generally conducted at large-scale corporations, or rather usefully, at major universities. 

Another benefit is that medical research tends to happen where there are medical departments. You may not be applying to your local medical school, but that doesn’t mean you can’t ask for experience.  

Most researchers are more than willing to share their research as it’s their passion, and even better, they always have tasks that require more hands. And if one person doesn’t have it, then you have a faculty list with their research interests listed on university websites.

Investigate

Take the time to investigate before contacting. Much like you will do for your medical school choices , research what the professor you are contacting has done. They will inevitably ask you why you got in contact with them and what your goals are, so be able to answer this question.  

Remember, they are going to be doing this to benefit you as much as you may be helping them, and more than likely, they will be donating more time to you to explain the research and tasks before you can get on with it.

Remember to network. It’s well and good to just focus on the research and do a great job for your research professor. But, especially if they are working at the medical school you hope to be accepted to, your best bet is to form a relationship with them and their team. You don’t know who they know or how far they might sing your (hopefully) praises.  

To that, they are in a medical field at a medical school and having someone you can speak to for advice in your applications, or even get a new one-of-a-kind reference from, can be the difference between acceptance and a gap year (assuming you don’t have one planned).

So, that’s all I have to say about research work experience in medicine. I believe they can be some of the most interesting and helpful experiences available for applicants. While it may not be for everyone (many medicine applicants would rather be on the wards or shadowing a GP), the amount you can learn from these experts will put you in a great position for your Personal Statement writing and interviews.  

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Applied global health research: stage one (Grant)

Apply for funding to support applied research that will address global health challenges and inequities. We will accept applications of all sizes, including large research projects and small to medium-scale applications. There is no limit on the value of the grant, the value specified within the summary page is an example’

• Opening date : 20 August 2024, 9:00am
• Closing date : 3 December 2024, 4:00pm

Get updates about this grant

Eligibility, how to apply, supporting information.

Apply for funding to support applied research that will address global health challenges and inequities.

We will accept applications of all sizes, including large research projects and small to medium-scale applications.

We are looking to develop a portfolio of high-quality global research which will be diverse, promote multidisciplinarity and strengthen global health research capacity. We encourage applications from project leads based in:

low and middle-income countries (LMICs)

UK, working in equitable partnership with LMIC researchers

The start application link will be available to select from 9:00am 20 August 2024.

Before applying for funding, check the  Eligibility of your organisation .

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has introduced new role types for funding opportunities being run on the new UKRI Funding Service.

For full details, visit  Eligibility as an individual .

Who is eligible to apply

To be eligible to apply for this funding opportunity you must:

be eligible as an individual

be based at either an eligible UK research organisation, or based in a:

research organisation in a low or middle-income country (LMIC), with degree-awarding powers recognised by the government in which the organisation is based

research-focused institute based in an LMIC either funded by the government of the country in which the organisation is based, or by a not-for-profit organisation

research-focused not-for-profit organisation based in an LMIC with dedicated research capacity

Medical Research Council (MRC) particularly encourages applications from:

researchers based in LMICs

UK-based researchers who are eligible to apply for MRC funding and work in equitable partnership with LMIC researchers

LMIC countries, as defined by the  Development Assistance Committee list of official development assistance recipient countries

The board recognises that applied global health research requires the involvement of a diverse range of collaborating organisations in order to affect sustainable change.

Applications involving a not-for-profit organisation based in an LMIC will be eligible to be named project co-lead (international). This can include grass-roots organisations and community groups.

If you do not have a contract of employment for the duration of the proposed project, by submitting an application the research organisation is confirming, if it is successful:

contracts will be extended beyond the end date of the project

all necessary support for the project and the applicants will be provided, including mentorship and career development for early career researchers

Who is not eligible to apply

You are not eligible to apply if:

you are based in a high-income country (does not include UK project leads, who are eligible), or in India, you are not eligible to be project lead, but may be eligible to be project co-lead (international)

you are based in China. You are not eligible to be project lead, but may be eligible to be either a project partner or project co-lead (International) with £0 cost. The researcher should only be included where expertise cannot be found either in the UK or a DAC listed country

It is expected that researchers from India and any high-income countries make a significant contribution to their own research costs, including covering their own overheads. Where India is included in a project there must be at least two other LMICs involved in the project.

