Research working group

APAGBI supports members from the first idea through to dissemination. Investigators can obtain advice on study design, methodology, governance, and routes to funding. We encourage participation in national and European research networks to build collaboration and feasibility.

Funding and grants: APAGBI is a National Institute of Academic Anaesthesia funding partner. Members should review current calls on the NIAA website and consider APAGBI small grants, which provide pump priming for feasibility work, pilot data or methodological support. These awards are intended to catalyse larger submissions to national funders.

Research support service: The Scientific Committee provides a consultative service for protocols and methodology, including statistics and data science. We advise on survey development and on regulatory approvals, patient and public involvement and data governance. Requests are triaged to the appropriate leads and we aim to offer constructive, timely feedback and to connect investigators with collaborators across the United Kingdom and Europe.

Surveys: Surveys of APAGBI members must be pre reviewed by the Scientific Committee to ensure methodological quality and to minimise survey burden. Proposals are accepted on a scheduled basis, with the timetable and template provided on the Surveys page. Outcomes are communicated after each cycle.

Networks and collaboration: Members are encouraged to register with national databases and European networks to facilitate multicentre studies and to accelerate recruitment. Joint meetings and shared initiatives provide further opportunities for collaboration.

Events and capacity building: APAGBI will convene an annual Research Forum that offers protocol workshops, rapid feedback sessions and short methods masterclasses. This forum is designed to support early ideas and to strengthen collaboration across centres.

Contact: Scientific Committee Chair: Dr Johnny Kenth — scicom@apagbi.org.uk.

The APA will provide small grants (generally less than ten thousand pounds) as financial assistance to facilitate research activity into the perioperative care on children.  This will not be linked to specific calls. Applications can be made at any time, using the process described below, and will be judged on the quality of the proposal.  The association may also provide small grants in support of educational innovations, parent information or QI and details can be found here. 

Funding is limited and will not be adequate to support a research project in its entirety. The intention of this funding is to:

Encourage development of ideas which will lead to larger trials. This might include: collecting observational data in preparation for a larger prospective trial, feasibility work, testing a laboratory assay, surveys of patients’ or carers’ attitudes towards intended research/ clinical problem or developing an ‘app’ to be used by trial subjects within the context of the intended research.  The application should include a convincing outline of the planned larger research study, an explanation of why the feasibility/ preparatory work is needed and a credible pathway to realising the subsequent research study.
To fund statistical advice or other specialist assistance in design of a study protocol.
Observational studies could, in some circumstances, be realised within these funding constraints. Funding of researcher time is unlikely to be possible. Only observational studies which are likely to yield generalizable conclusions would normally be funded. This would generally mean collecting data over more than one hospital.
Partial funding, together with other funding bodies, should be considered. This could mean funding together with another professional society, institutional funds or government or charitable funding body.  Requests for partial funding together with a commercial entity will not be considered.  Preference would be given when the APAs funding would produce a tangible piece of work within a larger study. For example a specific paediatric analysis of a study recruiting adult patients or a PK analysis performed as part of a trial funded by another body.
Applications should be made using this form. The completed form should be sent directly to scicom@apagbi.org.uk.

After initial review by the science committee chair (or delegate) worthwhile applications will be sent for peer reviewed. The final decision, to fund or not, will be made by the APA officers and council after recommendation from the science committee. Results of peer review will be fed back to the applicant. Possible outcomes will include:

If the proposal is clearly of high quality and backed by an experience team then (if other criteria are met) the proposal is funded. Other assistance is offered but it is up to the research team to use this or not.
If the proposal is based on a good idea (and a good question) but does not yet meet criteria for funding, the APA science committee will offer to work with the researchers to improve their proposal. Peer review is fed back and opportunity given to improve the proposal. Further assistance may be available if requested.  This might include guidance, research skills or ‘connections’.
If the proposal does not reach an acceptable quality, is not presented as a well worked up proposal or the research question is not judged to have potential to make a significant impact, the research will not be funded. Feedback will be provided to explain this decision.
Please appreciate that the APA is small professional association with limited means. We want to help researchers and we want to support high quality research. Funding of this kind will also depend on the funds available to us. We will aim to return feedback and decisions in a timely way but cannot commit to any time line. If you feel your application is extremely time critical please indicate this in writing to the APA science committee with a clear explanation as to why.