Progress and Achievements

The NMAHP Research Community launched in January 2011. Since then, it has established a strategic framework, and developed a number of schemes to support new and existing health services researchers.

Achievements to date include:

• Establishment of a framework for the creation of clinical and academic homes
  • Appointment of four academics into clinical homes in mental health and critical care
• To date, ten NMAHPs employed by NHS Lothian have received Research Futures awards to support their postgraduate research training at doctoral, masters or research apprenticeship level.
• Establishment of a Mental Health Research Planning Group comprising the strategic lead, service managers, NMAHP Consultants, academics and Early Clinical Career Fellows
• *Establishment of the Lothian Clinical Academic Research (CARC) Scheme
• Introduction of the Midwifery Research Champions Scheme involving the appointment of six midwives to support promotion of existing clinical trials and the development of midwifery research capacity.
  • Two of these Research Champions have recently been successful in securing PhD Studentships from Edinburgh Napier University

• Contribution to the development of a number of new research Masters programmes including:
  • Masters of Nursing in Clinical Research (University of Edinburgh)
  • Masters in Clinical Research (Queen Margaret University)
  • MSc Clinical Trials by Online Learning (Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility and University of Edinburgh)
• Ongoing Collaborative NMAHP Research Seminar Series.