UKRI is unable to support ODA research and innovation activities taking place in China, or where China is the direct beneficiary. This means the ODA compliance statement submitted by applicants should not identify China as part of the project’s rationale/justification. Providing no UK funding flows to China, it is permissible for China-based researchers to be involved in UKRI funded activities, when part of a consortia of internationally based researchers. China-based researchers are not eligible to lead applications.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers.

We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes:

career breaks

support for people with caring responsibilities

flexible working

alternative working patterns

Find out more about  equality, diversity and inclusion at UKRI .

We’re looking to fund research projects that will lead to tangible change in health policy and practice in the near future through practical, impact focused research.

We aim to support a diverse portfolio and examples of the types of research we will support, include:

feasibility studies which include evaluation of impact and stakeholder engagement

late-stage intervention development and testing, which can include global health trials from phase 2b (efficacy) onwards

implementation and scale-up research

health economic research as part of a broader health intervention project

the impact of policy changes or other similar interventions on health, particularly with a multisectoral lens

environmental (including climate change), cultural and social approaches within health focused projects

applied modelling

Proposals with a specific health systems focus may prefer to consider applying to the  National institute for health and care research schemes .

We welcome cross-sector research combining expertise to meet a global health challenge. For example, an application may include aspects of urban planning, health policy and non-communicable disease (NCD) research. The research question might involve different disciplines and approaches from outside the health sector, but the primary objective must be to improve health.

You can apply for funding to address any health topic of relevance in the context where the research will be conducted. Examples of projects we have funded to date include infections, climate, ageing, NCDs, snakebite and anti-microbial resistance.

Explore previous  Applied global health research board funding decisions .

If you are unsure whether your application fits the remit described, please send a one-page summary of your application to  [email protected]

The MRC partners with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to support global health research projects. Some of the projects funded through the Applied Global Health Research Board (AGHRB) in specific strategic areas of mutual interest such as climate and health, women and girls’ reproductive health, early childhood development and epidemic preparedness will be funded under this partnership.

Through our investments in global health research, we aim to:

support a portfolio of high quality, high priority, diverse investments to improve health, encouraging:

innovation in study design

multi-disciplinarity to address global challenges

diverse health topics: prioritise local relevance with potential for global impact

prioritise equitable partnerships

invest in research capacity strengthening

promote co-design and co-production with communities, policy-makers and health practitioners

Strengthening research capacity as part of your application

We are committed to strengthening research capacity within low and middle-income countries (LMICs) and the UK. All applicants are required to develop plans to strengthen research capacity within their application, which will be assessed by expert reviewers and inform funding decisions.

We encourage you to start discussing capacity strengthening priorities as early as possible, in consultation with key stakeholders, both within and outside of your project team. For example:

researchers

laboratory technicians

data collectors

field workers

practitioners

policymakers

research management offices

We take a broad view of where capacity strengthening activities could be targeted, however plans must be directly linked to the proposed project. Activities could target the individual, institutional or contextual level, or span multiple levels, and plans should be proportionate to the scale of the project, with larger projects expected to be more ambitious.

Examples of capacity building include, but are not limited to:

building leadership skills amongst early career researchers

opportunities for mutual learning across the project team, such as through staff exchanges (for example, the wider health context, engagement with policymakers and research management)

building capacity to work collaboratively, across disciplines and across practice-research boundaries (for example, with policymakers, managers, and practitioners in the system)

providing mentoring to improve the capacity of less-experienced researchers to generate new knowledge and achieve policy impact

team members attending training courses to develop specific expertise or obtain relevant qualifications (excluding master’s and PhDs)

opportunities for staff and associated health managers to author or co-author journal and conference papers and participate in national and international conferences

building organisational capacity (for example, in management, finance or communications)

the formation of LMICs research networks

Find further  resources, tools and guides on strengthening research capacity provided by the UK Collaborative on Development Research .

Although new investigator research grants are not available through the AGHRB, we are committed to supporting early career researchers in applied global health. The board will consider each applicant’s career stage and proposed mentorship arrangements during funding discussions.

