Research and Awards

Dietetic expertise in diabetes is making a unique contribution to diabetes care. We would therefore be interested to hear about your work, however small a project it may seem. Sharing your work will help to encourage other dietitians to network and improve the evaluation of their work.

If you would to like to place a summary of your project on the DMEG website, please send to Chris Cheyette, DMEG website editor, Email: chris.cheyette@nhs.net

Study/research opportunities

The Insulin Dependent Diabetes Trust
The Insulin Dependent Diabetes Trust invites applications for its research grants. These provide up to £10k for research relating to diabetes in primary care contexts.

For further information see their website: http://www.iddtinternational.org.uk/grants/

The Health Foundation Awards

The Health Foundation's Leadership Fellows award scheme is now open for applications.
The Health Foundation Leadership Fellows scheme offers personalised leadership development to individuals who have demonstrable potential to make an outstanding contribution to improving the quality of healthcare in the UK.
This award is for healthcare practitioners, health improvement practitioners (including public health professionals), health services managers, clinicians and policy makers.
For more information about the scheme and the Health Foundation, visit: http://www.health.org.uk/

Department of Health Personal Awards Schemes

The purpose of the Scheme is to develop research capacity in health and health care and provide coherent training programmes for those individuals who can demonstrate the potential to be the research leaders of the future. The scheme will provide awards at three levels:-

  • The Researcher Development Award (RDA) offers 3 years full-time funding (or 4 years funding at 75% pro rata) to undertake a PhD and is aimed at individuals of outstanding potential early in their research careers. It aims to fast-track them through a customised research training programme in an environment reflecting their individual talents and training needs. It is anticipated that successful applicants would become independent research leaders within 6 to 10 years of completing an RDA award.


  • The Post-Doctoral Award (PDA) offers 3 years full time funding (or 4 years 75% pro rata) to individuals who have already obtained their doctoral degree but as yet do not have sufficient experience as independent researchers to build and lead their own research team. Applicants must show evidence of a clear commitment to a research career. It is anticipated that applicants will not have more than 5 years wte post-doctoral experience at the time of applying.


  • The Career Scientist Award (CSA) offers 5 years funding to undertake a programme of research and is aimed at high calibre individuals who have the potential to become academic and research leaders within the course of an award. A CSA is expected to enhance existing career opportunities for both themselves and others in health related research and support the development of collaborative partnerships within and between HEIs and the NHS in response to identified health needs.
    •

    For further information see website: http://www.nccrcd.nhs.uk/pas/

    The new NIHR Fellowship Scheme will be launched in October 2007 when application forms and guidance notes will be available. The closing date for applications will be Tuesday 8th January 2008.

    Research and Audit

    The BDA has a useful article "So Many Databases, So Little Time" from Dietetics Today, February 2005.

    To see the article go to the members section of the British Dietetic Association website: http://members.bda.uk.com/useful_articles_1.html

    The BDA website research pages also offer a range of other very helpful information such as "Key steps in undertaking a piece of research" and "How to Prepare an Abstract for BDA Events". Go to: http://members.bda.uk.com/research_info.html

    Diabetes UK Grants

    Diabetes UK offers the following grants:

  • project grants
  • Equipment grants
  • Research fellowships
  • Research studentships
  • Small grants scheme
  • Conference grants

    • For further information visit the Diabetes UK web site: http://www.diabetes.org.uk/research/grants/types.htm#proj

    Novo Nordisk UK Research Foundation

    Open to primary and secondary care nurses and allied health professionals working in the UK to help further research and education for diabetes care. Details of next years to follow when received. For more details, e-mail: cthj@novonordisk.com or tel: Catherine Johnson on 01293 762151.

    Research Links

  • Health Information for London Online
    Knowledge Access to health care information, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. KA24 gives anyone working for or with the NHS in London and the South-East access to full text journals and major healthcare databases from any Internet or NHSnet terminal, whether at home, clinic, workplace, library or Internet cafe. http://www.hilo.nhs.uk/

  • Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine
    The Centre has been established in Oxford as the first of several centres around the country whose broad aim is to promote evidence-based health care and provide support and resources to anyone who wants to make use of them. http://www.cebm.net/index.asp

  • RDInfo - Health-related Research funding information
    RDInfo provides researchers with direct access to up to the minute information on health-related funding opportunities http://www.rdinfo.org.uk/

    • Current Projects

  • Study Title: Food choices and British Bangladeshis living in Tower Hamlets East London: an intergenerational study of the factors influencing food choices and the nutrition transition.
    Chief Investigator: Lisa Vaughan, Diabetes Specialist Dietitian/PhD Researcher, Barts and the London NHS Trust/City University London
    Anticipated completion date: January 2008
    Brief summary: This is a multi-method study utilising qualitative approaches over three phases: paired interviews, one-to-one semi-structured interviews and multiple pass dietary recall, drawing upon current social science and public health nutrition paradigms to investigate the factors influencing food choices, and the trend in eating patterns between two generations of British Bangladeshis.
    For further information email: l.t.vaughan@city.ac.uk

  • Details of HTA project in progress: Clinical and cost-effectiveness of models for educating adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus in diabetes self-management.
    Chief Investigator: Southampton Health Technology Assessment Centre (SHTAC), University of Southampton
    Start Date: November 2006
    Publication date: Late 2007. This date takes account of time for report preparation and printing based on current average times for these activities.
    Abstract: Clinical effectiveness of models for educating people with Type 2 diabetes mellitus in diabetes self-management. This research updates a previous systematic review on self-management interventions for diabetes. It has been commissioned to inform the NICE Type 2 diabetes guideline update. The HTA Programme commissioned this technology assessment report on behalf of the NICE Centre for Public Health Excellence
    See the HTA website for further information about the HTA programme: http://www.hta.ac.uk/abouthta.htm

  • Details of HTA project in progress: Clinical and cost effectiveness of rimonabant within its licensed indications as an adjunct to diet and exercise for the treatment of obese and overweight patients.
    See the HTA website for further information about the HTA programme: http://www.hta.ac.uk/project/1691.asp?src=alr