Getting started with small projects
If you are new to research then one of the best ways to get started is to join a more experienced research team on a project. This could be an audit, a service improvement activity, an evidence based review or a research study. You could ask to contribute your skills and experience to a particular aspect, learn about the research process and build your knowledge and experience from the support of others. Your organization’s research and innovation team will help with the below steps and tailor support to your research and needs. However, here is a step-by-step guide as to what the process might look like.
Step 1: Scope your idea
Talk to people, discuss it at a research group meeting, review the literature to see the gap.
Step 2: Seek support
As soon as you have a research idea, contact your research and innovation team, they will support you through this whole process.
Step 3: Create a clear project proposal and plan
Your research and innovation team may be able to support you with developing a project plan. The way the process looks for everyone will differ depending on the type of research you want to carry out, or where you are up to in your research career. Emailing your research and innovation team will enable bespoke support for you individually.
Step 4: Look for funding opportunities
Your research and innovation team will know the most likely funding avenues for your chosen research subject.
However, navigating the NIHR website or NHS Innovation Service website could be a good place for you to start your research into funding opportunities.
Step 5: Intellectual property
If you are undertaking work for external organisations and need to provide them with a report of outcomes or a new intervention or product that you have developed, it is important to consider the issue of intellectual property.
This is especially important if you want to use some of the data you generated for publications or that will go towards your portfolio of papers for a PhD by Published work.
Speak to your research team about this, but in the meantime here are some pages with the NIHR around intellectual property.
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