Areas we will not fund

We will not fund:

discovery research or research that includes an applied component that fits within a current  MRC remit, programme or priority . This includes early translation and feasibility studies in the remit of the  Developmental pathway funding scheme (DPFS) . Applicants wishing to do early translational or pilot studies should carefully consider whether the proposed work fits the remit of these other panels first before submitting to AGHRB

observational or prevalence studies

studies where the focus is on surveillance, unless the proposed work is applied research into novel methods for surveillance research

stand-alone capacity strengthening applications without clear links to high-quality applied research programmes

early phase clinical trials (phase 1 and 2a)

Board opportunities

These opportunities represent areas of specific strategic focus that help to inform discussions at funding meetings, but you can submit research applications that focus on any applied global health topic.

Maternal and neonatal health

The  MRC maternal and neonatal health area of investment  aims to provide funding for innovative applied research to address the global burden of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity.

Early childhood development

The board supports research in early childhood development, which encompasses the physical, socio emotional, cognitive, and motor development of children from birth to eight years of age.

Early childhood development is the outcome of the  nurturing care for early childhood development report . This is a range of education, health, nutrition and social protection inputs and environments. Applications in this area will be jointly funded by FCDO as part of a coordinated effort to increase and scale up the evidence base for early childhood development interventions.

Read more about the  early childhood development area of investment .

Adolescent health

The  adolescent health area of investment  aims to fund innovative applied research to improve adolescent health in LMICs.

Implementation science

Maximising impact from research remains a priority for MRC. To ensure that we meet this priority, we are funding research to address the implementation gap and progress interventions towards real-world impact.

We expect this research to ensure that evidence-based health interventions are implemented in an accessible and fair way for the most vulnerable populations.

Read more about the  implementation science area of investment .

We will fund projects lasting up to five years, although projects typically last three to four years.

Funding available

The resources you request should be appropriate for the objectives of your application. We will accept applications of all sizes from £150,000 up to approximately £2 million MRC contribution. MRC typically fund 80% of full economic cost, excluding eligible international costs, which are funded as exceptions (100%). We will take value for money into account when assessing applications.

Equitable partnerships, including financial equity, are a key principle of the board. Applications in which the majority of the funding is allocated to the UK, plus any high-income countries (or India), will be rejected.

What we will fund

You can request funding for costs such as:

a contribution to the salary of the project lead and project co-leads (UK)

100% salary costs for project leads and project co-leads (international), based within an LMIC

support for other posts such as research and technical

research consumables

travel costs

data preservation, data sharing and dissemination costs

estates and indirect costs

research capacity strengthening activities (excluding Masters/PhD fees and stipends)

LMIC publication costs can be requested, where all the authors are from LMICs

Please note: total costs attributed to international high income countries (those not on the  Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list  of official development assistance recipients), or India, must not exceed 30% of the full economic cost grant value. There is no cap on eligible funds attributed to international project co-leads from DAC list countries.

What we will not fund

master’s and PhD studentships

UK publication costs

funding to use as a ‘bridge’ between grants

Team project partners

You may include project partners that will support your research project through cash or in-kind contributions, such as:

access to equipment

sites or facilities

the provision of data

software or materials

Where there is engagement from individuals based in government agencies, international intergovernmental organisations (for example, the World Health Organization), or other stakeholder organisations (for example, industry collaborators), applicants should include them as a named project partner.

You are not required to provide project partner letters (or emails), of support for stage one of the application process (they will need to be provided at stage two).

If your application involves  industry partners , you are not required to provide additional information if the team project partner falls within the  industry collaboration framework  (information will need to be provided at stage two).

Find out more about  subcontractors and dual roles .

Who cannot be included as a team project partner

Any individual included in your application with a  core team role  cannot also be a project partner.

Any organisation that employs a member of the application core team cannot be a project partner organisation, this is incudes other departments within the same organisation.

If you are collaborating with someone in your organisation, consider including them in the core team as project co-lead, or specialist. They cannot be a project partner.

Supporting skills and talent

We encourage you to follow the principles of the  Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers  and the  Technician Commitment .

Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I)

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is committed in ensuring that effective international collaboration in research and innovation takes place with integrity and within strong ethical frameworks. TR&I is a UKRI work programme designed to help protect all those working in our thriving and collaborative international sector by enabling partnerships to be as open as possible, and as secure as necessary. Our  TR&I Principles  set out UKRI’s expectations of organisations funded by UKRI in relation to due diligence for international collaboration.

