Research and Development

This section provides information and support for members to help you engage in and with research or research related activities. For further information or advice please contact the Research and Development Administrator, kinza.ahmad@rcot.co.uk

Contents:

Research and Development Strategy 2019-2024
Research Governance and Ethics
Research Priorities
Funding for Research and Development
Research Networking and Information
Research Connect
Research Cafe
Research Excellence Framework 2021

Research and Development strategy 2019-2024

The Royal College of Occupational Therapists’ research and development strategy 2019–2024 is intended to inform, guide and direct the development of research capability and capacity in the occupational therapy profession in the UK and the quality and impact of the associated research outputs. It builds on the research and development strategies that have preceded it and takes account of contemporary drivers for the research-engaged culture within the profession that RCOT seeks to cultivate. Highlighting the benefits for those accessing occupational therapy services, departments and organisations, individual occupational therapists and the profession as a whole, the Strategy promotes a spectrum of engagement, from working actively with existing research evidence, to participating in the development of the evidence base. Ten key principles underpin the Strategy and, recognising that achieving the Strategy’s aims is a shared endeavour between RCOT and its members, actions are identified for both.

The Royal College of Occupational Therapists’ research and development strategy 2019–2024 is of relevance to all occupational therapy personnel, regardless of the context within which they work, departmental and organisational leads and managers, service commissioners, providers of pre and post-registration education and funders of research.

Royal College of Occupational Therapists’ research and development strategy 2019–2024

Research governance and ethics

The following documents provide guidance and signposting to resources where more detailed information may be obtained on research governance and ethics approval.

Research priorities

RCOT/JLA Occupational Therapy Priority Setting Partnership

RCOT is delighted to be working alongside the James Lind Alliance on an 18 month Priority Setting Partnership to identify contemporary research priorities for occupational therapy in the UK.

The James Lind Alliance (JLA) is a non-profitmaking organisation whose infrastructure is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and which is based in the NIHR Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre at the University of Southampton. The JLA brings together patients, carers, healthcare professionals and the public in Priority Setting Partnerships (PSPs) to identify and prioritise ‘uncertainties’ or ‘unanswered questions’ about treatments or interventions that they agree are most important in a particular area. This high-profile approach to research priority setting aims to ensure that health-related grant-funding bodies (such as, but not limited to, the NIHR) are aware of what matters most to service-users and professionals. The primary output is a list of the Top 10 jointly agreed research questions related to a particular area that are then promoted to funders and drawn upon by researchers when writing grant funding applications. More information about the James Lind Alliance.

Following recruitment of Jenny Mac Donnell as Project Lead and Ruth Unstead-Joss as Project Coordinator to fixed-term posts, the RCOT/JLA Occupational Therapy PSP commenced in January 2019. Katherine Cowan, a senior JLA Advisor, was allocated to guide us through the JLA’s robust methodological approach to identifying research priorities. As Chair of the Steering Group, her role is to guide the Occupational Therapy PSP through the robust JLA methodology. The Steering Group convened from April 2019 and includes representatives of people who access occupational therapy services, carers and occupational therapists. Members of the Steering Group were identified on the basis of their ability to contribute knowledge and experience of occupational therapy practice and research, an understanding of those who use the services of occupational therapists, access to a range of related networks, and a willingness and capacity to fully engage in the process and work involved.

In addition to forming the basis of targeted work with research funders to encourage related funding opportunities, and with researchers who might address the prioritised uncertainties, the RCOT/JLA PSP Top 10 will be used to guide dispersal of UKOTRF funding, through moving at least in part to commissioned, rather than entirely open or responsive, calls. An important piece of follow-on work will be supporting RCOT specialist sections to translate the high level Top 10 priorities into more targeted and focussed research priorities within the context of their own particular areas of specialist practice.

Alongside the new Research and Development Strategy (published NovemberSeptember 2019), it is anticipated that the publication of revised research priorities for occupational therapy in the UK will help progress the expansion of the evidence base and therefore facilitate enhanced outcomes and experiences for people who access occupational therapy services and their carers.

