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L. Roberts1,2, J. Stevenson3, C. Bowen1,3, K. Mitchell2,1
1University of Southampton, School of Health Sciences, Southampton, United Kingdom, 2University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Therapy Services, Southampton, United Kingdom, 3National Institute for Health Research, Applied Research Collaboration, Wessex, United Kingdom
Background: Clinicians can find it challenging to move from being ‘research aware’ to ‘research engaged’, particularly if they work as part of a small team or an organization that is new to supporting research. With the current emphasis on physical therapists developing strong evaluative skills and delivering the research pillar in their practice framework, free, equitable support should be available as they develop their plans to undertake clinical academic research.
Purpose: To develop a free, accessible resource across the clinical academic interface, comprising 10 short films, offering advice and tips for clinicians on engaging in research and/or becoming a clinical academic.
Methods: Ten short films have been produced working with a team of researchers, clinical academics, patient representatives and a media expert. The topics covered are: 1) What is a clinical academic career? 2) Forming your team; 3) Finding a mentor; 4) What makes a good application? 5) Developing your training plans; 6) Public and patient involvement; 7) The funding interview; 8) Intellectual property and enterprise; 9) Personal stories; 10) Sources of help.
Results: The ten films comprise 70 minutes of animations and ‘talking heads’ from a range of allied health professionals, as they share their stories from the inception of their idea, through forming a team, working with service-users and patient partners, through to writing a grant application and securing funding. Whilst the context is generated from UK experiences, these resources are not aligned to any particular funding stream or context, and the information is transferable across the profession. On completion of the evaluation (n=30) with allied health professionals ranging from pre-doctoral to senior academic level, the package will be launched in December 2022.
Conclusions: When producing resources, it is essential to work with the target audience and patient partners to ensure the relevancy and content of the material. Clinicians require support across a wide range of topics to develop competitive research applications and it is important to share resources widely, to minimize duplication of effort and waste.
Implications: To strengthen the evidence base of the profession, physical therapists need to move from being ‘research aware’ to being ‘research engaged’ or ‘research leaders’ of the future. This transition is complex, and the existing support is not equitable or sufficient. Designing and producing bespoke resources that address questions and issues raised by clinicians making this transition will help provide advice and boost confidence, as clinicians develop robust plans that increase the likelihood of being successful when competing for grant funding.
Funding acknowledgements: This project was funded with a grant from UK Research and Innovation: Enhancing Research Culture.
Keywords:
Research
Clinical academic
Resources
Research
Clinical academic
Resources
Topics:
Professional issues
Education: continuing professional development
Education: methods of teaching & learning
Professional issues
Education: continuing professional development
Education: methods of teaching & learning
Did this work require ethics approval? No
Reason: It is a quality improvement initiative and not research
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
