Research Passports
What is a research passport?
If you are not employed by the National Health Service (NHS), but would like to carry out research within it, a research passport will allow you to do so. Through the research passport, you can obtain an Honorary Research Contract with the NHS, or a Letter of Access to carry out research within the NHS.
When would I need a research passport?
Under the following circumstances, you would not need a research passport:
- If you are employed by an NHS organisation
- If you are an independent contractor (such as a General Practitioner) or working for an independent contractor
- If you have an honorary clinical contract with an NHS Trust, such as a clinical academic. If you would like to conduct research in another NHS Trust, you would have to apply to the Trust's Research & Development department directly
- If you are a student on a healthcare placement
If you do not fall in any of the above categories, then you would require a research passport. If you are unsure as to whether you need one or not, you should contact the Research & Development department in the NHS Trust you wish to carry out research in.
What does the research passport provide?
- One set of checks on a researcher conducting research in the NHS
- One standard form completed by the researcher and their manager, and then validated by the NHS
- A completed research passport which can be shown to all relevant NHS organisations
- Faster start-up for your research
The research passport can either be for a single research project, or a 3-year access grant. You can specify this in your application.
Please note that the research passport alone will NOT allow you to carry out research in the relevant NHS organisation. As the Principal Investigator, you would still have to apply to the NHS organisation for permission and for ethical review.
How to apply:
- Download the Research Passport Application Form.
- Complete sections 1-3.
- Ask your supervisor to complete section 4.
- Ask the PGR Service to complete section 5. The person who signs these forms for PGR students is Mel Steele (m.steele@uea.ac.uk / tel: 0603 593870).
- If you are a PGT student and need a research passport, you would have to contact your Learning and Teaching Service Hub. The person who signs these forms for PGT students is Becky Fitt (r.fitt@uea.ac.uk / tel: 01603 591157).
- Complete section 6. Ensure that you have appended all relevant documents that you specify in this section to the form before you send it to the NHS organisation.
- Send the form to the Research & Development department of the NHS organisation you are interested in. Once they have reviewed your application, they should send the form back to you.
- Once the form has been authorised by the NHS, it becomes a valid research passport.
For a more complete and comprehensive guide on how to fill out your application form, please visit the relevant document by the National Institute for Health Research.
Additional information:
The university also has a document on research passports. All of the information you need, including various guidance and support documents, can be found at the NHS Health Research Authority (HRA) and Integrated Research Application System (IRAS). The latter page also includes application examples to help you.