IRAS Integrated Research Application System How IRAS

IRAS Integrated Research Application System

How IRAS Came To Be Customer pressure and service concerns

IRAS • • Idea forged in spring of 2006 • • 5 meetings held by March 2007 Working group first met May 2006 Goal was to simplify applying for research approvals • • Common data should be offered only once • The ‘how’ is still evolving but phase 1 is The idea of ‘whether’ was readily agreed now complete

Members of Working Group Included Research Governance Bodies NHS R&D Forum, NRES, MHRA, ARSAC, GTAC, PIAG, HTA, Health Depts x 4, UKCRN, HFEA Funding Bodies NIHR, CRUK, MRC, Wellcome Trust Research Community AMS, MSC, UKCRC ,

The Vision A single on-line facility with common data being entered only once and information being exported to all relevant bodies for research funding and approval

The Challenge To minimise the common dataset to the basic denominator, to bring all partner organisations into the scheme, and to develop an intuitive system that is easy for the unfamiliar to use

The Project Team • Transition from the Working group that obtained political buy-in to the Project Team • Chaired by Janet Wisely from National Research Ethics Service (NRES) • Tasked to make IRAS “real”

IRAS PROJECT TEAM Janet Wisely – NRES (Chair) Jon Bell – Infonetica Janet Boothroyd – NHS R & D Forum Sue Bourne – UKCRC Bill Davidson – DH Steve Ebdon-Jackson – HPA/ARSAC Ian Goodall – UKCRN (Karen Matthews) Katrina Hughes – NI R & D Office Helen Jones – Wales Office R & D (Alex Newberry) Joan Kirkbride – NRES Stephanie Kraus – NRES (Secretariat) John Lilleyman – NRES Susanne Ludgate – MHRA (Daniella Smolenska / Rebecca Sugden) Sarah Meredith - MRC Janet Messer – NHS R & D Forum Elaine Moir – Chief Scientist Office, Scotland (Craig Gilbert) David Neal – NRES Tom Nunan – ARSAC Mary Piper – DH, Prison Health Jenny Powell - NRES Monika Preuss – GTAC Justin Riordan-Jones – DH R & D Duncan Stewart – NOMS Jane Thompson – NRES Karen Thomson – PIAG Steve Walker – NIHR (Ben Toth / Andy Childerhouse) Martyn Ward – MHRA

Why NRES Took the Lead National Research Ethics Service History of NHS RECs • Formal establishment of RECs in NHS 1991 • No central co-ordination • No common working • Approval required from each REC responsible for each research site (potentially 190 plus!) • Acknowledged and much criticised barrier to clinical research

History of NHS RECs …. 2 • Then came MRECs in 1997 – Able to give approval for the whole of the UK – Single application form for MREC use – Provided starting point for wider implementation of common systems • Common application form for all RECs 2004 • Online system • Administration supported by National Research Ethics Database (RED)

NRES Effect of improved administration on timelines

IRAS IS HERE!

Where To Next? • Use and consultation on what it is (dataset) and how it is delivered (IT platform) • Ensure widespread take-up by: – Training (material to be made available) – Support (Question Specific Guidance and helpdesk) – Promotion (spread the word!)

Where To Next? … 2 • Potential of IRAS considerable • Potential to link to NIHR CSP (Co-ordinated System for gaining NHS Permissions) • Publishing lay summaries • Contribution to transparency • New partners including funders

Where to Next? … 3 • Thanks to the User’s Panel • Short demonstration by David Neal and Janet Messer • Test for yourself, ask questions • Lunch and informal discussion…

IRAS IS HERE!