National Institute for Health and Care Research Inspiring Students into Research Scheme will bring together four of region’s universities with more than 30 partner organisations

The University of Central Lancashire will lead on a £3 million project to deliver world-leading health and social care research training in the region.

Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the four-year Inspiring Students into Research Scheme (INSIGHT) will be delivered in partnership with health and social care employers throughout the North West.

It will focus on training newly qualified health and social care professionals to understand research and use it effectively to underpin their practice. This will be done primarily through degree programmes that address health and care challenges and build regional capacity for the delivery of high-quality research and implementation.

As the lead organisation, the University of Central Lancashire will build on its existing collaborations with the region’s research-intensive Universities of Manchester, Liverpool, and Lancaster, along with more than 30 co-applicants and partners representing NHS Trusts, primary care, local authorities, voluntary and community organisations, to deliver a range of initiatives.

Further support for the scheme will be provided NIHR infrastructure partner organisations including the Applied Research Collaborations (ARCs) and Clinical Research Networks (CRNs) of Greater Manchester and the North West Coast, the Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), and the region’s Research Support Service Hub.

INSIGHT’s main aim is to develop a highly skilled research savvy workforce equipped to tackle the complex health and care challenges of the future and navigate a landscape of widening health inequalities, where people are living longer but with complex health conditions.

With the NHS under strain due to staff shortages and funding cuts, this type of investment in the skills of health and social care practitioners is essential to develop solutions to overcome the challenges faced.

The scheme will fund up to 30 health and social care research Masters degrees each year, hosted by the four partner universities. Part-time study options will enable students to simultaneously develop their profession-specific skills in practice.

Students will develop their research skills through in-depth exploration of issues arising from both their practice and the priorities of their employing organisations, such as how to prevent people from becoming ill and improving the lives of those living with multiple long-term conditions.

Utilising the NIHR infrastructure across the North West, the INSIGHT scheme will also include engagement activities, work placements and specialists modules tailored to the needs of the health and social care workforce.

Professor of Stroke Care at the University of Central Lancashire Dame Caroline Watkins and Implementation lead for the ARC NWC, will lead the four-year initiative. She said: “The University is known for its academic excellence and has a strong reputation for delivering high-quality education and research at all levels in the health and care professions, nursing and midwifery, social work, pharmacy and public health.

“By leading on this exciting National Institute for Health and Care Research initiative, we will use the power of partnership to address the challenges faced by our communities. Our vision is for graduates to continue working in our partner organisations to drive innovation, translate evidence into practice, and promote practice relevant research.

“The goal as ever would be to improve patient experience, outcomes, and health and social care systems.”

Dr Lisa Ashmore, Associate Dean for Engagement in the Faculty of Health and Medicine at Lancaster University, said: “The North West INSIGHT programme will provide excellent opportunities for health and social care professionals to develop research skills early in their careers.

“The expertise and networks gained through working across professional and institutional boundaries will increase the capacity and diversity of the research skilled healthcare workforce in the region. Together, these professionals will have the potential to make significant contributions to improving health in the North West.”

The University of Liverpool’s Professor Jo Patterson said: “We are thrilled to be collaborating on this scheme. Supporting nurses, midwives and allied healthcare professionals to gain research knowledge and skills early into their careers is crucial for an inclusive research culture in health and social care.”

Professor Susan Kirk from the University of Manchester said: “We are delighted to be part of this collaborative initiative that aims to build the research capacity across health and social care disciplines needed to deliver the high-quality research that will improve the health and wellbeing of our population.

“Attracting practitioners into research at the start of their careers is key in achieving this goal.”

The North West is one of 12 regions in England to benefit from £34.9m provided by the NIHR for student research training and engagement programmes.

The NIHR funds, enables and delivers world-leading health and social care research that improves people’s health and wellbeing and promotes economic growth. Its INSIGHTS scheme will provide three years of support for institutionally-led regional programmes to showcase and attract students in registered healthcare, social work and public health professions (not including doctors and dentists) into the full range of research careers from research delivery to academic.

Professor Waljit Dhillo, Dean of the NIHR Academy, added: “We know how important early exposure to research is for building capacity within health and social care. The INSIGHT programme will offer over 300 funded research masters places per year and provide engagement activities that have the potential to excite and capture the imagination of students at an early stage in their career.

“I’m delighted that we can invest in our next generation of researchers in the North West region, and show students all of the benefits that research roles and careers have to offer.”

The first cohort is due to start in October and potential applicants can find out more and what courses are available at each university by visiting the NIHR Insight website – https://arc-nwc.nihr.ac.uk/insight/insight-inspiring-students-into-research-scheme-northwest-region/