The TVRA is a strategic and operational alliance between the research and development departments from North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Our aim
To provide a combined, streamlined, responsive research service to our local investigators and external research partners and to offer increased opportunities for our patients to participate in cutting edge research trials.
Benefits
For commercial partners
One point of contact for set up, feasibility review and contract negotiations.
Ability to pool our collective delivery staff to ensure effective study delivery and recruitment to time and target.
For academic partners
Access to clinical expertise across a diverse range of disciplines through one point of contact.
One point of contact for exploring exciting clinical academic collaborations.
For patients
Sharing of study opportunities across the trusts results in more opportunities to take part regardless of where they’re receiving their care.
Pooling resources makes us more attractive to commercial companies and more successful in delivering high profile commercial drug trials.
Areas of expertise
We have a highly skilled research delivery workforce who support our PIs and CIs in the feasibility, set up and delivery of a range of commercial, non-commercial and academic studies.
We have many chief investigators, experienced in gaining prestigious grants to run research trials across a range of disciplines.
Our CI studies cover a range of disease areas illustrated below:
Trauma and orthopaedics
Cardiovascular surgery
Cardiology
Gastroenterology
Palliative care
Urology
Pain
Anaesthetics
Infectious diseases
Plastic surgery
Peri-operative medicine
Neonates
Renal Medicine
Community geriatric
Medicine
Diabetes
Med-Tech
Benefit to our researchers and funders
The TVRA have shared strategic objectives and a combined effort to achieve these by sharing best practice and expertise across our alliance.
Access to a highly skilled centralised chief investigator support service comprising:
- Governance manager
- Grants and finance officer
- MedConnect North support for MedTech studies, academic methodological advice and administrative support.
All designed to support trust sponsored studies and ideas from initial concept to study completion.
Access to specialist expertise in study design management from our two new Academic Research Units in Cardiovascular Medicine and Surgery (ACU and ACeS).
Benefit to our staff
Dedicated funding streams for researchers and research staff to access small grants to support:
- Research training
- Attendance at research conferences
- Protected time to develop studies Funding to purchase equipment to support research activity.
Please email [email protected] to find out more.
An established three “communities of practice” for principal investigators (PIs), chief investigators (CIs) and clinical research professionals (CRPs) across our alliance so that we create a community of peer support, advice and mentorship.
We are developing comprehensive information on our intranet sites to provide much more guidance and support to our researchers and staff.
A one stop for clear information and signposting to a variety of support and learning opportunities.