Application for Inclusion of a Study or Survey of Practice into the UKMidSS portfolio
Without the active participation of reporting midwives, UKMidSS will not be able to provide useful information. The system clearly depends on reliable and complete case identification and data collection by reporters to provide accurate data. In return, we aim to promptly report the results of studies to provide information to assist in patient management and service planning. The collaboration of reporters is also vitally important to identify studies which will answer questions of clinical importance. In this we would encourage all researchers, no matter how inexperienced, to contact the UKMIDSS team if they have identified a question which could usefully be answered through a UKMIDSS study. We will provide support in generating an appropriate research proposal.
Criteria for inclusion of studies in the UKMidSS programme
Studies are expected to fulfil three or more of the following criteria:
- The research project must be in line with the UKMidSS research objectives and priorities
- The inclusion within the study programme of UKMidSS will not impose too great a burden on reporting midwives
- The research questions posed by the study can be suitably addressed using the UKMidSS platform
- For surveys of practice, the questions can be reasonably answered by UKMidSS reporters
Application process
Applications are invited from midwives and other researchers for inclusion of suitable studies into the surveillance system. Applications for supporting a project within the UKMidSS programme are considered in two stages which vary depending on whether the application is for an observational study or for a survey of practice. For a study or survey, preliminary applications are considered by the Head of UKMidSS and the UKMidSS Research Midwife.
For a survey of practice that fulfils the criteria for support within the UKMidSS programme, the application will then be considered by the UKMidSS Steering Group, which meets every four months. A full application will not be required.
For a study, once a preliminary application is approved by the Head of UKMidSS and the UKMidSS Research Midwife, applicants will be notified and will then need to complete and submit a full application that will be reviewed by the Steering Group.
Applicants whose studies and surveys are accepted to be supported by the UKMidSS programme will be expected to obtain funding where necessary, and appropriate ethics approval should be sought before the commencement of the study. For studies, UKMidSS has NHS Research Ethics Committee (REC) approval (15/SW/0166) and a substantial amendment will be submitted to include any new study. For surveys, NHS REC approval is not typically required, but we expect applicants to obtain other appropriate research ethics approval, e.g. the University of Oxford Central University Research Ethics Committee or other institutional ethics approval as appropriate.
Each UKMidSS study will have an initial bespoke costing of around £20,000. The cost of each study will be determined by individual study requirements (for example whether any data analysis is required by the UKMidSS team) and will also depend on the study funder. For studies where the investigator is applying for external funding (e.g. from NIHR) UKMidSS will provide a full economic costing (FEC) of the time and work involved. UKMidSS reserves the right to charge a higher amount for labour-intensive studies and for commercial organisations, and to make additional charges for any study that is extended beyond the initial agreed study period. For surveys, there will be a bespoke costing of at least £2000, which may be open to negotiation, for example for student projects.
Following final acceptance of the application and before commencement the investigator and study guarantor will be asked to sign a letter indicating agreed responsibilities in relation to the project.
UKMidSS Study Application Guide
The UKMidSS Study Application Guide includes the Preliminary and Full Application Forms and the Letter of Understanding: UKMidSS Study Application guide