As such, applicants for UKRI funding may be asked to demonstrate how their proposed projects will comply with our approach and expectation towards TR&I, identifying potential risks and the relevant controls you will put in place to help proportionately reduce these risks.

See  further guidance and information about TR&I , including where applicants can find additional support.

Find out about  getting funding for international collaboration .

Assessment process

We will assess your application using the following process.

Peer review

Your outline application will be reviewed by independent board members and MRC’s global health faculty of experts.

Shortlisting

We will review the comments and scores for each application. Shortlisted applications will be invited to submit a stage two application.

We aim to complete the stage one assessment process within four months of receiving your application. The funding decision will be made on applications invited to stage two approximately six months from then.

We will give feedback with the outcome of your application.

Webinar for potential applicants

We held a webinar on 7 December 2023 to provide more information about the funding opportunity and a chance to ask questions.

Watch the webinar (Zoom)

Passcode to access the recording: H6RXwk@i

Principles of assessment

We support the  San Francisco declaration on research assessment  and recognise the relationship between research assessment and research integrity.Find out about the  UKRI principles of assessment and decision making .We reserve the right to modify the assessment process as needed.

Assessment areas

The assessment areas we will use are:

vision of the project

approach of the project

capacity strengthening plans of the project

capability of the applicant or applicants and the project team to deliver the project

ethical and responsible research and innovation considerations of the project

value for money and equity of the project

Find details of assessment questions and criteria under the ‘Application questions’ heading in the ‘How to apply’ section.

To start application on the UKRI Funding Service click here: https://funding-service.ukri.org/OPP675/apply/704  

We are running this funding opportunity on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service so please ensure that your organisation is registered. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system.The project lead is responsible for completing the application process on the Funding Service, but we expect all team members and project partners to contribute to the application.Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI.

If you are based in an LMIC research organisation, you can register your organisation by contacting  [email protected]  and provide your organisation name, country and city.

If the lead research organisation is an NHS organisation, check it is available in the Funding Service. You are encouraged to check this early as there may be additional steps for the organisation to be set up before you can apply.Two grant types are available, ‘research’ and ‘ partnership ’. Before you select ‘Start application’, check you are applying for the appropriate grant type. Applications submitted to the incorrect grant type will be rejected.

You will be able to select ‘start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page, from 9:00am (UK time), on 20 August 2024.

Confirm you are the project lead.

Sign in or create a Funding Service account. To create an account, select your organisation, verify your email address, and set a password. If your organisation is not listed, email  [email protected] Please allow at least 10 working days for your organisation to be added to the Funding Service. We strongly suggest that if you are asking UKRI to add your organisation to the Funding Service to enable you to apply to this funding opportunity, you also create an organisation Administration Account. This will be needed to allow the acceptance and management of any grant that might be offered to you.

Answer questions directly in the text boxes. You can save your answers and come back to complete them or work offline and return to copy and paste your answers. If we need you to upload a document, follow the upload instructions in the Funding Service. All questions and assessment criteria are listed in the How to apply section on this Funding finder page.

Allow enough time to check your application in ‘read-only’ view before sending to your research office.

Send the completed application to your research office for checking. They will return it to you if it needs editing.

Your research office will submit the completed and checked application to UKRI

Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. You must:

use images sparingly and only to convey important information that cannot easily be put into words

insert each new image onto a new line

provide a descriptive legend for each image immediately underneath it (this counts towards your word limit, so must not be included in the image)

files must be smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format

Watch our  research office webinars about the new Funding Service .For more guidance on the Funding Service, see:

how applicants use the Funding Service

how research offices use the Funding Service

how reviewers use the Funding Service

Applications should be self-contained, and hyperlinks should only be used to provide links directly to reference information. To ensure the information’s integrity is maintained, where possible, persistent identifiers such as digital object identifiers should be used. Assessors are not required to access links to carry out assessment or recommend a funding decision. Applicants should use their discretion when including references and prioritise those most pertinent to the application.References should be included in the appropriate question section of the application and be easily identifiable by the assessors for example, Smith, Research Paper, 2019.You must not include links to web resources to extend your application.

Medical Research Council (MRC) must receive your application by 3 December 2024 at 4:00pm UK time.You will not be able to apply after this time.Make sure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines.Following the submission of your application to the funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and applications will not be returned for amendment. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.

