Research Passports and Letters of Access

What is a Research Passport?

The Research Passport brings together all the employment checks which are required prior to undertaking research in the NHS. It is the route for researchers external to LCHS NHS Trust to obtain a letter of access.

Who needs a Research Passport?

You need a Research Passport if you will be undertaking research in LCHS NHS Trust and you do not have a contract of employment with the NHS.

Who does NOT need a Research Passport?

You do NOT need a passport if you have a current employment contract with the NHS, or if you have a current honorary contract with a NHS Trust. You will also NOT need one if you are a student who is supervised by an NHS employee (or academic supervisor with a NHS honorary contract).

However, you may still require a letter of access to conduct research in LCHS NHS Trust. This can be obtained by asking your HR department to send the Trust a completed NHS to NHS Confirmation of pre-engagements proforma.

For further information and Research Passport documentation please click on the following link - https://www.nihr.ac.uk/about-us/CCF/policy-and-standards/research-passports.htm.

Informed Consent

Your research protocol must include details of how you will be consenting patients before they agree to take part in the study. It is important that the patient Information Sheets and Consent Forms are clear and easy for the patient to understand. These will be scrutinised by the Research Ethics Committee (REC). The National Research Ethics Service (NRES) have detailed guidance on what should be included in an Information Sheet: http://www.hra-decisiontools.org.uk/consent/.

How to write a Grant Application

Research funding is highly competitive and applications have to stand out from the competition in order to be successful. These are some key points to consider when preparing a grant application:

Information when preparing an application for the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) is available at: http://www.ccf.nihr.ac.uk/Pages/Home.aspx.

Support with Grant Applications

The Research Design Service for East Midlands (RDS EM) can provide support with a Grant Application. http://rds-eastmidlands.nihr.ac.uk.