Services > Eligibility and Charging Policy

Eligibility:

The services provided by Trent RDSU are available to all research active and associated staff in health and health-related social care regardless of professional group or employing organisation (with the exceptions set out below).

Research active staff working in the NHS, social services and their partner providers and organisations are eligible for RDSU support. Staff from voluntary and charitable organisations, and service user groups, are also eligible. Whilst priority may be given to research active and associated staff working in our geographical catchment area of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, and South Yorkshire, our services are also available to staff from other parts of the UK.

The following groups are not normally eligible to use RDSU services:
  • Undergraduate students and pre-registration trainees
  • University staff except where there is spare capacity, by agreement with the local site of the RDSU
  • For profit organisations, unless commercial rates are applied, at the discretion of Directors of Local Business Groups
  • Postgraduate students, except by arrangement with their academic supervisors. Postgraduate students are eligible to attend training courses.


Charges Applied for Training Courses, Workshops and Events:

1)   Short courses run at RDSU sites
These are provided FREE to the following groups:

  • Research active and associated staff working in the NHS and social care
  • Research active and associated staff from voluntary and charitable organisations
  • Service users
Small charges may be made on the day for refreshments
 
Other groups*, including university staff, will be charged as follows:
  • £35 per half day
  • £60 per full day
Where a course is not filled to capacity, the RDSU may advertise places free of charge to staff from the university departments in which the RDSU is based. These ‘standby’ places will not be available until two weeks before the course is due to run.
 
*Research active and associated staff from industry and other profit-making organisations will be charged at a commercial rate, at the discretion of the Director of the Local Business Group.
 
 
2)   Bespoke (previously ‘on demand’) courses run on-site at NHS or Local Authority sites (subject to availability, by agreement with the local Training Coordinator)
 
·         £360 per day and £210 per half day, for a group of 6 students, where administration, accommodation, hospitality etc are provided by the organisation hosting the course. Additional students (up to 15 in total) may be included in this rate by negotiation with the local Training Coordinator, but additional charges per head may apply in some cases.
 
 
3)  The New Researchers Training Programme has a standard charge of £495 for the non-accredited course at any of the sites. Where the accredited version is available, charges apply as specified by the relevant university. Currently this programme is on hold and won't run in 2007/8.
 
 
4)  Charges for one-off workshops and other events requested by NHS or other organisations are at the discretion of Directors of local Business Groups.
 
Priority will be given to the following:
 
  • Facilitation of events for local NHS Trusts and consortia to plan research strategy, develop collaborations etc
  • Events to promote research governance and ethical approval mechanisms
  • Research dissemination and networking events
  • Roadshows to promote research activity, highlight sources of funding, and publicise the work of the RDSU
  • Peer support events for holders of research awards and fellowships
Charges for travel and other expenses incurred by the RDSU may be applied where no other fee is charged.
 
 

 

Charges Applied for Individual and Group Research Support and Advice:

Pre-booked advice through research clinics is provided free for the first hour of face to face, telephone or e-mail contact for each project. Time spent by RDSU staff reading and familiarising themselves with material sent in advance is also free of charge. Beyond the first hour of advice and support, charges may apply, as detailed below, at the discretion of the Director of the Local Business Group. 
Research advice and support provided more informally outside the pre-booked clinics will also be provided free for the first hour of each project. Where the RDSU staff member is required to travel to provide the advice, reimbursement of expenses may be requested.
 
Charges for support beyond the first hour are unlikely to be applied where:
 
  • The person or team seeking advice and support holds an RDSU Research Capacity Development Award, or is a member of an RDSU funded Designated Research Team
  • The RDSU staff member is invited and agrees to become a member of the research team, or where (s)he becomes a co-author on a publication
  • Mentorship or formal supervision has been agreed with an RDSU staff member
  • The project is unfunded, but is likely to lead to a subsequent successful application for funding. In this case the RDSU staff member may wish to be included as a co-applicant for future funding
Where charges are applied, they will be as follows:
 
  • £60 per hour, or £360 per day
Where an RDSU staff member is a full member of a research team, their contribution should be costed into the project under the rules for Full Economic Costing.

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