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First Meeting

First Meeting

When you contact RDS NENC to request an appointment a general adviser will be allocated to you. Our advisers have a variety of methodological and specialist area expertise. Each has their own research track record as well as expertise in supporting researchers to develop high quality funding applications.

Once you have been allocated an adviser, a meeting will be arranged to discuss your research ideas and plans, as well as any requirements for specialist advice (e.g. statistics, health economics). The RDS adviser will be your point of contact throughout the development of your proposal, leading you through the design process, supported by specialist advisers as well as providing information about other relevant expertise in the region and nationally.

What expertise can a general adviser offer?

  • advice on your research question;
  • research design;
  • advice on appropriate funding sources;
  • provide access to RDS specialist advisors;
  • identifying potential collaborators;
  • links with the Clinical Research Network CRN NENC;
  • support throughout the application process, as well as post-award support should difficulties arise following funding.

The RDS can provide post-funding advice to researchers experiencing difficulties and who received RDS support when developing their successful funding applications. This support may relate to study set-up, delivery or analysis, but will be advisory only, including signposting to other groups. The RDS cannot provide support to fill gaps in the expertise of research teams.

What to think about before a meeting with a general adviser?

  • is your research idea novel? Checking that a research idea is really novel – video
  • why is this topic important? What is the scale and burden of the problem?
  • is the research question important to patients and/or members of the public?
  • why are you and your team in the best position to answer this research question?

Useful Resources