Got a research idea and not sure how to turn it into a funding application? Talk to our Research Design Service (RDS).
The RDS provides support to health and social care researchers across England on all aspects of developing and writing a funding application, including research design, research methods, identifying funding sources and involving patients and the public. Advice is confidential and free of charge.
Advice on developing COVID-19 research
The Research Design Service (RDS) provides free and confidential advice on research design, writing funding applications and public involvement, to health and social care researchers across England.
RDS advisers have a wealth of experience and proven track records in supporting high quality funding applications.
The RDS supports applications not only to NIHR research programmes, but also to other open, national, peer-reviewed funding competitions for applied health or social care research, including research charities. The RDS can support a broad range of familiar quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods research designs, as well as newer and more novel approaches.
To make the best use of the RDS, contact your regional service at an early stage to discuss your research ideas.
The RDS offers high quality, responsive, specialist advice and support on research design and methodology, to researchers making funding applications for submission to NIHR research programmes and national, peer-reviewed funding competitions for applied health or social care research.
The RDS could help your team with:
Find out more about working with the service in the RDS charter. RDS also offers guidance on public involvement in funding applications and runs events about developing research proposals.
The RDS can help you if you are:
The RDS supports a broad range of people, including:
RDS priority is to support applications to NIHR research programmes. They also support applications to research councils and other open, national, peer-reviewed funding programmes.
The RDS Resources Microsite is a collection of helpful documents, guidance and toolkits that can help support your application.
The Public Health Research Applications and Design service (PHRADA) is provided by the NIHR RDS across England to support applicants to develop competitive applications to the NIHR Public Health Research (PHR) programme.
RDS research advisers offer a unique breadth of expertise and have a proven track record in improving research applications.
The RDS can help you to identify possible gaps in your research team and collaborators who can add value to your research, including health and social care clinicians, policy makers, academic researchers, small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and patients and the public.
The RDS can offer support tailored to the needs of your research team. Advice is available at face-to-face meetings, by telephone or email, at research clinics or as feedback from panel review meetings.
The national RDS network operates from 10 regional centres across England.
| Region and website | Email address | Phone number |
|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | rds.em@nihr.ac.uk | Leicester: 0116 252 3276 Nottingham: 0115 970 9310 |
| East of England | rdsc@essex.ac.uk | 01206 874856 |
| London | info@rdslondon.co.uk | 020 7848 6782 |
| North East and North Cumbria | rds.nenc@nihr.ac.uk | 0191 208 7000 |
| North West | rds.nw@nihr.ac.uk | 01524 593 209 |
| South Central | rds.sc@nihr.ac.uk | 02381 204778 |
| South East | rds.se@nihr.ac.uk | 01227 824281 |
| South West | rds.sw@nihr.ac.uk | 01392 726 724 |
| West Midlands | rds.wm@nihr.ac.uk | 01214 148533 |
| rds.yh@nihr.ac.uk | 0114 222 0828 |
Monthly tips, insights and experiences of the funding application process from the Research Design Service.
