NIHR Residential Grant Development and Writing Retreat

About the retreat

The NIHR Research Design Service (RDS) is offering a unique opportunity for research teams across England to attend a three-day residential Grant Development and Writing Retreat in March 2023. The purpose of the Retreat is to give busy professionals dedicated time to rapidly progress their social care research proposal to be submitted to an NIHR programme for social care, such as the Research for Social Care (RfSC) or the Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) programme (not including NIHR personal awards or schemes such as LA SPARC.)

The retreat will be held 15 to 17 March 2023 at the Castle Green Hotel, Kendal.

What does the retreat offer

The Retreat will provide a supportive environment for teams of two or three people, to develop high quality social care research proposals.

Those attending the Retreat will have access to a range of RDS advisers and protected time to work intensively on their proposals. Continued support from the RDS will be essential in preparing your application for submission to an NIHR programme for social care research, such as the RfSC or HSDR.

It is encouraged but not essential, for attendance at the Retreat, that a member of the wider research team is a social care professional employed in England.

This year we welcome research teams who are working in the field of Child and Adolescent Health and social care research. Successful applicants will be offered a free place at the retreat which will include food and accommodation and an evening welcome dinner on the 14 March*.

More details on the retreat can be found here.

The deadline for receipt of application forms is 16 December 2022.

*excludes travel to/from Kendal

How to apply

Applications to attend the Retreat should be submitted on a standard application form, available here, and submitted to: rds-nw@lancaster.ac.uk

Applications will be reviewed competitively and places awarded to those with the most promising proposals. Support from your local RDS is available and applicants are strongly advised to contact them as soon as possible. Contact details can be found here.

What people says about our retreats

100% of respondents at the 2022 RDS Grant Development and Writing Retreat agreed that attendance at the Retreat resulted in significant progress on their social care grant application and the that RDS provided expert support needed to develop their research proposal further and expanded their understanding of the requirements of the funding programme.

“The Retreat provided the opportunity to learn from colleagues, developing networks, gaining new insight into the links between academia, local authorities, independent organisations. To understand the plethora of insight and issues that affect the world of social care today.”

“Speakers were extremely inspiring however in a manner that challenged thinking, bringing new ideas and opportunity for further reflection.”

“The Retreat gave us the chance to have three days protected time with our care home collaborator which is usually very challenging.”

Watch the video from the 2022 retreat