Urgent Public Health COVID-19 Studies - Meeting research costs

Concerns have been raised across the UK that some UPH COVID-19 studies may be under costed and/or underfunded in respect of activities defined under AcoRD as research costs.

Health and Care Research Wales emphasises the need to maintain support for the UPH COVID-19 studies that are so important. However, all studies including UPH studies should follow the attribution set out in the Health and Care Research Wales AcoRD guidance. Researchers should be required to complete a SoECAT for new COVID-19 research applications in the same way for any research applications that meet the criteria for needing a SoECAT. It may be helpful for SoECATs to be completed for an existing funded study if it will help ensure that study costs have been identified and attributed correctly. Support for this can be obtained via the Health and Care Research Wales AcoRD Specialists.

Research costs should be fully funded through the research award. Health and Care Research Wales Local Support and Delivery funding should not be used to meet research costs of any studies (except AcoRD Part B research costs where eligible) although Local Support and Delivery funded resources can be used, as they can always be used, to deliver research activities as long as the cost is reimbursed through the research award.

We understand that some NHS organisations may already have committed resources to ‘research cost’ activities for one or more UPH studies. In these circumstances, NHS organisations should (a) make local arrangements for reimbursement, or (b) in cases where research funding is insufficient, escalate to the Research Funding Team within the Support and Delivery Centre. Research should continue while identified issues are being resolved.