F urther information on the progress of the RCOT / JLA Research Priority Setting Project.

Funding for Research and Development

RCOT Research Foundation

General Information

The RCOT Research Foundation aims to increase research capacity and capability within our profession and advance building the evidence-base for occupational therapy. It'll achieve this through supporting the development of the next generation of occupational therapy researchers and research leaders and creating a community of occupational therapy researchers to support members to learn with and from each other.

The goals of the RCOT Research Foundation are to:

Build the capability and capacity of research-skilled occupational therapists.
Support the development of occupational therapy research leaders.
Award research grants for projects that meet the research priorities of the profession and priorities of the organisation.
Extend the assimilation and development of the evidence base underpinning occupational therapy through systematic reviews to synthesise existing evidence of effectiveness and identify gaps in the research.

Research Grants and Awards

Research Priority Grant (one grant of up to £100,000): This is a grant to support a project that clearly addresses one or more of the top 10 priorities for occupational therapy research in the UK and increases the research capacity of the profession by including developmental opportunities for other OTs to gain research experience within the project.
Research Career Development Grant (one or two grants, totalling up to £20,000): This is a grant to support developing your career as an occupational therapy researcher.
Systematic Review Grant (one or two grants, totalling up to £20,000): This is a grant to support the appraisal and summary of the evidence base underpinning occupational therapy in a research priority area for the profession.

Full details of the grants available, including application forms, can be found in the ‘Application Information’ section or in our news story.

RCOT Research Foundation Early Researcher Award (Post-registration)

This prize is awarded to recognise excellence in research and presentation skills for post-registration research. Occupational therapists are eligible if presenting findings at RCOT’s Annual Conference from their post-registration Master’s or doctoral research or their first piece of ethically approved research undertaken post-registration.

Early Researcher Prize (Pre-registration):

This prize is awarded to a pre-registration BSc/MSc occupational therapy student for an outstanding research project completed in the final year of their degree programme. Students are nominated by a member of the academic team at the student’s institution. The prize winner will receive a £50 book token and will have their success publicly celebrated. The nominating forms for the Early Researcher Prize are available below, with a deadline of end of June.

RCOT Research and Development Internship:

This opportunity offers a pre-registration occupational therapy student currently in their final year of study or a recent graduate (up to two years post-registration) the chance to develop their research-related skills and confidence by working alongside colleagues within the RCOT Education and Research Department on live, real-world projects. The internship will run in July and August for either eight weeks on a full-time basis or ten weeks on a part-time basis. Details about the internship are available on the RCOT website in winter.

Application information

Our Research Foundation grants are now open. You can apply until 5pm, Wednesday 14 February 2024.

The overall aim of funding support is to build the evidence base and the expansion of research capacity within occupational therapy.

The following grants are available:

Research Priority Grant (one grant of up to £100,000)

This is a grant to support a project that clearly addresses one or more of the top 10 priorities for occupational therapy research in the UK and increases the research capacity of the profession by including developmental opportunities for other OTs to gain research experience within the project.

Research Career Development Grant (one or two grants, totalling up to £20,000)

This is a grant to support developing your career as an occupational therapy researcher. It is designed to help individuals who intend to pursue a research career pathway as an occupational therapy researcher.

Systematic Review Grant (one or two grants, totalling up to £20,000)

This a grant to support efforts to extend the understanding and development of the evidence base underpinning occupational therapy, in a research priority area for the profession.

Some helpful pointers and eligibility criteria

When you submit your proposal, you will need to clearly link your project to one or more of the top 10 priorities for UK OT research.
Remember to think about and include patient and public involvement in your proposal.
We strongly encourage applications from under-represented groups within our OT community. A wealth of views, backgrounds and approaches can only improve the research being generated.
Lead applicants must be a professional member of RCOT at the time of applying.
Co-applicants do not need to be OTs, but those who’ve got an OT qualification must also be members of RCOT.
Watch the helpful video about writing a good grant proposal from Phillip Whitehead, RCOT Research Career Development Grant holder and multiple co-applicant.

