NIAA Update: July 2016
Welcome to our July newsletter
Funding Opportunities
NIAA Research Grants: Round 2 2016
The second round of this year's NIAA grants is now open for applications. Funding in this round is being offered by the AAGBI/Anaesthesia, Anaesthesia-Wiley, BJA/RCoA, ACTACC (previously ACTA), DAS, and NACCSGBI.
The deadline for applications is 12 noon, Friday 23 September.
Please check our website for further details and application forms.
We now have NIAA grants FAQ and guidance sections on our website to help solve common issues, which you can find here.
RCoA Grants and Awards
The NIAA has several small grants funded by the Royal College of Anaesthetists for the purpose of supporting research, education or travel connected with the study of anaesthesia. Applications are now invited for the following awards:
Ernest Leach Research Fund
Up to £2,500 available for research purposes
Sargant Fund
Up to £2,500 available for education and research purposes
Belfast Fund
Up to £600 available for educational purposes
Eligibility and assessment criteria with details on how to apply are available here.
RCoA Payne Stafford Tan Award
The aim of this Award is to mark excellence in clinical practice, teaching or research in anaesthesia, critical care or pain management. It is open to any Fellow or Member of the College, and comprises a grant (to a maximum of £1,000) to be used for educational purposes. Nominations are now invited for the 2016 Award.
Further details on criteria and how to apply are available here.
RCoA Maurice P Hudson Prize
Dr Maurice Hudson was a consultant anaesthetist in London, took the DA in 1936, was awarded the FFARCS in 1948 and had a particular interest in dental anaesthesia. The late Dr Maurice Hudson's daughter generously donated money to the College in memory of her father for an annual prize for the best paper on his favourite subject; resuscitation. The criteria for this prize has now been extended and the prize will be awarded to the anaesthetic or intensive care trainee who is the principal author of the best paper relating to the management of acutely ill patients published, or accepted for publication, in a recent peer reviewed journal. A prize of £500 is available this year.
Further details on criteria and how to apply are available here.
RCoA Macintosh Professorship
Macintosh Professorships are aimed at established clinical or laboratory researchers who are already performing at a high level. Their purpose is to recognise and disseminate the work of the award holders and facilitate their progress in the academic world. Recipients of the award will have a national or international reputation in their field. Their curriculum vitae will be consistent with an individual who is performing at, or is on the cusp of, professorial level through research, innovation, and leadership. Those who show equivalent excellence in teaching and education will also be eligible for the award.
Recipients are required to give a keynote lecture at a meeting organised by the Royal College of Anaesthetists or its associated Faculties, other related organisations and specialist societies. The lecture is commemorated by the presentation of a certificate. Applications are open to Fellows and Members of the College and other clinicians and scientists involved in anaesthesia, critical care and pain management within the UK.
Further details on criteria and how to apply are available here.
The closing date for applications for the above RCoA awards and prizes is 5pm Friday 2 September 2016
NIAA Academic Training Coordinator
The closing date for our Academic Training Coordinator vacancy is this Friday 29 July at 12 noon. This role is to promote and develop training in research for trainees in anaesthesia, perioperative medicine and pain. The post holder will support the further development of trainee research networks, collaborating with relevant stakeholders to promote and increase opportunities for trainees. There is no direct payment for the role; it is supported by the cost of 1 PA per week backfilled to the post-holder's Trust/Health Board, and will require a minimum commitment of 4 hours per week. Interviews will be held in September.
For a Job Description, Person Specification and details on how to apply please visit our website here.
NIAA Grants Officer
We are inviting applications from clinicians and non-clinicians for the position of NIAA Grants Officer. The post-holder will provide specialist advice to grant applicants, liaise with funding partners and specialist societies, and act as the outward face of the NIAA grants scheme. There is no direct payment for the role; it is supported by the cost of 1 PA per week backfilled to the post-holder's employing organisation, and will require a minimum commitment of 4 hours per week.
For more information, a Job Description and Person Specification please visit our website here. The deadline for applications is Monday 12 December 2016 at 5pm. Interviews will take place in January 2017.
