Our commitments in detail
We are implementing the 10 commitments in the Make It Public strategy through seven major projects within the Research Transparency programme. We included an initial programme structure and timeline in our strategy document, which we published in July 2020. Having now worked for 12 months on the finer detail of the projects and begun the delivery, we have developed and further refined our programme plan, which is detailed below, with a new timeline.
1. Learning and Guidance Project
| Projects | Delivered by |
| Review and update existing guidance on our website and in the Integrated Research Application System (IRAS) to clarify research transparency requirements and best practice. | March 2021 (complete) |
| Review and update the information we give to successful applicants to clarify research transparency requirements (Amend approval letters and standard conditions). | March 2021 (complete) |
| Develop learning material on research transparency for researchers, sponsors and HRA staff. | November 2021 |
| Further refine our guidance, ensuring the best format to present information. | March 2022 |
2. Make it Public campaign
| Projects | Delivered by |
| Hold the first Research Transparency annual meeting. | November 2021 |
| Publish the first annual Research Transparency report. | November 2021 |
| Continue to promote research transparency through the Make it Public campaign. | March 2021 and ongoing |
3. UK-based automatic registration of clinical trials
| Work packages | Delivered by |
| Carry out an options appraisal for a model for registration of UK clinical trials. |
January 2021 (complete) |
| Develop and communicate guidance for interim, self-registration for clinical trials of investigational medicinal products (post EU-exit). |
January 2021 (complete) |
| Deliver and manage UK based, automatic registration of UK clinical trials. | January 2022 |
4. Research Summaries development
| Work packages | Timeline |
| Deliver interim improvements to current Research Summaries webpage on HRA website. |
May 2021 (complete) |
| Carry out Research Summaries webpage visioning exercises with both public and professional users, to help inform new research summaries webpages. | July 2022 |
| Design and deliver a new Research Summaries webpage on the new Integrated Research Application System (IRAS) website with an enhanced dataset. | December 2022 |
5. Performance Monitoring
| Work packages | Delivered by |
| Change the question in the Integrated Research Application System (IRAS) so that applicants are asked how and when they will inform participants about the study findings. |
March 2021 (complete) |
| Pilot, develop and implement a standard dataset to collect research transparency performance data in the final report, with stakeholder input for all studies. | August 2021 |
| Design and implement fully automated reminders and electronic submission of final reports, within the new Integrated Research Application System (IRAS). | January 2022 onward |
| Establish a stakeholder forum to facilitate alignment of final reporting requirements. | March 2022 |
6. Sanctions implementation
| Work packages | Delivered by |
| Develop a policy for how we will assess performance against research transparency requirements and how that will be used when reviewing new studies for approval. | March 2022 onwards |
| Introduce Research Transparency performance assessment into review of new studies. | March 2022 onwards |
7. Communication and Engagement
| Work packages | Delivered by |
| Manage and deliver an overarching communication and engagement plan for the programme. | March 2022 and ongoing |