Nurses, midwives, allied health professionals and research delivery team are invited to apply for a clinical research internship on the TAPER-Pain study – Testing the Activity Pacing questionnaire for validity, rEliability and Responsiveness: an outcome measure for chronic Pain.
What is it?
In collaboration with Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA) Centre for Clinical and Care Research (CCR), this internship will support you to develop your skills and knowledge of some of the wider research processes.
The internship is specifically for someone who wishes to work on the TAPER-Pain research study exploring activity pacing as a coping strategy for chronic pain. The TAPER-Pain study is a questionnaire design study that aims to validate a patient reported outcome measure for chronic pain and is led by Dr Deborah Antcliff (pictured). The internship will involve working closely with the research team who are based at NCA and Keele University. You will receive bespoke mentorship and training, with the aim of preparing your own future application for a personal research fellowship.
Why are we doing it?
This internship will support you as an NCA employee to have protected time to contribute to the TAPER-Pain study, to develop your experiences of wider research processes, and develop your skills and confidence to apply for a personal research fellowship. The CCR aims to build a research culture within the NCA non-medical workforce so that future independent researchers are developed and supported to gain funding and progress clinical academic careers.
What will it involve?
The internship will last for 16 months, based in the Research Ward (Ward 19) in Fairfield General Hospital and will comprise of:
- Contributing to the monthly TAPER-Pain team meetings (via Teams)
- Providing feedback to the research team on recruitment rates
- Data acquisition: distributing questionnaires across locations in the NCA Musculoskeletal/Pain Service waiting rooms, and leading on the distribution of the postal follow-up questionnaires
- Data entry (eg Excel spreadsheets, RPEAK)
- Contributing to interpreting the data
- Contributing to preparing a peer-reviewed manuscript for publication and being acknowledged as a named author
- Bespoke mentorship and relevant training (to be tailored and agreed with the individual)
- Develop a plan for personal research career development/funding
Who is the scheme for?
Individuals who are currently working at NCA as a nurse, midwife, allied health professional, research delivery team or other profession and who wish for an opportunity to develop their research skills and experience, while contributing to the TAPER-Pain study.
How will funding be allocated?
The CCR internship will cover the individual’s protected time to work on the TAPER-Pain study for one day a week for 16 months, together with some research methods training (maximum £1,000).
How do I apply?
Please discuss this opportunity with your line manager and gain their agreement for your release for one day a week to undertake this internship. Please complete the TAPER-Pain Internship application form and send it to Deborah.Antcliff@nca.nhs.uk by 5pm on Friday 16 December 2022. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to be interviewed by the Chief Investigator (Dr Deborah Antcliff) and the CCR Lead (Prof Heather Iles-Smith). The start date will be agreed with the successful applicant.
For any queries, please contact Deborah Antcliff: Deborah.Antcliff@nca.nhs.uk