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Information for applicants to public membership of our Prioritisation
Group
Is this role for you?
Please ask yourself the following questions in considering whether to put yourself
forward as a potential public member of our Prioritisation Group (PG):
1. Do you have experience of participating in formal meetings, e.g. GP patient
participation group, school governor, ethics committee, charity trustee, company
board of directors?
2. Do you have the time and the stamina for long meetings – our PG meetings are
for a whole day? (We support board members with disabilities or other access
needs.)
3. Can you commit to in-depth preparation for meetings – this typically involves
reading and considering research proposals in detail, and noting points for
clarification?
4. Do you have a keen interest in science and health research?
5. Do you have an active interest in current affairs relating to health; e.g. via TV,
radio, newspapers, or the internet?
6. Are you confident in using e-mail, the internet, and word processing packages?
7. Do you see yourself as an advocate or campaigner for a particular health issue,
or area of public services, which might hinder your objectivity in other matters?
8. Have you worked in any of the following roles within the past four years?
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Academic researcher at doctoral level or above
Medical practitioner
Health service manager.
Hopefully you have answered YES to the first six questions - and NO to
questions 7 and 8.
If so, please read on to find out more about the EME programme Prioritisation
Group opportunity for a public member.
1. Programme Remit
The remit of the EME commissioned workstream includes evaluations of new
treatments, including therapeutics, psychological interventions, public health,
diagnostics and medical devices, where proof of concept in humans has already
been established. Treatments or interventions intended to prevent disease are
included. We advertise calls for researchers to apply to in research areas we
have identified to be important. The commissioned workstream will support
laboratory based or similar studies that are embedded within the main study if
relevant to the remit of the EME programme. It will support studies that use
validated surrogate markers as indicators of health outcome. The EME
commissioned workstream will fund large, often staged projects which are of
benefit to patients and the NHS. Proposals may include pilot and feasibility
studies and late development of technologies.
For more information about the remit of the programme please see
www.nets.nihr.ac.uk/programmes/eme
The EME programme has recently published its first study report in the NIHR
Journals Library www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/eme
2. Function of the EME Prioritisation Group
The EME PG supports the EME commissioned workstream. Its purpose is to
advise the EME Programme Director on the identification, development and
prioritisation of research areas for this workstream and to prioritise outline
proposals received to the EME commissioned workstream.
3. Role description
1. To regularly attend Prioritisation Group meetings. The Prioritisation Group will
meet face to face at least three times a year for a one day meeting.
2. To prepare for Prioritisation Group meetings by reading the agenda papers in
advance and raising any issues for clarification with the EME secretariat staff.
The agenda and associated papers are lengthy documents and will require
considerable preparation.
3. To look at the Prioritisation Group papers and proposals from the perspective
of a member of the public (lay person).
4. To provide advice on the development of the commissioning briefs and the
feasibility of proposed calls for research.
5. To be an active member of the group which prioritises the commissioned
preliminary applications, to determine which of these will be considered by the
EME board.
6. To contribute to discussions and decision-making that take place during
meetings based on experience and knowledge and on consideration of the
papers provided.
7. To participate in appropriate training, development and support activities (likely
to be the equivalent of one day per year).
8. To declare any conflict of interest in accordance with the protocols of the panel
and as instructed by the chair.
9. To maintain the confidentiality of agenda papers, discussion and decisions
made.
10.To liaise promptly with EME secretariat staff regarding all administrative
matters relating to the panel, e.g. expenses, meeting dates and confirming
attendance.
4. Terms and conditions of public membership
Duration of role
The usual term of office is initially one year, with a possibility of extending to four
years.
Payment
Public members are entitled to receive a committee fee if they are not in receipt of
a full time salary from public funds during the period of their panel membership. If
a member wishes, their committee fee can be paid to their employing
organisation. A daily rate of £150 is paid which covers meeting attendance and
preparation work required. A rate of £75 is paid for teleconferences which covers
participation and preparation work required. The fee will be paid by the University
of Southampton. Public members are responsible for paying appropriate income
tax and National Insurance contributions and must make their own arrangements
for this.
Expenses
Public members can claim all reasonable expenses for standard class travel in
connection with their attendance at panel meetings. On request, NETSCC
secretariat staff will book train tickets direct so that panel members do not need to
meet these costs in advance. PG meetings always include refreshments
throughout the day and lunch.
Support for PG members
All necessary support will be put in place to support PG members with disabilities,
e.g. hearing loop in meeting rooms, papers in alternative formats. All hotels and
conference centres used for PG meetings are fully accessible for people with
limited mobility. PG members who need the support and attendance of a carer will
have the carer’s travel and subsistence costs met by the programme.
Preparatory work & meeting attendance
EME secretariat staff will ensure that PG members are aware of meeting dates
and the schedule of pre-meeting work in good time. If a member is unable to
attend three consecutive meetings of the EME PG, their membership will be
reviewed. Members unable to attend a meeting due to illness or personal
emergency should contact the NETSCC secretariat. Members who live too far
from London to travel on the morning of the meeting may stay overnight
beforehand and this accommodation will be booked direct by EME secretariat
staff.
Declarations of interests
All PG members are required to declare if they have any interest that might be in
conflict with the work of PG, e.g. if you know someone in a research team
personally, or if you could gain financially if the research was funded. PG
members who have a conflict of interest are asked to leave the room during any
discussions or decision on these projects or issues.
5. Contact
If you have any queries, please contact a member of our Public and Patient
Involvement team on 023 8059 9302 or email netspublic@southampton.ac.uk
6. Useful dates
For the closing date please see the date on the website.
Telephone interviews are likely to take place on the 17 or 20 October 2014.
The successful candidate will be required to observe a Prioritisation Group
meeting on 12 November 2014.
7. Person specification
Experience
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Experience of health services as a service user or carer.
Experience of reading and reviewing written documents.
Experience of assimilating a large volume of written information.
Experience of participating in formal meetings, e.g. school governor, ethics
committee, charity trustee.
Experience of working as part of a team.
Experience of health research, e.g. as a public contributor member of a
research study or as a member of a research project team.
Demonstrable commitment to improving health services, for example through
involvement in charity, support group, or committee activities.
Knowledge
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An understanding of the importance of and need for health research.
An active interest in current affairs relating to health, e.g. via TV, radio and
newspapers.
Skills
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Confidence to contribute to group discussion.
Ability to contribute relevant and succinct information to panel discussion.
Ability to refer to personal experience appropriately in discussion.
Ability to access electronic communication.
Ability to quickly assimilate new/clinical information.
Personal Characteristics
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A passionate interest in science and health research.
Willing to learn the skills of the role and develop as a panel member.
Ability to travel to venue of panel meetings.