Full permissions (local) pathway

The full permissions (local) pathway is for researchers and clinicians from any institution who want to conduct a research project using only NHS Grampian data, including those with the support of a commercial or industry sponsor.

Early in your project planning you should contact the following teams to discuss your project and governance requirements:

1. Contact DaSH to discuss your data management requirements and governance arrangements.
    
2. Contact your Sponsor. Your project sponsor is crucial for determining permission requirements. We encourage you to connect with them as soon as possible. Typically, your sponsor is the institution or company where your Chief Investigator works. They will help classify your project as research, audit, or service evaluation. The Health Research Authority (HRA) offers an online tool to assist with this categorisation, but the final decision rests with your sponsor. Remember to copy DaSH on any correspondence with your sponsor.

• If you are a University of Aberdeen or NHS Grampian employee or student, contact the Research Governance Team, who will act as your Sponsor and guide you through the sponsorship process.
   
• If you are an employee of an external university, NHS Health Board or commercial company, your employer is likely to act as the research Sponsor. You should contact your institution’s Sponsor Representative in this instance.
   
• If your project is considered to be Service Evaluation or Audit, you will need to follow the relevant Permission Pathway here.
   
• If your project is considered to be Research, follow our step-by-step guide and checklist to help you navigate the permission submission requirements. You can find them in the download section at the top of this webpage. For a quick visual summary, check out the flowchart below.