Purpose

The funding supports the Doncaster Council to
be research curious and our passionate to have a research ready
workforce. Doncaster Council has an ambition to support research
activity and move from pockets of good quality research to a more
systematic, embedded way of using and producing research
evidence.
Over the years we have built our capability, networks and
understanding of how local NIHR infrastructure (such as the Local
Clinical Research Network, Research Design Service etc.) can
support research in local government and have been able to utilise
the NIHR which aimed to connect research and practice.
Specifically, via the Collaboration for Leadership in Applied
Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) (2008-2019) now the Applied
Research Collaboration (ARC), Practice and Research Collaborative
(PaRC) and the Local Authority Research LinK (LARK).

Content

To accept funding from the Clinical Research
Network (CRN) to fund the delivery of 4 pieces of work, this
includes Staff time. Total funding is £124,951.00
To Fund Research Champion to build Capacity with the Public Health
team and to support research development within the Local
Authority. The Public Health senior team consists of a DPH and 2
heads of service/Consultant in Public Health equivalent. We are
proposing protected time for Dr Susan Hampshaw Heads of Service
Public Health Delivery. As an organisation we are committed to
building research capacity and this protected time would enable us
to undertake the activities outlined above and champion research
Doncaster.
Approximate costs for this post based on protected time for 10% WTE
are £14,500
To fund the delivery of the Local Authority Research Links
(LARK’s), this is a community of practice group across all 15
LA within Yorkshire and Humber the amount is £54,956.00 which
comprises of 0.2 salary of Public Health Lead £16,562.08) to
coordinate and Chair the LARK network and deliver the project
outcomes. 0.4 (£14,207.40) Business Support to work with all
15 LA around funding applications, support the Public Health lead.
PaRC link support Officer at Sheffield Hallam (£9,187)
Non staff costs breakdown 4 events a year bring themes from LA deep
dives together to build more academic links and create research
studies with LA £10,000 to continue the support available to
both LARK's and the PARc a redesign of the website and to include
the repository £5,000
Fund adult social care staff member to undertake research activity
that can help generate evidence for local decision-making and
encourage a culture of research within local government.
£10,000
Underserved Communities Fund £45,495.00 This funding builds
on work undertaken as part of the NIHR Curiosity Partnership
(https://curiositypartnership.org/ - ODR 2022/07/PH/NIHR) by
providing funding for a specific Researcher in Residence post to
increase capacity for sustainable social care research. The bid to
LCRN was led by York University and supported by Doncaster Council.
No alternatives were considered.