CRN South West Peninsula Funding Principles 2022-23 - Precis

The funding principles for 2022/2023 to support our strategy are key to the effective delivery of research across the South West Peninsula (SWP).

Due to the challenges and complexities of delivering the NIHR research portfolio in financial year 21/22 faced by all Partner Organisations the funding model working group concluded that the main principle of the funding model was to maintain stability post covid. The recurrent funding to all organisations has remained the same but the non-recurrent funding has reduced because of increases in top slices and increase in funding to a community provider.  Smaller organisations were protected from any reductions and have had a flat budget overall.  Non recurrent funding was not linked to any performance metric for 2022/23 but based on a 4.5% of initial allocations to deal with cost pressures.

Key highlights for our funding principles for 2022/2023 are as follows:

Top slices that are mandated nationally:

1.    A top-sliced funding element is retained to support central hosting, governance and management costs.

2.    A ring-fenced fund of £833,333 to support the Transformation of Research Delivery, which will work to support the delivery of research portfolio studies across public health and social care. The focus of this award long term will be to support research delivery outside of the NHS, which will facilitate a more participant-centred approach for our region.

3.    A ring-fenced fund of 2% of our budget £254,829 for allocation on expanding clinical and applied research to under-served regions and communities with major health needs. Allocation of this funding reflects the need to provide equitable access to research opportunities for under-served communities as a collective national priority enabled at a local level.

Local top slices

A top-sliced funding element is retained to support central hosting, governance, management costs and research speciality leads. The top slices also covers, cross cutting obligations including Local Portfolio Management System (LPMS); Communications; Continuous Improvement; PPIE; Workforce development and training; Study Support Service; finance; business intelligence.

4.    Regional top slices were also made to support:

I.    Primary care research support initiative scheme and delivery staff
II.    Regional genetics service
III.    South West Ambulance service
IV.    Regional community pharmacy role and community midwife

5.    Provision of £190,000 to support the Research Associates & Nursing Scheme linked to the under-served agenda. The scheme is designed to allow time for post holders to develop knowledge and insight into the research process, supporting recruitment into NIHR Portfolio studies, whilst also acquiring skills to become future principal and chief investigators, thereby becoming Ambassadors for the NIHR CRN focusing on under-served areas of research.  The 70@70 legacy nursing and midwifery project is to support an increase in nurses and midwives involved in research.

6.    Provision of £56,000 to support the Quality Improvement scheme. Applicants are invited to submit applications for innovative projects that would enhance or facilitate the delivery of NIHR portfolio studies. Priority will be given to applications that support the under-served communities initiative.

7.    A contingency of £48,489 has been set aside for strategic investment and is available for all Partner Organisations to apply for.

Funding allocations

The top slice of budget was £3,169,499.  Funding of £8,375,360 will be distributed across our Partner Organisation to support research delivery for the SWP.

8.    A non-recurring fund of £407,259 will be allocated across our Partner Organisations to support the rise in operational costs calculated on a 4.5% of initial allocations.