The Society for Endocrinology is a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) non-commercial Partner. This means the studies that we fund may be eligible to access the NIHR Study Support Service which is provided by the NIHR Clinical Research Network. The NIHR Clinical Research Network supports researchers and the life sciences industry to plan, setup and deliver high quality research to agreed timescales and study recruitment targets, for the benefit of patients and the NHS. This includes relevant research in public health and social care in England. In partnership with your local R&D office, we encourage you to involve your local Clinical Research Network team in discussions as early as possible when planning your study. This will allow you to fully benefit from the support available through the NIHR Study Support Service. To find out more about how you can apply for this additional support to help deliver your study, please visit www.nihr.ac.uk/study-support-service or contact supportmystudy@nihr.ac.uk to be put in touch with someone who can provide further information on the support that the NIHR Clinical Research Network offers through the NIHR Study Support Service.

We understand that this part of the application can be challenging, especially if you aren’t used to scientific writing. However, it’s very important to ensure the marking panel understands what you want to do and why, how you are planning to do it and what you hope to get out of it. You will also need to take ethical considerations into account and explain how to handle any data you might collect.

A good summary would include the following elements (1,000 words maximum):

• Title
• Background (with reason(s) for doing the project)
• Aim (what you hope to achieve)
• Methods (how you will reach your aim)
• Data collection (what, from who and how)
• Data security (confidentiality, storage, etc.)
• Analysis (how you will present your data as results)
• Ethical considerations (if applicable)
• Outcome and dissemination (the new knowledge will you have and how will you share it)

A breakdown of how you plan to spend the grant money is necessary for the application. This should also include a short explanation of why you need each item.

The marking panel will need to understand your reasons for wanting to undertake the project. Each person will have different ways to justify their project but we ask for you to consider three broad areas: the benefit to you (the applicant), the benefit to endocrine practice and/or the endocrine community, and how you will share your findings.

Benefit to applicant

The Society aims to support all its members to achieve their potential, so it is important to include information on the personal benefit the grant can bring. This should include what your professional goals are, and how the project will help you in moving towards these goals.

Examples
• Taking on a leadership role at some point in the future
Leading an audit shows that you can identify problems, propose solutions, identify their suitability and evaluate the outcomes

• Apply for a PhD
Having preliminary data as part of your PhD application can increase its chance of success, the skills you learn during a short research project will be applicable to your PhD

• Gaining more experience/specialised knowledge in a specific endocrine area

Benefit to endocrine research/nursing/clinical practice

The project will offer some benefit to the wider endocrine community. It is important to explain why these benefits matter and how your project will provide improvements. Identifying where the project idea came from can be helpful here.

Examples
• Testing whether a new approach is cost effective
• Reducing pressure on consultant clinics
• Helping ensure continuity of care

While your project will offer benefit to endocrine practitioners, it should also improve the experience of patients and their carers. For some projects this impact may be direct and easy to identify, for others the impact may be more indirect.

• Quicker diagnosis or access to medication
• Ensuring safe and quality care for patients
• Reducing patient waiting times
How findings will be disseminated

Even the best projects will have little impact if the results/findings are never shared. With this in mind, it is important to consider how you hope to share your findings after completing your project.

Examples
• Presenting a poster or talk at a conference, such as SfE BES or RCN
• Sharing your findings at Endocrine Nurse Update
• Channels used within your institution

• Audit of the outcome/relapse rate and possible predictive factors of recurrence in a series of patients with Graves’ disease managed in a nurse-led thyroid clinic. The notes of patients with newly diagnosed Graves’ disease, seen in the clinic between 2005-2011 and who had completed 18 months of anti-thyroid drug were reviewed, which encompassed 60 patients.

• A thyroid, nurse-led clinic (NLC) was set up within the Department of Endocrinology in Oxford, primarily aiming to reduce waiting times of patients with uncomplicated thyrotoxicosis, from 3-4 months to 2-4 weeks. An audit using a structured questionnaire of 22 questions was used to assess patients’ views on care and management, nurse’s knowledge and skills, efficiency of the service, and possible concerns. Responses were collected anonymously, over 4 weeks, from 30 respondents of the first 40 patients seen at the clinic. This data provided valuable insight in understanding patients’ needs and where the service was successful.