The use of e-health records and population based datasets in combination with information from other sources provides opportunities for research to improve the quality, efficacy and delivery of healthcare. CSO wishes to fund a minimum of ten research projects to demonstrate the application, and facilitate the use and linkage of, information from health, biomedical and non-health sources for research to support improvements or greater efficiencies in health and/or understanding of disease.
Proposals should identify clear questions of relevance to the NHS in Scotland that the research would address. These could for example include but are not limited to:
(i) the evaluation of health or public health interventions or services and/or epidemiological analyses of disease or risk factors for disease;
(ii) the application of novel data science methodology (e.g. natural language processing, human computer interaction, information retrieval, machine learning) to support quality ambitions of NHS Scotland.
Proposals that include an element of dataset or methods development are welcome but proposals that are solely related to dataset or methods development are not. Proposals that add significant additional value to existing studies and datasets are also welcome. Proposals should seek to use existing infrastructure; proposals that include funding for new infrastructure will not be supported.
It is envisaged that CSO may fund a minimum of 10 proposals of up to £30,000 each through this call. The principal / chief investigator on the application must be a permanent member of staff at a Scottish University or NHS Board. Evidence of NHS senior management support for a proposal would be advantageous. Applicants are strongly encouraged where appropriate to engage with the federated network of health informatics safe havens in Scotland. Proposals from career track researchers and those that involve industry and/or charity collaborations are welcome.
Proposals should be completed using a modified version of the standard CSO grants form available from tom.barlow@scotland.gsi.gov.uk and should be submitted on or before Friday 14 November 2014 to that email address. Questions about the call should be directed to tom.barlow@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
For further information, view the article on the CSO webite.