Resources to get research started

Opportunities for health and social care practitioners to get involved with research include: 

• Volunteer to be a participant in an existing research study. For example Take part in research , Why take part in research and Start discovering research and earning rewards today
• Take part in patient and public involvement (PPI) and engagement activities. For example People in Research, Patient and Public involvement and HDR UK
• Join stakeholder advisory groups to support co-design research. For example, become a CRRN stakeholder or Support research without taking part in studies
• Within your team, help with collecting data or delivering interventions as part of an existing study that is already up and running. For example, search for current UK trials that might be happening at your organisation
• Get a job as a research assistant. For example, use research as a search term on job sites: Search for jobs in the NHS and Indeed
• Get involved with local quality improvement projects: A simple guide to improving services and Quality improvement resource for adult social care
• Become a local PI (Primary Investigator) or Associate PI for a multicenter trial, or start working with a Clinical Trials Unit team: Registered Clinical Trials Units
• Undertake a Master of Research degree (MRes). For example, the NIHR INSIGHT scheme to get students involved in research
• Become a clinical academic.

Here are some examples of clinical academics from different professional backgrounds who have shared their motivations, challenges, and what they have learned.

• Schematic of the clinical academic journey infographic developed by CRRN Founder member Jackie McRae.
• Case Study of Jia’s Journey to be a community physiotherapist and early career researcher
• Check out some video case studies in the next section. 

It can be useful to hear from people working in health and social care about their research, tips and impact that can benefit communities:

• Why take part in research?
• The NIHR YouTube channel has a range of videos for researchers throughout their career pathway
• INSIGHT: Inspiring students into research scheme
• The CAHPR showcase Allied Health Professional researchers from different regions of the UK
• Wessex REACH have a number of useful video resources to support community researchers
• The impact of research after it has been implemented is important. Here is a community case study about a Welsh Health Board that has implemented evidence-based integrated care
• The NIHR-supported Research Design Network (RDN) has informative videos
• To identify help research career development goals see this introduction to the Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF).

When you are considering your research ideas, it can be useful to understand where they fit within current research priorities that have been identified by specialist research organisations. 

Discipline specific research priorities 

• Physiotherapy
• Occupational Therapy
• Speech and language therapy
• Adult social care
• Children's social care

National research priorities

• Top 10 UK research priorities
• National Institute for Health and Care Research and Themed calls
• Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) 
• UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
• The James Lind Alliance research priorities influenced by patients, carers and clinicians.

Some of these organisations may also be potential funders once you have developed and refined your research proposal. However, it is important to target funding that is appropriate to your level of research so there is further advice on where to get funding support and guidance in the funding section.