Personal data

Processing personal data.

MRC, as part of UKRI, will need to collect some personal information to manage your Funding Service account and the registration of your funding applications.We will handle personal data in line with UK data protection legislation and manage it securely. For more information, including how to exercise your rights, read  our privacy notice .

Publication of outcomes

MRC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity at  Applied global health research board – funding decisions .If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the  UKRI Gateway to Research .

Word limit: 550In plain English, provide a summary we can use to identify the most suitable experts to assess your application.We usually make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, therefore do not include any confidential or sensitive information. Make it suitable for a variety of readers, for example:

opinion-formers

the wider research community

Succinctly describe your proposed work in terms of:

goals to be addressed, please identify a concise and clearly articulated ultimate aim of the research

its context

the global health challenge the research addresses and its potential impact

its aims and objectives

its potential applications and benefits

List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:

project lead (PL)

project co-lead (UK) (PcL)

project co-lead (international) (PcL (I))

researcher co-lead (RcL)

grant manager

professional enabling staff

research and innovation associate

visiting researcher

Only list one individual as project lead.Project leads can be from eligible UK or LMIC research organisations.We expect all applications to this opportunity to include project co-lead (international), based at LMIC research organisations.Find out more about  UKRI’s core team roles in funding applications .

Application questions

Word limit:10Provide up to five keywords that describe your application.

What assessors are looking for in your response

Provide up to a maximum of five keywords, for example: maternal health, malaria, implementation science, sub-Saharan Africa.This is for administrative purposes to help with the initial application processing and will not affect the overall assessment of your application.

Word limit: 1,000What are you hoping to achieve with your proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Explain how your proposed work:

has a clearly articulated main research question

is of excellent quality and importance within or beyond the field(s) or area(s), and has the potential to advance current understanding, generates new knowledge, thinking or discovery within or beyond the field or area

is timely given current trends, context and needs

impacts world-leading research, society, the economy or the environment in LMICs

is driven by the needs of populations in the LMIC where the research is taking place

is generalisable beyond the research setting

includes LMIC researchers in the intellectual design and the setting of the research agenda and its ongoing strategic direction

ensures that partnerships are equitable

Within the Vision section we also expect you to:

consider issues such as burden of disease and priority for the relevant local, regional, and national health services

provide evidence that the answer to your research question is needed and wanted by relevant users, policymakers or both

identify the evidence-gap that the research will fill

describe the changes that might be implemented as a result of the project, and by whom

References may be included within this section.You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.

Word limit: 1,500How will you deliver your proposed work?

Explain how you have designed your work so that it:

is innovative, effective and appropriate to achieve your objectives

is feasible, and comprehensively identifies any risks to delivery and how they will be managed

will maximise translation of outputs into outcomes and impacts

describes how your, and if applicable your team’s, research environment (in terms of the place, its location, and relevance to the project) will contribute to the success of the work

ensures an equitable role for the LMIC researchers in setting the research agenda and strategic direction of the research partnership

includes appropriate engagement plans with users, key stakeholders and target populations, and the appropriate communication and knowledge exchange plans

if applicable, summarises the previous work and describes how this will be built upon and progressed

uses a clear and transparent methodology, broken down by work package to:

provide details of the methodological approaches, study design and techniques that will be used. Enough detail must be given to show why the research is likely to be competitive in its field. Particular care should be taken to explain any innovation in the methodology or where you intend to develop new methods

briefly describe any pilot or preliminary data you have available to help the reviewers assess the feasibility of the proposed project

if applicable, clearly explain the intervention you will be testing, what it consists of and why

if applicable, demonstrate that you have carried out a datasets review, and explicitly state why currently available datasets are either appropriate or inadequate for the proposed research

Within the Approach section we also expect you to:

outline how co-production with relevant stakeholders, such as end-users, health care workers, policymakers and implementers, is embedded throughout the design and delivery of the project

identify the research participants and the setting(s) in which the research will take place. Where a particular setting is proposed which excludes the most vulnerable, for example the school setting, considerations should be made to include vulnerable groups or justify the choice not to

fully justify the target population identified application, with clear consideration of the potential for differences according to socioeconomic status, ethnicity, gender, age group or other characteristics. Refer to the  MRC embedding diversity in research design policy  (if applicable)

explain the proposed timeline including milestones and a diagrammatic workplan, such as a Gantt chart, which can be embedded within the text box

Research capacity strengthening

Word limit: 250What are your capacity strengthening plans for the research project?

