Capacity Building and Networking
CETC works with partners (undergraduate and postgraduate Deans) to support the better availability of a local trial learning/training for researchers, at all levels, to improve career development.
Training
The centre is working with key partners to promote and plan training events including:
- Project management
- Trial design and methodology
- Trial planning costing
- Organising PPI in trials
- Developing trial chief investigators
Forums
The centre is developing opportunities for the networking of key professional groups involved in trial design and delivery, including:
- Trial investigators
- Trial methodologists
- Project Managers
Signposting
The centre facilitates access to trial training and learning opportunities across Scotland, UK and beyond, promoting existing and new research services across the University, NHS Scotland and other partners.
The CETC team can support research teams in a project start up coordination, signposting to processes and departments playing key role in initial project setup.
Postgraduate Development
Participation in MRC Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) to promote PhD training in trials methodology.
Development of a postgraduate module in clinical trials.
MRC Trials Methodology Research Partnership Doctoral Training Partnership (MRC TMRP DTP)
Glasgow Clinical Research Services
Researchers at the University of Glasgow have access to wide range of services and facilities. The following section includes links to Glasgow based resources within, and outside the University, that researchers might need to use when planning and delivering their research projects.
Costing the Project
Understanding the true cost of a research project is critical to securing the correct level of funding in support of a project’s research objectives. Navigating through critical costing principles can be complex. The University of Glasgow’s Research Management team can provide dedicated costing support to Principal Investigators across the College from the proposal stage through to final reporting.
Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement
The PPIE group can provide guidance and links to valuable lay perspective on projects for staff and students from the NHS and across University of Glasgow. Support combines access to lay perspectives on information content, study methods and research findings with links to online resources that explain the basics of PPIE.
Peer Review
Internal peer review can significantly improve the quality of funding applications, increasing the chance of success. The scope and depth of peer review is often driven by the scale of the research proposal. Expertise of research managers and academic colleagues can provide a different perspective that could help to improve and refine the research proposal.
Glasgow Clinical Trial Unit (GCTU) – Robertson Centre of Biostatistics
The GCTU is based within Robertson Centre of Biostatistics. The GCTU conducts and supports collaborative research in clinical trials and other studies in all areas of medicine. Researchers can seek expert support with trial design, study initiation, study conduct, randomisation services, data management (CRF design, data capture and management plan), project management, health economics, biostatistics, pharmacovigilance.
Cancer Research UK Glasgow Clinical Trials Unit
The Glasgow Oncology Clinical Trials Unit co-ordinates a portfolio of national and international academic studies across all development phases (I-III).
The CTU collaborates with the Scottish Clinical Trials Research Unit in Edinburgh to form the Cancer Clinical Trials Unit, Scotland (CaCTUS). This is the only UKCRC registered dedicated cancer trials unit in Scotland.
Research Regulation and Compliance
The Research Regulation and Compliance team supports researchers to deliver high quality research involving human participants, their tissue and/or data, while ensuring the University’s regulatory obligations are met.
The team provides advice on project sponsorship; a broad range of regulations and standards underpinning good research practice; relevant approval processes, including those of the NHS; insurance and indemnity; risk mitigation. Guidance is available across research projects’ complete lifecycle.
University Ethics Services
Research projects involving human subjects, human material or data commonly require an ethics review and favourable ethical opinion before data collection can start.
University Ethics services should be used for all the non-clinical research (i.e. not involving NHS facilities, patients, samples, tissue or data). The studies involving NHS staff as participants, by virtue of their professional role are also under the remit of University Ethics services.
Research Imaging
Research projects including MR imaging techniques might need to access Glasgow imaging facilities that can provide support with optimisation of imaging study protocols before their use in the trial as well as facilitate access to necessary imaging equipment.
MVLS Facilities
The comprehensive list of the College of Medical, Veterinary, & Life Sciences state-of-the-art facilities supporting researchers and students in their journey to create world-changing research.
NHS Resources and Facilities
Research Ethics Service for research in the NHS
Researchers planning projects involving NHS facilities, patients, samples, tissue or data must submit their project to the NHS Research Ethics Services.
NHS R&I GGC Management - NHS Approval/ Permission
NHS R&I approval provides permission for a study to commence within any given NHS Health Board or Trust. Locally, Greater Glasgow & Clyde (NHSGGC) approval is required for all research studies involving NHS GG&C patients, their tissues or information, or studies involving NHS staff. R&I approval ensures that the legal obligations are met, and is issued following a formal review of the project by designated staff.
In addition, R&I approval provides insurance/indemnity for research projects under the Clinical Negligence and Other Risks Indemnity Scheme (CNORIS) and is a condition of ethical favourable opinion.
NHS Research Scotland Permissions Coordinating Centre (NRS Permissions CC)
The NHS Research Scotland Permissions Coordinating Centre (NRS Permissions CC) offers a coordinated and streamlined process for obtaining Scotland-wide NHS R&D permission for all multi and single centre NHS research studies. The NRS Permissions CC works in close collaboration with NHS R&D offices across all Scottish Health Boards alongside the coordinating functions across the UK. All the documents submitted for NHS R&I approval are automatically sent, via IRAS, to the NRS Permissions CC, which will disseminate them to the relevant NHS R&D health boards; thus, avoiding multiple submissions to different R&D offices.
Glasgow Clinical Research Facility
The Glasgow Clinical Research Facility (GCRF) provides state-of-the-art research space across several geographical NHS sites including the £5million Clinical Research Facility at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Campus. Each research space provides high-quality clinical environments and outreach services where patients and healthy volunteers can take part in clinical research studies. Contact GCRF team if you need the support with enrolment and trial interventions administration within NHS facilities.
Biorepositories and Tissue Services
The NHS Research Scotland (NRS) Biorepository Network provides researchers with access to a wide range of high-quality and well-characterised tissue from across NHS Scotland for use in research. A streamlined access pathway supports researchers in obtaining tissue samples. The Biorepository team can also support the feasibility and costing of projects involving the use of human tissue across a range of clinical specialties.
NHS GCC Safe Haven (Trusted Research Environment)
The NHS GG&C Safe Haven offers an excellent resource for health-related data research in Scotland. The details on access, necessary approvals and support in accessing data through Safe Haven is available on their website:
NHS Golden Jubilee (NHS National Waiting Times Centre)
The Golden Jubilee National Hospital and The Golden Jubilee Research Institute support high quality research. They deliver world-leading research, hosting projects sponsored by device and pharmaceutical companies as well as projects sponsored by the Golden Jubilee National Hostipal, academic organisations and other NHS trusts and Boards.