Application to Undertake Research
Guidance notes
Research Governance Framework
Application to undertake research
Section A
1. Title of project
Please insert the title of the research project to be undertaken.
2. Department work is being undertaken for
State which team/area of service or organisation the work is being undertaken for, and confirm that you have relevant SMT consent to do so.
3. Applicant/Originator
The applicant should, in most cases, be the main researcher. All correspondence will be addressed to this person unless otherwise stated on the application form.
The originator is the person who has asked the applicant to undertake the research. This could be the applicant’s line manager or an external organisation for whom the work is being undertaken.
Please give the relevant experience of the main researcher, attach a CV if appropriate.
4. Other workers and departments/institutions involved?
If the research is a joint project with another organisation or department this should be indicated here.
5. Estimated cost of research, personnel and resources, to Cornwall Council
This should include costs of preparation, conducting, analysing and communicating your findings, including staff time for interviews etc.
Section B
6. Outline of the project
In this section please give details of:
· What you hope to achieve by undertaking this research
o Hypothesis
o Objectives / contribution to the body of knowledge in this subject area
· The reason the research is being undertaken.
· Full details of the methods that will be used e.g. focus groups (you will be required to supply copies of all instruments such as questionnaires, interview scripts etc)
· Your methodology or justification for using the methods described above
· A brief timetable of the research including your anticipated completion date.
· Whether the research is one-off or be repeated at regular intervals.
· If approval has already been granted by other ethics committees please enclose copies of approval letters, where applicable.
7. How will the findings be used?
Who will be using the findings and for what purpose.
8a. How will your results be disseminated and to whom will they be sent?
Please give details of the arrangements that have been made to disseminate the research findings and who will have access to them.
8b. How will the data be finally presented?
The findings of the research may be presented in a variety of formats; these should ensure accessibility.
8c. Publication of findings on websites
It is important that we provide potential researchers with an indication of research areas or studies of interest to us. This will also include or those that have already been covered, therefore an executive summary of your research should be made available for publishing on the RGF page of the CC website unless otherwise indicated. We reserve the right to edit this summary to ensure it is of an appropriate standard.
Please list any other websites that will publish the completed research or contain a link to it. This could include the sites belonging to partner organisations.
Section C
Data Storage and Data Protection
9. Who will have overall control of the data generated?
10. How will the data be stored, and what consideration has been given to the relevant Data Protection issues?
It is important to include details of how the information will be stored, who has access to it and when it will be destroyed.
You will need to provide participants with a clear Privacy Notice, for further information see Section D below.
Any queries regarding data protection should be addressed to your Data Protection Representative or the Council’s Data Protection Officer.
11. Destruction policy
It is important that consideration is given to the disposal of research instruments after the research project has been completed (refer to the Batchelor Retention Guidelines 2014 and NHS Records Management Retention Schedule Code of Practice Part 2 for further details on how long the data should be held)
It is recommended that all documents or media containing personally identifiable information should be destroyed after 12 months.
Section D
12. Service user / carer participation
It is considered good practice that service users, participants or other ‘stakeholders’ are actively involved in research/consultation design.
13. Sample selection and recruitment
For this section you will need to give details of the selection of the people who will be approached to take part in the research and how you intend to approach them and whether there are people who will be included or excluded from taking part in the research.
Care will need to be taken to clearly justify why certain individuals are to be targeted, e.g. the need to conduct research with vulnerable groups should be justified and it needs generally to be shown that the data required could not be obtained from any other class of participant.
If appropriate has the protocol been reviewed by a Statistician?
Please give details of the size and composition of the sample group.
How have you arrived at this number?
What is the age group or range and why is this relevant?
Is it a single sex study and if so what is the reason(s) for gender selection?
Please give details of any incentives that will be used to encourage participation.
14. Informed Consent
It is vital to demonstrate how you will seek informed consent, i.e. participants clearly understand the purpose for which the data is being collected and how it will be stored.
ESRC National Centre for Research Methods (NCSRM): ‘Informed Consent in Social Research: A Literature Review’. This review provides useful background information about the need for informed consent and different ways of obtaining it. http://eprints.ncrm.ac.uk/85/1/MethodsReviewPaperNCRM-001
15. Research with vulnerable groups
Evidence that researchers have been CRB-checked, where this is required by the nature of the research, will also need to be provided before work can commence. Again, these checks are required for both internally commissioned and externally funded research.
If you have clearly demonstrated the need to undertake research with people who lack capacity, you will to consult with / your research will need to be reviewed by an appropriate body as per Chapter 11 of the MCA 2005 Code of Practice.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/497253/Mental-capacity-act-code-of-practice.pdf
There is information on the HRA website about reviewing research under the MCA – http://www.hra.nhs.uk/resources/before-you-apply/types-of-ethical-review/ethical-review-of-research-involving-adults-unable-to-consent-for-themselves/
And this may also be a useful resource:
http://www.ethicsguidebook.ac.uk/Mental-Capacity-Act-118
16. Written Information to Participants and Consent
If you intend to provide written information to the participants a copy will need to be enclosed with the application. This may take the form of a front sheet on the questionnaire or interview guides. Written consent may not be required if a postal questionnaire is used.
In the case of those under the age of 18, or those who by the nature of their disability would not understand what was being signed, it is advised that consent should be obtained by those with parental/guardian responsibility - the guidance under points 14 & 15 above should be considered.
You will need to include a privacy notice / statement in light of the General Data Protection Regulation which comes into force next May. The guidance you need is here: http://cornwallcouncilintranet.cc.cornwallonline.net/need-to-know/strategies-and-policies/data-protection-act-1998/privacy-notices/ with further detail available here: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/data-protection-reform/overview-of-the-gdpr/individuals-rights/the-right-to-be-informed/
Please consider providing information in alternative formats. If the research does involve people whose first language is not English please give details of arrangements made for them. Please remember that this may include people who use British Sign Language. Other formats should be available where required, e.g. Braille, symbols.
Ensure that the Information Sheet includes details of the participants’ right to withdraw from the study at any time without penalty.
Sample templates for consent forms & info sheets are available from the RGF Co-Ordinator or your Service Area RGF representative.
17. How will you feed back to respondents?
Feedback to respondents should be available and its mode of distribution made explicit at the outset of the research.
18. Risk to research subjects or researchers
Ethical considerations - identify any ethical issues surrounding your research and how you plan to tackle these.
If your research has had an ethics committee approval from a university or college a copy of this should be attached to your application.
Potential risks and/or hazards to subjects or researchers - All potential risks or hazards to both participants and researchers should be considered and details of any precautions taken should be outlined.
Potential conflicts of interest - might derive from relationships with collaborators /sponsors/participants/interest groups?
19. Signatures
Please ensure that both the main researcher signs the application form.
20. Accompanying documentation
Please ensure that all the relevant documentation accompanies this application.
Research Governance Framework Application form guidance notes 5
July 2017