Explain how you have embedded appropriate capacity building activities within the proposed work. Explain how your capacity strengthening activities:

are appropriate to the LMIC research needs and the objectives of the project

will benefit the LMIC researchers and communities involved

Within this section we expect you to:

detail research capacity building needs, opportunities and planned activities

explain who will participate in delivering these activities and who will benefit from them

Applicant and team capability to deliver

Word limit: 1,650Why are you the right individual or team to successfully deliver the proposed work?

Evidence of how you, and if relevant your team, have:

the relevant experience (appropriate to career stage) to deliver the proposed work

the right balance of skills and expertise to cover the proposed work

the appropriate leadership and management skills to deliver the work and your approach to develop others

opportunities for LMIC leadership and management

contributed to developing a positive research environment and wider community

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.The word count for this section is 1,650 words: 1,150 words to be used for R4RI modules (including references) and, if necessary, a further 500 words for Additions.Use the Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) format to showcase the range of relevant skills you and, if relevant, your team (project and project co-leads, researchers, technicians, specialists, partners and so on) have and how this will help deliver the proposed work. You can include individuals’ specific achievements but only choose past contributions that best evidence their ability to deliver this work.Complete this section using the R4RI module headings listed. Use each heading once and include a response for the whole team, see the  UKRI guidance on R4RI . You should consider how to balance your answer, and emphasise where appropriate the key skills each team member brings:

contributions to the generation of new ideas, tools, methodologies, or knowledge

the development of others and maintenance of effective working relationships

contributions to the wider research and innovation community

contributions to broader research or innovation users and audiences and towards wider societal benefit

Provide any further details relevant to your application. This section is optional and can be up to 500 words. You should not use it to describe additional skills, experiences, or outputs, but you can use it to describe any factors that provide context for the rest of your R4RI (for example, details of  career breaks  if you wish to disclose them).Complete this as a narrative. Do not format it like a CV.UKRI has introduced new role types for funding opportunities being run on the new Funding Service.For full details, see  Eligibility as an individual .

Project partners

Add details about any project partners’ contributions. If there are no project partners, you can indicate this on the Funding Service.A project partner is a collaborating third party organisation who will have an integral role in the proposed research. This may include direct (cash) or indirect (in-kind) contributions such as expertise, staff time or use of facilities.The individual named as the project partner contact, cannot be included in your application as a member of the core team, in any  core team role .The project partner organisation cannot be an applicant organisation, where any member of the core team is based. For example, you cannot include a different department based within the applicant organisation as a project partner.If an individual or organisation outside the core team is responsible for recruitment of people as research participants or providing human tissue for this project, list them as a project partner.Add the following project partner details:

the organisation name (searchable via a drop-down list or enter the organisation’s details manually, as applicable)

the project partner contact name and email address

the type of contribution (direct or in-direct) and its monetary value

If there are specific circumstances where project partners do require funding for minor costs such as travel and subsistence, these project partner costs should be claimed and justified within the resources and costs section of your application.If a detail is entered incorrectly and you have saved the entry, remove the specific project partner record and re-add it with the correct information.For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.Letters or emails of support are not required from project partners at stage one of the application process (they will be required if you are invited to apply to the full application stage two).If your stage one application includes industry project partners, you are not required to complete the Industry Collaboration Framework (ICF) review, until the stage two application process is relevant to your proposed work. Find out  more about ICF .

Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)

Word limit: 500What are the ethical or RRI implications and issues relating to the proposed work? If you do not think that the proposed work raises any ethical or RRI issues, explain why.

Demonstrate that you have identified and evaluated:

the relevant ethical or responsible research and innovation considerations

how you will manage these considerations

Consider the  MRC guidance on ethics and approvals .You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.

Financial information and equity

Word limit: 500Provide a high-level indication of how much each research organisation will need.

Provide a breakdown of the funding requested for each eligible organisation, by copying and pasting the table provided into the text box. You should then add the cost figures relevant to each organisation involved. The table has separate column headings, which will allow you to clearly define the costs you are claiming for each participating organisation, depending on where they are based:

non-UK high income countries (HIC) and India

Important note: a narrative justification of your costs is not required during stage one of the application process.