Submission date

Submissions are open until 5pm, Wednesday 14 February 2024. However, we recommend starting much earlier as this is a full proposal and must be peer-reviewed before you submit it.

Help and advice

If you have any questions, please contact Angie Thompson, RCOT Research and Development Officer via angie.thompson@rcot.co.uk or 020 3141 4615.

RCOT Research Foundation – Early Researcher Prize application information

We're now inviting nominations for the 2023 Early Researcher Prize. This prize is awarded to a pre-registration BSc/MSc occupational therapy student for an outstanding research project completed in the final year of their degree programme in either 2022 or 2023.  Students are nominated by a member of the academic team at the student’s institution.  The prize winner will receive a £50 book token and their success will also be publicly celebrated.

Submission date

Nominations are open until 9am, Friday 30 June 2023.

Help and advice

If you have queries or require further information, please contact our Research and Development Officer, Angie Thompson, at: angie.thompson@rcot.co.uk.

Early Researcher Award (post-registration) - application information

This prestigious prize of a £150 book token recognises excellence in research and presentation skills. If you are a member of RCOT giving a Paper format presentation based on research findings from your post-registration Master’s or doctoral studies, or your first piece of ethically approved research undertaken post-registration as an occupational therapist, then you are eligible to be considered for the RCOT Research Foundation Early Researcher Award. You can select whether to put yourself forward for this award when making your submission.

Previous winners have been delighted with the peer recognition they’ve received on the significance of their research and the value of the award to their early research career development. Details of the winner will be published in OTnews and on the RCOT website.

RCOT Research and Development Internship – application information

This opportunity offers a pre-registration occupational therapy student currently in their final year of study or a recent graduate (up to two years post-registration) the chance to develop their research-related skills and confidence by working alongside colleagues within the RCOT Education and Research Department on live, real-world projects. The internship will run for eight weeks in July and August on a paid, full-time basis. The 2022 round has now closed, but application information for the 2023 internship will be available in autumn/winter 2022.

Watch Steph Busby, the first R&D intern, discuss her experience:

Research Foundation Advisory Group

The work of the RCOT Research Foundation is overseen by an Advisory Group, which provides expertise and guidance to facilitate RCOT in making the best decisions in investing in research projects.

The Advisory Group comprises up to 7 research-skilled individuals from within and outside the profession and 2 members of the public (‘public contributors’). They undertake some reviewing activity and meet once a year to shortlist and agree projects. Advisory Group meetings are chaired by the Chair of BAOT/RCOT Council.

Current Advisory Group Members

Al Richards, Public contributor. Appointed to the Advisory Group 2021.
Al is an ‘expert by experience’ at his local hospital trust. He works with others to review proposed projects for quality improvement, making suggestions for how those with lived experience can participate in the projects. He also works to increase patient and public involvement in research projects conducted at the trust, ensuring the public voice is heard and that research outputs are accessible to them. He is a steering group member of the trust’s Recovery Café, which is a safe space for people who access services, carers, members of the voluntary sector and NHS staff to discuss issues and learn from each other. Al is a trustee with the Carers Centre, where his role involves governance issues, marketing and staff issues. He attends the group meetings to hear the views of carers and inputs their views at trustee meetings. He has also contributed to various research projects through attending focus groups, one-to-one interviews, critiquing the research project documentation, and assisting in disseminating data. The research projects have covered a range of issues, from diabetes to frailty.

Al Richards, Public contributor. Appointed to the Advisory Group 2021.

Al is an ‘expert by experience’ at his local hospital trust. He works with others to review proposed projects for quality improvement, making suggestions for how those with lived experience can participate in the projects. He also works to increase patient and public involvement in research projects conducted at the trust, ensuring the public voice is heard and that research outputs are accessible to them. He is a steering group member of the trust’s Recovery Café, which is a safe space for people who access services, carers, members of the voluntary sector and NHS staff to discuss issues and learn from each other.

