An in-depth exploration of researcher experiences of time and effort involved in health and social care research funding in the UK: the need for changes
An in-depth exploration of researcher experiences of time and effort involved in health and social care research funding in the UK: the need for changes
The need to reform the way in which research is undertaken is clear, with reducing research bureaucracy and waste at the forefront of this issue for the UK government, funding organisations, higher education institutions and wider research community. The aim of this study was to describe researchers’ experiences of the time, effort and burden involved in funding processes–namely applying for research funding and fulfilling reporting requirements. This was an in-depth qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with researchers who had experience applying for funding and/or completing reporting requirements for a UK health and social care research funder between January 2018 and June 2021. Following thematic analysis, five key themes were identified describing researcher experiences of key issues around time, efforts and burden associated with funding processes. These themes encompassed (1) issues with the current funding model for health and social care research, (2) time and effort involved in funding processes, (3) the need for a streamlined end-to-end process, (4) implications for work-life balance, and (5) addressing the need for better support and communication. The findings from this study describe researcher experiences of tasks in the research pathway that currently take considerable time and effort. It was clear that whilst some of this time and effort is considered necessary, some is exacerbated by inefficient and ineffective processes, such as perceived under-funding of research or lack of clarity with regards to funder expectations. This in turn contributes to unnecessary researcher burden, research waste and negative research culture. Better investment in health and social care research and in the researchers themselves who design and deliver the research, alongside improvements in transparency, streamlining and research support could ensure a more positive research culture, and improve the quality of funded research.
e0291663
Meadmore, Katie
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Church, Hazel
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Crane, Ksenia
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Blatch-Jones, Amanda
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Recio Saucedo, Alejandra
d05c4e43-3399-466d-99e0-01403a04b467
Fackrell, Kathryn
47992aeb-c6a0-44a2-b59c-8b53d7a70520
21 September 2023
Meadmore, Katie
4b63707b-4c44-486c-958e-e84645e7ed33
Church, Hazel
80bbd32b-2185-4fa2-91fa-20c4529ace0c
Crane, Ksenia
11d25414-e10d-413a-aaf3-fb6b6c2cf890
Blatch-Jones, Amanda
6bb7aa9c-776b-4bdd-be4e-cf67abd05652
Recio Saucedo, Alejandra
d05c4e43-3399-466d-99e0-01403a04b467
Fackrell, Kathryn
47992aeb-c6a0-44a2-b59c-8b53d7a70520
Meadmore, Katie, Church, Hazel, Crane, Ksenia, Blatch-Jones, Amanda, Recio Saucedo, Alejandra and Fackrell, Kathryn
(2023)
An in-depth exploration of researcher experiences of time and effort involved in health and social care research funding in the UK: the need for changes.
PLoS ONE, 18 (9 September), , [e0291663].
(doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0291663).
Abstract
The need to reform the way in which research is undertaken is clear, with reducing research bureaucracy and waste at the forefront of this issue for the UK government, funding organisations, higher education institutions and wider research community. The aim of this study was to describe researchers’ experiences of the time, effort and burden involved in funding processes–namely applying for research funding and fulfilling reporting requirements. This was an in-depth qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with researchers who had experience applying for funding and/or completing reporting requirements for a UK health and social care research funder between January 2018 and June 2021. Following thematic analysis, five key themes were identified describing researcher experiences of key issues around time, efforts and burden associated with funding processes. These themes encompassed (1) issues with the current funding model for health and social care research, (2) time and effort involved in funding processes, (3) the need for a streamlined end-to-end process, (4) implications for work-life balance, and (5) addressing the need for better support and communication. The findings from this study describe researcher experiences of tasks in the research pathway that currently take considerable time and effort. It was clear that whilst some of this time and effort is considered necessary, some is exacerbated by inefficient and ineffective processes, such as perceived under-funding of research or lack of clarity with regards to funder expectations. This in turn contributes to unnecessary researcher burden, research waste and negative research culture. Better investment in health and social care research and in the researchers themselves who design and deliver the research, alongside improvements in transparency, streamlining and research support could ensure a more positive research culture, and improve the quality of funded research.
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journal.pone.0291663
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 3 September 2023
Published date: 21 September 2023
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
Funding: This research was conducted by researchers who are employed by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Coordinating Centre (NIHRCC), based at the University of Southampton, for its Research on Research programme. The views and opinions expressed in the discussion are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Health and Social Care. The NIHRCC had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
Copyright: © 2023 Meadmore et al.
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Local EPrints ID: 482820
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/482820
ISSN: 1932-6203
PURE UUID: 5e6b203d-8f80-4ebd-94b4-5431b6acb29e
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Date deposited: 12 Oct 2023 16:51
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 03:40
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