The research team at Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH) – Grounded Research – have won ‘Research Team of the Year’ at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network, Yorkshire and Humber, Research Awards at an ceremony held in Leeds on 17 May.
It is especially fitting that the award was this week, as RDaSH is celebrating the importance of research generally, and the successes of the Grounded Research team specifically, as part of International Clinical Trials week, which culminates in International Clinical Trials Day (ICTD) on Friday 20th.
ICTD is an annual event which celebrates the anniversary of the first clinical trial by James Lind in 1747 into the causes of scurvy on board the HMS Salisbury.
Kathryn Singh, Chief Executive of RDaSH said:
“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us all the vital importance of health research. Research helps improve health and social care and finds better treatments for future generations. Everyone at RDaSH is delighted that our research team have won this award against tough competition as it recognises the specialised and dedicated team who put quality at the forefront of all their research.”
Over the past year the team has consistently performed well, recruiting well over a thousand people to studies – 199% of its annual target - and it is already over target for this year. It also hosted COVID-19 vaccine research, with a major commercial trial in the Sanofi Booster study and a large role in the ComFluCov study into flu and covid vaccines.
Heather Rice, Assistant Director of Research, said:
“As a team we are determined to live up to our name – to be looking up and out, but to be grounded, taking research to where people are and rooted in our communities in Doncaster, Rotherham and North Lincolnshire. After a year of constant change and growth we have the experience, the expertise and the capacity to make a real difference to patients’ lives, now and in the future.
“It has been very much a team effort - not just in Grounded Research but across all of RDaSH with clinical teams and support services such as finance, purchasing, communications and HR all having a huge input.”
Professor Alistair Hall, Clinical Director, NIHR Clinical Research Network Yorkshire and Humber said:
"We're delighted to present the Grounded Research Team at RDaSH with the award for Research Team of the Year in our first annual research awards in Yorkshire and Humber. The team have performed consistently during the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the panel were especially impressed by their work embedding research in the local community to ensure access to research for all."