National physiotherapy research network
Supporting research development and its integration into practice
See further down this page for more information on the National Physiotherapy Research Network (NPRN):
- Are you interested in physiotherapy research?
- Who is the NPRN for?
- How might I benefit?
- About the NPRN
- Vision
- CI/OG links
- How do I get involved?
- More information can also be found in the NPRN Annual Report 2006/7
Are you interested in physiotherapy research?
The NPRN, funded by the CSP for a 5 year period, aims to encourage and facilitate engagement in physiotherapy research nationally.
This means not only encouraging growth in the numbers of researchers involved in physiotherapy research, but also increasing the amount of research produced – and its integration and implementation into practice.
Who is the NPRN for?
If you are a student, clinician, manager, consultant or academic, and whether you are experienced in research or a new researcher, the NPRN is designed for you. NPRN is a grass roots organisation, intended to provide a mutually-supportive network to help develop physiotherapy and physiotherapy-related research, whatever the researcher’s disciplinary background.
How might I benefit?
The NPRN has 20 regional research clusters known as ‘hubs’, which are based in higher education institutions and linked with local clinicians and managers. Each hub is facilitated by an active researcher.
Hub activities and support that may be available to you include:
- peer review
- advice on research training and funding opportunities
- mentorship schemes
- information on research resources
- sharing good research practice
- disseminating recent research outcomes
- raising awareness of research taking place in your region
If you are interested in any of these areas, you may also wish to look at some of the resources available via this website, such as 'Seeking funds to support your research? A guide' and 'Mentoring: an overview.
Hub facilitator appointment criteria
A hub facilitator should:
- Be an enthusiastic advocate of research activities.
- Be working at post-doctoral level or demonstrate comparable research experience.
- Be based in an HEI or department that is enthusiastic to support the hosting of a research hub.
- Have experience of facilitating group activities.
- Have good links with clinicians, clinical managers and HEI staff.
- Be keen to support the growth of research capacity and research activity within health care in order to underpin best practice.
- Have excellent communication skills (written, verbal and presentational).
- Have excellent people and team working skills.
- Have good organisational skills.
- Enjoy working as part of a team.
- Be enthusiastic to represent your regional hub at National Physiotherapy Research Network meetings, which will be held every four months.
About the NPRN
The NPRN is steered by a 'core executive' group, consisting of four senior academics, two officers of the CSP, two representatives of the Research Forum for Allied Health Professions and the NPRN Research Officer. Please see the profiling page in this section for more information about members of the core executive covering professional and academic details. The NPRN's terms of reference are given further down this page.
More information about the role and activities of NPRN's core executive members and hub facilitators can be found in the NPRN Annual Report 2006/7.
Vision
The NPRN’s vision is, in five years’ time: ‘to have established a collaborative national network of locally-responsive hubs, so as to promote increased awareness and capacity, and facilitate high-quality research activity that will be relevant to practitioners and respond to health care needs.’
CI/OG links
If you are involved with, or are a member of a CSP clinical interest or occupational group, you can also participate via one of the CI/OG representatives on the NPRN (and listed in the table below).
Terms of reference
The spread of NPRN regional hubs across the UK
- Meet termly.
- Participate in a strategic planning event in the first year of operation, and review the strategic plan on an annual basis for the remainder of the contract.
- Encourage physiotherapists to be involved in active/appropriate research groupings, through peer support.
- Develop a strong research presence at key events nationally to increase the profile of physiotherapy research.
- Raise the awareness of the research network involving physiotherapy nationally through, for example, ensuring an NPRN presence at congress, conferences and other key events.
- Encourage the development of the regional and CIG hubs.
How do I get involved?
If you are interested in finding out more about the NPRN, contact your local hub rep (see list below). The post of NPRN Research Officer is currently vacant.
There are no formal membership requirements for the NPRN. Hub representatives can advise you on what type of activities and support are available in your region. If you are an experienced researcher and are interested in providing peer review, mentoring or other types of research support, hub representatives will be happy to discuss your input. More information on research expertise within each hub can be found by using the links in the table below (where given). Alternatively, browse the NPRN research expertise page with this section of the site.
The CIG representatives are drawn from the MACP, ACPIN, McKenzie and Electrotherapy groups.
You can also contact the NPRN Research Officer with any general queries about NPRN:
Dr Philippa Lyon
Clinical Research Centre for Health Professions
49 Darley Road, Eastbourne BN20 7UR
phone 01273 643 945 or
email p.lyon@bton.ac.uk
