Highlights for AHP research community:
1. Planning for the new package of NIHR funding investment followed directly after the AHP Research Summit in November 2022, with the hugely welcome outcome of explicit commitment of support for AHP research capacity building. This marks an enormous potential boost to accelerate a transformational step change in the growth and sustainability of the AHP research environment and culture.
2. The establishment of a new national leadership role for AHP research will be one of the most significant highlights for the AHP research community. This post of Associate Director for AHP research at NIHR is currently being recruited to.
3. Following the Associate Director appointment, a new Clinical Research Leadership Programme will be finalised. This will generate development opportunities for sequential cohorts of research-active AHPs in practitioner roles, and will give a substantial boost to the growth of critical mass for the collective AHP research community. It will also secure much stronger visibility, reputation and profile for the individual AHPs within their own organisations, contributing to the agenda for developing a culture of recognition and value for AHP research activity and roles.
Listen to this brief video message from Music Therapist Stephen Sandford who is the Chief AHP Officer at Lancashire & South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB). The dramatic backdrop chosen by Stephen reinforces his rallying call for AHPs to seize these exciting new research career opportunities.
4. There is an urgent imperative for improving communication across all AHP disciplines to ensure visibility and awareness of these increased opportunities for research training and careers. There is also a need for mentorship to ensure increased rates of successful applications across all the AHP disciplines. This is a collective responsibility to respond to meet this challenge, shared across all the AHP Professional Bodies. CAHPR will also take a lead in promoting uptake of all the new funding investment. (see the Tab below to find out more about CAHPR and to hear the video message from one of CAHPR’s national Strategy Board Vice Chairs).
5. The launch of this package of funding investment has also highlighted the importance of shaping research ambitions from the start of healthcare professional careers. There is a responsibility for AHP educators to consider how they might access these new schemes to provide increased opportunities for their student cohorts to gain positive experiences of research activities, processes and roles. Read the NIHR Guidance notes HERE for INSIGHT: Inspiring Students into Research
Listen to this brief video message from Physiotherapist Dr Anne O’Brien, Head of School for Allied Health Professions at Keele University. Anne’s message focuses on the exciting new opportunities for introducing pre-registration students to their first taste of the AHP research environment.
6. It is essential that Commissioners and Managers of NHS services are also aware of the potential to access these new funding streams to address their strategic responsibilities for ensuring evidence-based and research active health and care provision. We are so delighted that Claire Lewis Associate Director for Quality Assurance in Lancashire & South Cumbria’s Integrated Care Board (ICB) shared her reaction to the NIHR news: you can listen to her comments that are posted at the top of this blogpost