Clinical Studies Groups
- Have you got an idea for a study involving children but don't know where to start?
- Do you need expert advice on study design?
- Are you looking for guidance on practical issues like pharmacy supplies?
- Do you need help with identifying suitable funding opportunities?
We have established 15 Clinical Studies Groups (CSGs) within the NIHR Medicines for Children Research Network (MCRN) to cover the different specialty areas within child health, including:
- Allergy, Infectious Diseases and Immunity (MCRN/British Paediatric Allergy Immunology and Infection Group collaboration)
- Anaesthesia, Pain, Intensive Care and Cardiology
- Cleft and Craniofacial Anomalies (MCRN/Healing Foundation/Craniofacial Society of Great Britain and Ireland collaboration)
- Diabetes and Endocrine (MCRN/British Society for Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes collaboration)
- Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (MCRN/British Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition collaboration)
- General Paediatric
- Inherited Metabolic Disorders (MCRN/UK Lysosomal Storage Disorders Patient Collaborative Group collaboration)
- Methodology
- Neonatal (MCRN/Action Medical Research collaboration)
- Nephrology
- Neurosciences
- Pain and Palliative Care (MCRN/Louis Dundas Development Fund collaboration)
- Pharmacy and Pharmacology
- Respiratory and Cystic Fibrosis
- Rheumatology (MCRN/Arthritis Research UK collaboration)
Our CSGs include active researchers (clinical and other professions), parents, nurses, charity representatives and formulation experts. Members of the NIHR Paediatrics (Non-Medicines) Specialty Group are also involved. As part of their role they provide expert advice to help researchers develop high quality research proposals. This support is provided free of charge.
Seeking an opinion from the CSG is a helpful step to take at an early stage, although you may contact us at any stage as you develop your research proposal. We can help with:
- Focusing ideas and refining the research question
- Facilitating patient and parent input
- Overall study design
- Formulations and pharmacy issues
- Feasibility of recruiting for the study
- Linking up with Clinical Trials Units who can contribute expertise in statistics and trial management
- Sign posting to funding opportunities and NIHR CRN support
- Putting you in touch with other researchers
- Disseminating research
CSGs meet two to three times a year but proposals are considered by email on a rolling basis. To submit a proposal (at any stage of development) to one of our groups, please fill in our 'CSG Study Submission Form' and return it to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it together with your draft proposal and any other supporting documentation (e.g. patient information leaflets) that you would like to receive feedback on. CSGs aim to provide comments including a formal letter of response (which can be useful for both ethics and funding applications) within one month from the date of submission.
If you have got any questions, you may also contact us on 0151 282 4720 or 0151 282 4709.