Applications are now open for a £1.55m research and innovation budget, administered by Edinburgh Napier University, on behalf of NHS Scotland Assure.
You can learn more below and register to attend upcoming events in the Events section, where you can also find recorded materials from previous events.
What kind of research will be funded?
The fund will ensure that the most up-to-date and robust research and innovation is translated into practice to improve future health outcomes worldwide. The outcomes must benefit NHS Scotland and align with the key priorities of NHS Scotland Assure.
Over the duration of the fund, the team are looking for applications and impactful research in the following areas:
- Water systems, including drainage (design, installation, commissioning and maintenance (DICM))
- Ventilation systems (DICM)
- Pathogens, the microbiome, AMR, transmission risks and burden of disease in the hospital environment
- Hospital design, including size and single room provision
- Lessons learned from COVID-19
- Human factors/Ergonomics and Infection Prevention and Control
- Climate change requirements and the unintended consequences on built environment risks.
- The role of safety and harms in relation to medical gases, electrical systems and fire safety.
Who can apply?
The fund is open to researchers from any country who are looking at ways to deliver safe healthcare environments that are free from avoidable risk. We are particularly interested in applications from consortia and inter-disciplinary teams, though applications from individuals are equally welcome.
We want to nurture an inclusive approach between professional roles within the built environment and across infection, prevention & control (IP&C); healthcare providers; academia; research institutions; and business and industry.
What are the objectives?
The NHS Scotland Assure Research, Development and Innovation service is a service whose remit is to achieve a coordinated research portfolio, supporting the development of evidence-based guidance and research, to deliver safe healthcare environments that are free from avoidable risk. Further to the above, the service will seek to ensure that the most up to date and robust research is translated into practice as new and emerging evidence become available.
NHS Scotland Assure seeks to implement processes and procedures to achieve the following;
- increased evidence base in built environment research by stimulating excellent applied and translational research.
- establish critical mass and promote knowledge sharing between investigators by creating a focused internationally competitive multidisciplinary, multi-organisational group, supporting state-of-the-art research excellence.
- increased training, provide support for additional research posts at all levels, promote research career development and extend expertise in research design and methodology.
- promoting and support of research leadership and mentoring.
The service will commission, tender and disseminate research worldwide. This will not only support NHS Scotland Health Boards to increase their knowledge to manage built environment risks but will also ensure Scotland is recognised internationally as an expert in the field.
How to apply
The upcoming closing dates for the fund is being deferred while updates are finalised for the guidelines and application form. Once approved, these will be published here along with details of the new closing date. Please bookmark this page for now and return regularly to see the new details once they are available.
For any enquiries please contact NHSAResearchService@napier.ac.uk.
Events
The Edinburgh Napier Project team will also be running regular events throughout the duration of the fund, see below for information regarding upcoming and previous events.
To discover more about our past events please click on the links below:
16 March 2023 - NHS Scotland Assure Learning Network Event
8 March 2023 : Lunchtime Fund Update/Q&A
14 December 2022 - Lunch & Learn
24 June 2022 - Launch Event Materials