Services > Research Capacity Building

There is a need to develop a sound scientific research base to inform service planning and decision-making in health services. However, the level of research activity and the ability to carry out research is limited in some areas of practice, resulting in a low evidence base in these areas. Research capacity building aims to address this deficit.

The Department of Health within the UK has adopted the definition of research capacity building as:
"a process of individual and institutional development which leads to higher levels of skills and greater ability to perform useful research" (pp1321 Trostle, 1992)

Trent RDSU is funded by the Department of Health to build research capacity in health and social care. We do this by developing and using mechanisms to increase research capacity 'for', 'within', and 'by' practice, by supporting individuals, teams, organisations and networks. We adopt a range of initiatives to support the development of useful research, and to sustain research skills in practice. This includes supporting fellowships, delivering training schemes and providing bursaries and mentorship. We also enable supportive infrastructures, for example, research practice networks, and we work with organisations to interpret and implement R&D policy, and to build research through strategy development.

Trent RDSU delivers our services through adopting six principles of capacity building including building skills and confidence, developing linkages and partnerships, ensuring the research is 'close to practice', developing appropriate dissemination, shaping and encouraging infrastructure development, and building elements of sustainability and continuity in all of our work.

The movement towards more integration between universities and practice is also important and this is where the RDSU is ideally placed, based within universities but serving practice.

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