Results of NIAA Grants R1
Following the NIAA Grants Committee meeting on 28 June, 18 grant awards were made to a value of £644,685 in Round 1 of this year's NIAA Grants. For details on the projects funded please click here.
Clinical Trials Network
The UK POM CTN is up and running and accepting registrations. The CTN offers three registration schemes for prospective researchers: Local Investigator, Principal Investigator and Chief Investigator (please note that the Chief Investigator scheme is not open for direct application at this time). Registration is voluntary and can be made via the secure area of the CTN website: www.pomctn.org.uk.
The CTN is also holding its first event since officially launching in April. The Autumn Meeting will be in Birmingham on Wednesday 9 November, and will combine Investigator training and up to date information on current and future trials. For a copy of the event programme and to book your place, please visit here. Attendees are invited to submit proposals for their clinical trials to be adopted by the CTN here.
National Emergency Laparotomy Audit
The Second Patient Audit Report of the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit was published on Tuesday 5th July 2016. The report outlined the results, conclusions and recommendations from the audit and provided analyses of the care received by more than 23,000 emergency bowel surgery patients treated in NHS hospitals in England and Wales between December 2014 and November 2015.
The report makes recommendations targeted at commissioners, hospital chief executives and clinicians, in a bid to reduce variation in the care of patients undergoing emergency bowel surgery. These include:
• assessing and documenting patient risk to guide allocation of resources
• providing sufficient critical care and emergency operating theatre capacity to allow emergency surgery to occur in a timely fashion
To view and download a copy of the Full Report or Executive Summary please click here.
Data collection for the third year of the audit is currently ongoing. The NELA project team would like to thank all participants involved in the data collection and entry process. Further info on NELA is here.
Applications to join Q are now open!
Q is an initiative connecting people with improvement expertise across the UK, being led by the Health Foundation and supported and co-funded by NHS Improvement.
Q's mission is to foster continuous and sustainable improvement in health and care. To achieve this, they are creating opportunities for people to come together as an improvement community - sharing ideas, enhancing skills and collaborating to make health and care better.
Q was co-designed with 231 founding members. This helps ensure Q is genuinely helpful to the diverse range of people leading improvement. Q will continue to evolve - being shaped with the community as it grows.
There is representation from throughout anaesthesia, intensive care and perioperative medicine, with 13 anaesthetists and intensivists in the founding cohort (one of the largest representations from any specialty). There are also members from perioperative nursing, human factors training, technology industries and patients who have a particular interest in perioperative care.
The next stage of growing the community is a pilot. The Health Foundation have identified a small number of people to apply, ahead of wider opportunities taking place later in the year. Applications are open from 21 July until 18 August to those with improvement expertise who:
• bring a patient's or carer's perspective and are working predominately at a national level
• are an alumnus of one of the improvement courses they have identified and/or
• work in one of a number of identified national organisations.
A strong cohort of members with an anaesthetic or perioperative care background will help facilitate the spread of local improvements and collaborate on important issues within and outside the specialty.
Click here to apply to join Q as part of the summer pilot.
Other opportunities to join Q will take place from the autumn of 2016. For more information please visit the Q website.
NCEPOD call for topics
NCEPOD is commissioned by HQIP on behalf of NHS England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to undertake the Medical & Surgical Clinical Outcome Programme. The call for topics is currently open, and chosen topics from this round will be started in 2017.
Topics can be suggested by anyone who suspects there is a concern about the quality of care being provided to patients. An open call ensures that all voices are heard, which may include policymakers, patients, health care professionals and funding bodies.
The deadline for submitting a topic study proposal is Friday 23 September 2016. Details on how to submit a topic can be found on the NCEPOD website here.
Researching Medical Education - ASME Conference
The Association for the Study of Medical Education is running a one-day conference, Researching Medical Education, for those interested in medical or clinical education research as an academic discipline. It will be of interest to career researchers, those studying for Masters or PhDs/EdDs, or those just keen to get a better understanding of educational research.
Date: 16th November 2016
Venue: Friends House, 173-177 Euston Rd, London NW1 2BJ
For more information visit the ASME website.
