Senior Research Governance FacilitatorinHalifaxinHalifaxPUBLISHED FRI 7 MAR 2025

This is a great opportunity for anyone who has research governance experience within a healthcare setting and who would like to progress their career! Calderdale and Huddersield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT) R&D team has an excellent reputation for fast and efficient delivery of research and the ideal candidate could be a real attribute to the team!

The primary purpose of the role is to assist in the delivery of a safe, efficient and timely Research Support & Management service for CHFT by promoting and facilitating the delivery of high-quality research activity within the Trust.

The management of the Trust NIHR portfolio studies and its non-portfolio studies will be a major function of this post. Providing a full and comprehensive capacity and capability assessment of all research, including contracts and costings as part of R&D governance processes. The role will also assist in recording and reporting the Trust's performance in meeting local, regional, and national performance targets as well as offering research expertise to new researchers.

The role will require the post holder to have responsibility for the interrogation of data to provide feasibility reports for scoping potential research projects, develop and provide IT System support for individual research projects and develop databases for the overall management of the research portfolio in the Trust, ensuring accurate data collection and presentation for reporting to many fora.

The post holder must recognise that research and development (R&D) is essential for the advancement of healthcare and understand that the Trust is committed to encouraging staff to pursue high quality, ethical and relevant research and to work within its bounds. The post holder should be able to demonstrate passion about research and enthusiasm for its advancement.

The post holder will provide leadership and management support to the Research Manager and will require specific experience as detailed in the person specification.

About us

Analytical/Judgmental Skills

• Have a full understanding of the requirements for NIHR HRA, MHRA, NRES and research governance review procedures, including knowledge of NHS Support Funding, ICH-GCP and other related research management functions to support researchers.
• Carry out full and comprehensive Capacity and Capability Assessments for research studies that require it in a timely manner. This includes assessing that research staff are appropriately trained/qualified and that facilities are suitable for research in line with current in-house approval processes.
• Oversee R&Ds process for reviewing amendments to ongoing studies. Assessing impact to resources or facilities and any effect upon compliance with legislation, policy or guidance and provide recommendations regarding continued study participation.
• Support researchers with the process for submission of research applications through the IRAS system.
• Assess researchers requirements for access to data or patients, and recommend appropriate HR actions regarding research passports, honorary research contracts, letters of access, and pre-engagement checks, following national guidance and local policy.Review and assess research study contracts, ensuring the Trusts legal position is not compromised.
• Liaise with research study sponsor regarding study costings using appropriate guidance e.g. AcoRD. Oversee completion of industry costing templates and ensure appropriate set up of financial arrangements between funder and Trust finance dept.
• Take responsibility for own judgements when reviewing research studies.
• Provide support to research committees and groups as required by the Trusts R&D department.
• Manage appropriate RM&G advice and guidance to information requests coming into the research office, including acting as first telephone and email contact for enquiries from external researchers and research organisations.

Knowledge

• Ability to read and interpret data, legislation, regulation, guidance and standards and apply this knowledge to all aspects of research and specialisms.
• Be able to interpret complex research protocols and its impact on service. Having the ability to explain these in laymans terms.
• Pro-actively assist in facilitating potential opportunities for industry sponsored research.
• Post holder will be required to maintain a good working knowledge of legislation as it relates to research, keeping abreast of any new governmental requirements.
• Be knowledgeable about internal governance processes to ensure reportees are trained and competent to carry out their roles within R&D.
• Attend conferences and workshops related to the post as required and disseminate learning to the R&D team.

Responsibility for Information Resources

• Maintain the EDGE database and the Trusts own research projects database and ensure that the project records are kept up-to-date and accurate.
• Maintain comprehensive electronic and paper files as appropriate for individual research projects, ensuring that contractual, legal and policy requirements are complied with.
• Support the Research Manager in performing data integrity reviews and the provision of statistics and performance metrics on all aspects of research activity in the Trust.
• Be adept at building databases for use within the department as required.
• Interrogate and produce performance reports using EDGE, local databases and national information systems e.g. ODP and CPMS as requested.
• To day-to-day oversight, provide training and compile learning guides to assist staff in the understanding and use of technology software for research activities.
• Ensure that information held and produced for any party is in line with current legislation governing the use of information. (e.g. Freedom of Information Act, GDPR etc)
• Regular audit and correction of inaccurate information in accordance with Trust procedures.

Policy and Service Development

• Write departmental SOPs, policies and procedures and contribute to review of the departments policies and procedures as required by the Research Manager.
• Contribute to and update the R&D intranet and website pages as required.
• To assist in establishing and developing a clear framework to support groups of clinicians, academics and their research support teams, enabling them to manage funding applications as appropriate, including the dissemination of relevant funding calls to appropriate Trust staff.
• To identify research funding opportunities that meet the Trusts research interests and develop partnerships, for example with academia and industry to write successful grant applications.

Communication/relationship skills

• Display a professional, polite and presentable approach and timely response at all times during interactions with anyone who contacts the research office.
• Be able to clearly and professionally communicate local or national policy changes to researchers or others who may be affected.
• Communicate effectively with external agencies i.e. other R&D departments, ethics committees, Universities, commercial companies etc regarding all aspects of the application and approval process.
• Provide regular communications to clinicians, research nurses and other applicants on the progress of research submissions.
• Represent the Trust at research meetings in a professional and business-like manner, as required.
• Deal with difficult issues with researchers and R&D staff in a tactful and polite manner, maintaining a professional approach at all times.

Decision Making and Accountability

• Be able to seek advice from the Research Manager, R&D Lead, colleagues in the RRDN YH and other external Fora as appropriate, in relation to issues relating to research management and governance.
• Line manager responsibilities include overseeing the day-to day tasks performed by junior staff, ensuring provision of training, support and ongoing oversight to ensure competence and efficiency.
• Adhere to R&D policies and procedures at all times and when required provide suggestions to improve processes.
• Good levels of concentration are required to produce accurate work, ensuring attention to detail. Work can be unpredictable and post holder will be required to work within short deadlines and sometimes outside normal working hours.

Monitoring/Auditing and Performance Monitoring

• Undertake regular internal monitoring and audit of research studies and research office processes to ensure that research complies with regulatory standards, including ethically approved consent processes, and Clinical Trials Regulations where applicable.
• When monitoring, be able to understand the implications of what detail is being monitored and communicate effectively to ensure that all involved parties understand what is required. Write up monitoring and performance reports and ensure these reports are distributed appropriately for action.
• In addition to requirement to write and review SOPs, the post holder will be required to ensure local research SOPs are adhered to by regular review of the compliance log.
• Assist in activity required to ensure Department is GCP compliant as part of R&Ds internal monitoring of processes.

Planning and Organisation

• Maintain an efficient filing system of research, document repository and other electronic and paper files.
• Ensure local and national standards for the speedy processing of research applications are met, reporting potential exceptions to the Research Manager in a timely manner to ensure delays or problems can be overcome.
• Post holder should be adept and confident in prioritising multiple or competing demands on time in line with the demands of the service.

Freedom to Act

• A high level of initiative is required to act autonomously and to manage own workload.
• The post holder will be required to make immediate decisions regarding research whilst carrying out governance assessments, referring to relevant legislation and policies to make judgements.