Al is a trustee with the Carers Centre, where his role involves governance issues, marketing and staff issues. He attends the group meetings to hear the views of carers and inputs their views at trustee meetings. He has also contributed to various research projects through attending focus groups, one-to-one interviews, critiquing the research project documentation, and assisting in disseminating data. The research projects have covered a range of issues, from diabetes to frailty.

Diana Robinson, Public contributor. Appointed to the Advisory Group 2021.
I was asked to write a short biography just before I received the latest OTnews with its headline article, Putting People’s Needs at the Heart of the Service. That really sums up what Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) is all about; in my case, it’s PPIE in research but research should translate into appropriate practice! How did I get into this? In 2000 my husband was diagnosed late with an aggressive cancer. That prompted a search for support and research that might help us cope. Of course, carers too can contribute to care and research and in 2001 I undertook Macmillan Voices training. I’d become active in support groups and learned a lot from visiting speakers and exchanging experiences online. In 2003 I was appointed to what is now the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Consumer Forum and the relevant Clinical Studies Group, alongside another patient representative. From there I was appointed to the Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Awards and Advisory Group. As time progressed I’d moved to Primary Care research with a focus on palliative care and still maintain that interest as a Research Voice with Marie Curie. I’ve also worked with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the NHS on end-of-life care. I helped the UK Clinical Research Collaboration examine the impact of patient and public involvement and became a lay peer reviewer with the National Institute for Health Research, first in Research for Patient Benefit and then Programme Grants for Applied Research. I resumed work with the NCRI in Clinical and Translational Radiology after time with the Royal College of Radiology. And now I’m with the RCOT and hoping there may be mutual benefit from my involvement in the Ageing Well agenda as well as contributing to PPIE in research there.

Diana Robinson, Public contributor. Appointed to the Advisory Group 2021.

I was asked to write a short biography just before I received the latest OTnews with its headline article, Putting People’s Needs at the Heart of the Service. That really sums up what Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) is all about; in my case, it’s PPIE in research but research should translate into appropriate practice!

How did I get into this? In 2000 my husband was diagnosed late with an aggressive cancer. That prompted a search for support and research that might help us cope. Of course, carers too can contribute to care and research and in 2001 I undertook Macmillan Voices training.

I’d become active in support groups and learned a lot from visiting speakers and exchanging experiences online. In 2003 I was appointed to what is now the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Consumer Forum and the relevant Clinical Studies Group, alongside another patient representative.

From there I was appointed to the Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Awards and Advisory Group. As time progressed I’d moved to Primary Care research with a focus on palliative care and still maintain that interest as a Research Voice with Marie Curie. I’ve also worked with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the NHS on end-of-life care.

I helped the UK Clinical Research Collaboration examine the impact of patient and public involvement and became a lay peer reviewer with the National Institute for Health Research, first in Research for Patient Benefit and then Programme Grants for Applied Research. I resumed work with the NCRI in Clinical and Translational Radiology after time with the Royal College of Radiology.

And now I’m with the RCOT and hoping there may be mutual benefit from my involvement in the Ageing Well agenda as well as contributing to PPIE in research there.

Professor Christina Jerosch-Herold – Professor of Rehabilitation Research, School of Health, University of East Anglia. Appointed to the Advisory Group 2019.
Christina Jerosch-Herold is Professor of Rehabilitation Research at the University of East Anglia and Director for Clinical Academic Careers. After qualifying as an occupational therapist, Christina began her clinical career at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, eventually specialising in hand therapy. Following a Masters in Rehabilitation Studies at Southampton University she moved to the University of East Anglia, Norwich, where she also completed a part-time PhD. Her current research is focused on clinical trials in neuromusculoskeletal disorders and traumatic injuries in the hand. Christina has served as research officer and chairman of the British Association of Hand Therapists and is the Editor-in-Chief of the Hand Therapy. She has held two National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Fellowships (a Career Development Fellowship and Senior Research Fellowship) and supervises several NIHR funded doctoral and post-doctoral fellows. She is currently a member of the NIHR Research for Patient Benefit Panel for the East of England and an NIHR Training Advocate for occupational therapy.