Applications in which the majority of the budget is allocated to the UK will be rejected.

Further organisation finance guidance

Low and middle-income countries (lmic).

LMICs are defined as those on the  Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list .You must include costs associated with LMIC organisations as exceptions (100%).Important note: You can claim an additional 20% on top of the total LMIC exception costs for each specific LMIC organisation. These additional funds are a contribution towards indirect costs incurred by the LMIC overseas organisation over the duration of the project (excluding India).Important note: There is no cap on eligible funds attributed to international project co-leads from DAC list countries, excluding India.

UK based research organisations costs

All UK based costs must comply with the principles of full economic costing (FEC) of applications and claimed accordingly (if the application is successful, we would typically fund 80% of the UK based costs claimed).

High Income Country based international organisation (including India) costs

An HIC international organisation based overseas, including India, will not be on the OECD DAC list of official development assistance recipients and is therefore not defined as an LMIC.Costs associated with HIC international organisations must be claimed as an exception (100%).All costs attributed to international HICs, including India, must not exceed 30% of the total FEC costs claimed.Do not include indirect costs for organisations based within any HIC international organisation, as these are not permitted. Do not claim the 20% extra costs as this is for LMIC based organisations only (excluding India).Provide a breakdown of the funding request per organisation by completing the table provided in the Funding Service.

Related applications

Word limit: 800Is this application related to another application to MRC or other funding organisation?

If your application is not related to another, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.If yes, state your previous reference number and explain how this new application is related to the other application.If the related application was submitted to another funder, you should identify the name of the funder and when you applied.If this is a resubmission, describe how it differs from the previous application and how feedback on the previous application has been considered and acted on.

Research disruption due to COVID-19

We recognise that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused major interruptions and disruptions across our communities. We are committed to ensuring that individual applicants and their wider team, including partners and networks, are not penalised for any disruption to their career, such as:

breaks and delays

disruptive working patterns and conditions

the loss of ongoing work

role changes that may have been caused by the pandemic

Reviewers and panel members will be advised to consider the unequal impacts that COVID-19 related disruption might have had on the capability to deliver and career development of those individuals included in the application. They will be asked to consider the capability of the applicant and their wider team to deliver the research they are proposing.

Where disruptions have occurred, you can highlight this within your application if you wish, but there is no requirement to detail the specific circumstances that caused the disruption.

Related content

UKRI policies and standards

MRC policies, guidance and data

Related opportunities

Applied global health partnership: stage one

Applied global health partnership: invited stage two

Applied global health research: invited stage two

Get help with your application

If you have a question and the answers aren’t provided on this page

Important note: The Helpdesk is committed to helping users of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service as effectively and as quickly as possible. In order to manage cases at peak volume times, the Helpdesk will triage and prioritise those queries with an imminent opportunity deadline and/or a technical issue. Enquiries raised where information is available on the Funding Finder opportunity page and should be understood early in the application process (for example, regarding eligibility or content/remit of an opportunity) will not constitute a priority case and will be addressed as soon as possible.

Contact details

For help and advice on costings and writing your proposal please contact your research office in the first instance, allowing sufficient time for your organisation’s submission process.

For questions related to this specific funding opportunity please contact  [email protected]

For general questions related to MRC funding including our funding opportunities and policy email:  [email protected]

Any queries regarding the system or the submission of applications through the Funding Service should be directed to the helpdesk.

Email:  [email protected] Phone: 01793 547490

Our phone lines are open:

Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5:00pm

Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm

To help us process queries quicker, we request that users highlight the council and opportunity name in the subject title of their email query, include the application reference number, and refrain from contacting more than one mailbox at a time.

Find  information on submitting an application .

Sensitive information

If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email  [email protected]

Include in the subject line: [the funding opportunity title; sensitive information; your Funding Service application number].

Typical examples of confidential information include:

individual is unavailable until a certain date (for example due to parental leave)

declaration of interest

additional information about eligibility to apply that would not be appropriately shared in the ‘Applicant and team capability’ section

conflict of interest for UKRI to consider in reviewer or panel participant selection

the application is an invited resubmission

For information about how UKRI handles personal data, read  UKRI’s privacy notice .

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