Resources
Research essentials How to find funds to support projects IF YOU HAVE an idea for a research project, whether it is an investigation or a literature review, it can be difficult to know where to start looking for financial support. Finding colleagues to work with will provide you with a sounding board for your idea, as well as support and encouragement. Many NHS trusts and universities operate schemes to support their staff to complete small-scale projects. Some may be affiliated to a specific aspect of service provision, for example a neonatal unit may have its own research fund. Your NHS trust’s research and development (R&D) team will be able to advise you about eligibility and the application processes. Many universities offer similar schemes and your faculty research office will be able to advise you. If your project is about an aspect of teaching and learning, the Higher Education Academy offers research funding and teaching development grants. When you seek funding, read the funding call closely to check: The eligibility criteria. Whether bids are being sought with a specific focus. If our project is compatible with the goals of the organisation. Preparing your application Wherever you decide to apply for funding, you will need to develop a proposal as part of your application. This is where you set out what you plan to do, why it is important, how you plan to do it and what you will do with what
Geek speak
Costings A detailed breakdown of what the grant will be spent on and submitted with an application for funding.
12 October 2014 | Volume 26 | Number 8
iStock
Funding call When an organisation announces the details of the money available to fund projects with application deadlines.
Funding bodies Nursing Children and Young People research award, supported by the Royal College of Nursing’s research in child health community, see Noticeboard, page 10, or RCN Research in Child Health Community’s web page, tiny.cc/71rbmx: the award aims to support presentation of research-related projects at an RCN-affiliated conference.
Two awards of £750 each, one offered to a qualified nurse and one to a nursing student
Association of British Paediatric Nursing/WellChild Scholarship, www.abpn.org.uk: the organisation is involved in developing children’s nursing through evidence-based information about practice and development.
£1,000 scholarship
Florence Nightingale Foundation, tinyurl.com/ngale-res-schol: available to registered nurses and midwives resident in the UK. Projects should be of direct benefit to patients and the professions more widely. The project must involve clinically focused research that affects patient care and is academically supervised or supported.
Up to £5,000 to undertake a course in research methods, research modules or a thesis as part of an academic course of study
Bliss, www.bliss.org.uk: a UK charity that operates a Baby Charter Grants Fund, supported by the True Colours Trust, and offers grants to improve facilities for parents and families of premature and sick babies.
Small grant of £1,000 or large grant of up to £10,000
General Nursing Council Trust, www.gnct.org.uk/contact-us: an organisation that aims to advance the science and art of nursing, and promote research and investigation into nursing.
Grants of up to £20,000 annually
you find out. In preparing your proposal it is helpful to discuss your ideas with others – perhaps an experienced colleague or a lecturer – with whom you might like to collaborate on the project. Members of your nearest group of the RCN Research in Child Health Community will be willing to help you. If you know someone who has been successful with a funding application, ask them to review your proposal. In your proposal you will need to set out: The title of the study. Background, including a review of the relevant literature. Clear indication of the research problem and an explanation of why your study is needed. The aims and design of the study. Details of how you will seek ethical approval. How you will analyse the data you collect. The projected outcomes of your study and how you will share your findings. The projected timescale for the study.
You will also have to justify the amount of funding for which you are bidding, so you need to develop a detailed statement of costings. Again, check which costs the organisation will fund. Your research office or R&D team will be able to advise you. Key messages Be clear before you look for funding about what you want to achieve with your project and the effect you hope to have. Speak to your local research and development colleagues. Plan well ahead and have your application read by a colleague before submitting it. Sue Higham is principal lecturer, portfolio lead for pre-registration nursing, University of Bedfordshire, and Joan Simons is assistant head of department, faculty of health and social care, the Open University, on behalf of the RCN’s Research in Child Health Community NURSING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 22, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
Research essentials How to find funds to support projects IF YOU HAVE an idea for a research project, whether it is an investigation or a literature review, it can be difficult to know where to start looking for financial support. Finding colleagues to work with will provide you with a sounding board for your idea, as well as support and encouragement. Many NHS trusts and universities operate schemes to support their staff to complete small-scale projects. Some may be affiliated to a specific aspect of service provision, for example a neonatal unit may have its own research fund. Your NHS trust’s research and development (R&D) team will be able to advise you about eligibility and the application processes. Many universities offer similar schemes and your faculty research office will be able to advise you. If your project is about an aspect of teaching and learning, the Higher Education Academy offers research funding and teaching development grants. When you seek funding, read the funding call closely to check: The eligibility criteria. Whether bids are being sought with a specific focus. If our project is compatible with the goals of the organisation. Preparing your application Wherever you decide to apply for funding, you will need to develop a proposal as part of your application. This is where you set out what you plan to do, why it is important, how you plan to do it and what you will do with what
Geek speak
Costings A detailed breakdown of what the grant will be spent on and submitted with an application for funding.
12 October 2014 | Volume 26 | Number 8
iStock
Funding call When an organisation announces the details of the money available to fund projects with application deadlines.
Funding bodies Nursing Children and Young People research award, supported by the Royal College of Nursing’s research in child health community, see Noticeboard, page 10, or RCN Research in Child Health Community’s web page, tiny.cc/71rbmx: the award aims to support presentation of research-related projects at an RCN-affiliated conference.
Two awards of £750 each, one offered to a qualified nurse and one to a nursing student
Association of British Paediatric Nursing/WellChild Scholarship, www.abpn.org.uk: the organisation is involved in developing children’s nursing through evidence-based information about practice and development.
£1,000 scholarship
Florence Nightingale Foundation, tinyurl.com/ngale-res-schol: available to registered nurses and midwives resident in the UK. Projects should be of direct benefit to patients and the professions more widely. The project must involve clinically focused research that affects patient care and is academically supervised or supported.
Up to £5,000 to undertake a course in research methods, research modules or a thesis as part of an academic course of study
Bliss, www.bliss.org.uk: a UK charity that operates a Baby Charter Grants Fund, supported by the True Colours Trust, and offers grants to improve facilities for parents and families of premature and sick babies.
Small grant of £1,000 or large grant of up to £10,000
General Nursing Council Trust, www.gnct.org.uk/contact-us: an organisation that aims to advance the science and art of nursing, and promote research and investigation into nursing.
Grants of up to £20,000 annually
you find out. In preparing your proposal it is helpful to discuss your ideas with others – perhaps an experienced colleague or a lecturer – with whom you might like to collaborate on the project. Members of your nearest group of the RCN Research in Child Health Community will be willing to help you. If you know someone who has been successful with a funding application, ask them to review your proposal. In your proposal you will need to set out: The title of the study. Background, including a review of the relevant literature. Clear indication of the research problem and an explanation of why your study is needed. The aims and design of the study. Details of how you will seek ethical approval. How you will analyse the data you collect. The projected outcomes of your study and how you will share your findings. The projected timescale for the study.
You will also have to justify the amount of funding for which you are bidding, so you need to develop a detailed statement of costings. Again, check which costs the organisation will fund. Your research office or R&D team will be able to advise you. Key messages Be clear before you look for funding about what you want to achieve with your project and the effect you hope to have. Speak to your local research and development colleagues. Plan well ahead and have your application read by a colleague before submitting it. Sue Higham is principal lecturer, portfolio lead for pre-registration nursing, University of Bedfordshire, and Joan Simons is assistant head of department, faculty of health and social care, the Open University, on behalf of the RCN’s Research in Child Health Community NURSING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 22, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
