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This operational guidance has been produced for researchers and study coordinators on the implications of the GDPR for the delivery of research in the UK.

A blog by Amanda Hunn. What the public thinks of research and why it matters.

I had an interesting visit to Westminster recently, when I was invited to contribute to the Science and Technology Select Committee’s inquiry on research integrity in relation to the transparency of health and social care research.

We are trialling the use of training webinars for researchers and stakeholders who are new to the HRA Approval process. The first is specifically aimed at researchers within universities preparing to submit an application to the HRA and wanting to understand how the process works.

A new initiative to explore how research waste can be reduced has been taken up by two researchers who chair HRA Research Ethics Committees (RECs).

Studies involving human tissue can improve our understanding of health and disease, and ultimately lead to improved healthcare. But evidence supplied by the UKCRC Tissue Directory and Coordination Centre suggests some tissue in banks goes unused by researchers because it is not adequately linked to patient data or not linked to future health data.

Research Ethics Committees (RECs) review research applications and give an opinion about whether the research is ethical. They look at areas such as the proposed participant involvement and are entirely independent of research sponsors (that is, the organisations which are responsible for the management and conduct of the research), funders and investigators. This enables them to put participants at the centre of their review.

If you are an investigator designing a clinical trial you will need to make early decisions as to which outcome measures to include.

We are an organisation committed to collaboration – listening to and working with others to identify and make improvements to the health research environment.

It is a source of real pride across the HRA to see how many health research studies the HRA has reviewed. Since we fully implemented HRA Approval last March, more than 5,000 applications have been approved by our expert teams.

Janet Wisely is to step down as Chief Executive of the Health Research Authority. Janet has experienced an unexpected and life changing health situation, which has meant significant adjustments. After careful reflection and discussion with her family and colleagues, she is now stepping down after concluding that she is unlikely to recover the mental or physical stamina that is required for that very demanding role.

There are more than 80 NHS Research Ethics Committees across the UK. They exist to safeguard the rights, safety, dignity and well-being of research participants.

Participation in research is where someone takes part in a research study, for example, being asked questions about their health condition or testing a new treatment in a clinical trial. People may be asked to consider joining a study by their GP or come across an advertisement to join a trial on a noticeboard or in a newspaper.

We are an arm’s length body of the Department of Health (DH), which operates within a Framework Agreement with DH and the Care Act 2014 which governs its functions.

For all clinical trials and clinical investigations (including CTIMPs, device studies, etc.), it is expected that a signed agreement between the sponsor and the host organisation will be in place before the research commences at the site.