Professor Christina Jerosch-Herold – Professor of Rehabilitation Research, School of Health, University of East Anglia. Appointed to the Advisory Group 2019.

Christina Jerosch-Herold is Professor of Rehabilitation Research at the University of East Anglia and Director for Clinical Academic Careers.

After qualifying as an occupational therapist, Christina began her clinical career at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, eventually specialising in hand therapy. Following a Masters in Rehabilitation Studies at Southampton University she moved to the University of East Anglia, Norwich, where she also completed a part-time PhD. Her current research is focused on clinical trials in neuromusculoskeletal disorders and traumatic injuries in the hand.

Christina has served as research officer and chairman of the British Association of Hand Therapists and is the Editor-in-Chief of the Hand Therapy. She has held two National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Fellowships (a Career Development Fellowship and Senior Research Fellowship) and supervises several NIHR funded doctoral and post-doctoral fellows. She is currently a member of the NIHR Research for Patient Benefit Panel for the East of England and an NIHR Training Advocate for occupational therapy.

Dr Caroline Flurey, Senior Lecturer in Public Health and Associate Head of Department for Health and Social Sciences, University of the West of England. Appointed to the Advisory Group in 2020.
Dr Caroline Flurey is a Senior Lecturer in Public Health and Associate Head of Department for Health & Social Sciences as the subject lead for Public & Environmental Health at UWE, Bristol. Caroline’s main research focus is men’s health and long-term conditions, particularly within rheumatology. Caroline’s broader research interests are self-management and help-seeking behaviours for long-term conditions, health equity, and patient reported outcome measures. Caroline is a mixed-methods researcher with expertise in qualitative methodology and Q-methodology.

Dr Caroline Flurey, Senior Lecturer in Public Health and Associate Head of Department for Health and Social Sciences, University of the West of England. Appointed to the Advisory Group in 2020.

Dr Caroline Flurey is a Senior Lecturer in Public Health and Associate Head of Department for Health & Social Sciences as the subject lead for Public & Environmental Health at UWE, Bristol. Caroline’s main research focus is men’s health and long-term conditions, particularly within rheumatology. Caroline’s broader research interests are self-management and help-seeking behaviours for long-term conditions, health equity, and patient reported outcome measures. Caroline is a mixed-methods researcher with expertise in qualitative methodology and Q-methodology.

Professor Alison Porter-Armstrong, Professor of Healthcare Technology, Innovation and Assessment, Edinburgh Napier University. Appointed to the Advisory Group 2020.
Alison is Professor of Healthcare Technology Innovation and Assessment in the School of Health and Social Care at Edinburgh Napier University. Alison’s research interests include: assistive technologies, seating and postural support, pressure care, and innovations in stroke care. She has published widely in these areas authoring over 150 peer reviewed publications, commissioned research reports, keynote addresses and conference presentations. Her research programme has generated significant research grant income in excess of £4million, involving collaboration with a variety of prestigious organisations, including the University of California Los Angeles, The University of Pittsburgh, and Georgia Institute of Technology. Alison is a Trustee and Deputy Treasurer of the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP), is Co-Chair of the Scientific Committee for the European Seating Symposium (ESS), and is an invited member of the International Society for Wheelchair Professionals (ISWP). Alison has been a review panel member for many prestigious funding bodies including the Department of Health, the Wellcome Trust, and the Health Innovation Challenge Fund.

Professor Alison Porter-Armstrong, Professor of Healthcare Technology, Innovation and Assessment, Edinburgh Napier University. Appointed to the Advisory Group 2020.

Alison is Professor of Healthcare Technology Innovation and Assessment in the School of Health and Social Care at Edinburgh Napier University. Alison’s research interests include: assistive technologies, seating and postural support, pressure care, and innovations in stroke care. She has published widely in these areas authoring over 150 peer reviewed publications, commissioned research reports, keynote addresses and conference presentations. Her research programme has generated significant research grant income in excess of £4million, involving collaboration with a variety of prestigious organisations, including the University of California Los Angeles, The University of Pittsburgh, and Georgia Institute of Technology.

