NHSE’s Research Engagement Network Development (REND)

Partners in the ICBs, the NIHR and VCFSE Alliances in Chesire and Merseyside and Lancashire & South Cumbria have won joint-funding from NHSE to improve and increase VCFSE involvement in Research. NHSE’s Research Engagement Network Development (REND) funding means that the VCFSE Alliances will be able to deploy VCFSE Research Co-ordinators in each ICS, sharing just over £100k from October ’23 to March ’24.

Our successful proposal summary is; “Building on our REND Phase 1 learning, we will scale up VCFSE and ICB research partnerships. We will develop a VCFSE led model of partnership similar to North East and Cumbria (NENC). Through two VCSE Alliance research co-ordinator posts, one per health system, linked to each system’s ‘VCSE Alliance’. Supported by the Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) and the Clinical Research Network (CRN), they will co-ordinate research, engagement and delivery network projects aligned to ICB and system priorities:

• Ensuring research engagement network delivery is linked to, driven by and accountable to each ICBs new research groups priorities and vision statements for the system.
• Delivery will be aligned to our ICSs CORE20Plus5 clinical priorities for adults and children.
• Map gaps in knowledge to help create training packages and research engagement tools, including increasing community research skills and champions.
• Embed VCFSE groups and underserved populations across the ICSs’ research pathways through an MOU / shared commitment agreement”.

In Lancashire & South Cumbria only, interested VCFSE organisations should contact joeh@communityfutures.org.uk to discuss being a delivery partner by September 28th, 2023. Basic requirements are organisational research experience and expertise, and good connections with the LSC VCFSE Alliance and NIHR’s CoREN.