Alison is a Trustee and Deputy Treasurer of the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP), is Co-Chair of the Scientific Committee for the European Seating Symposium (ESS), and is an invited member of the International Society for Wheelchair Professionals (ISWP). Alison has been a review panel member for many prestigious funding bodies including the Department of Health, the Wellcome Trust, and the Health Innovation Challenge Fund.

Previous grant winners and project reports

Current Research Priority Grants

Dr Mellissa Prunty (2019) Download Project Abstract: Writing in the Digital Age – Keyboard versus Pen in Adolescents with Handwriting Difficulties (PDF, 120.24KB)

Current Research Career Development Grants

Current Systematic Review Grants

Completed and in progress funded projects

Funded projects full list Oct 2022.pdf (PDF, 163.74KB)

Previous recipients of the Early Researcher Prize (pre-registration) include:

Rick Adams (2020): “ ‘We’re in it together.’ The role of a food pantry as a rights-based community-centred intervention in a marginalised setting at a time of austerity: a stakeholder perspective”.
Laura Johnson (2021): “An exploration of occupational therapists’ understanding of ‘The dark side of occupation’ and their perspectives on the implications for practice. A qualitative investigation”.
Felicity Murray (2022) “Enabling person-centered wellbeing in the context of environmentally sustainable occupational therapy: a survey study of occupational therapy student attitudes and preparedness.”

Previous recipients of the Early Researcher Award (Post-registration) include:

Terri Grant (2022): “Simulating Practice Education – what should we simulate?”
Laura Rossiter (2021): “Exploring the impact of cancer related fatigue on occupational performance and engagement”.
Beverley Turtle (2018): "Reliability and responsiveness of outcome measures in a stroke clinical trial".
Becky Field (2017): "Identifying influences on take-up of a community occupational therapy intervention for people with dementia and their family carers"
Natalie Jones (2016): "What are the experiences of stroke survivors with managing eating in the long-term?"
Clare Sugarman (2016): "The lived experience of parents whose children are deafblind: an occupational perspective"

Previous Research and Development interns include:

Jay Webster (2022)
Sherri Kapadia (2021)
Stephanie Busby (2019)

Summaries of key findings

Funded project outputs demonstrate the value of investment in occupational therapy research and the contribution of the projects to building the evidence-base for occupational therapy practice.

A summary of key findings is provided below for recently completed projects. These include, where known, journal publication references.

All funded projects are required to provide a final project report. These are available electronically in the RCOT library six months after the project has been completed.

Helpful webinar

Watch these helpful video about how to write grant proposals.

Writing a good grant proposal - Phillip Whitehead, RCOT Research Career Development Grant holder and multiple co-applicant

Constance Owens PhD and post-doctoral funding

General information

Constance Owens was a pioneer of Occupational Therapy who opened the Liverpool School of Occupational Therapy in 1947 and was the first Occupational Therapist awarded a PhD in the UK when she graduated from the University of Liverpool in 1963. The Constance Owens Trust was founded in Liverpool in 1985 after the course moved into a Higher Education college and is a registered charity under the Charities Act of 1993.Since 1985 the income from investments held by the Trust has been used to support a number of activities to further the occupational therapy profession including PhD Funding.

In honour of 75 years of Occupational Therapy education in Liverpool the Constance Owens Trust are offering three awards this special celebratory year. Two are for PhD study and for the first time a post-doctoral award. All three are offering funding of £15,000 over three years

All applications are dealt with by email and should be made on the application form which can be obtained from Rathbones Trust Company Limited in Liverpool by emailing Lois.King@rathbones.com

Closing date for all application forms and accompanying documentation extended to 15 October 2022 for consideration at the November meeting of the Trustees.

Overview of research training/career development awards across the four nations of the UK

This section provides an overview of research training/career development opportunities, from early researcher level through to advanced career posts.

If you have any comments/suggestions (such as other funding opportunities), please contact Katy Casterton, Research and Development Assistant: katy.casterton@rcot.co.uk