To begin a new study an applicant completes a project proposal and a draft questionnaire, and applies to the local R&D office to see if ethical approval is needed for research or if it is audit. Please see 'Submit a proposal' for further details about applying to see if the study is audit or research.

 

The proposal is submitted to WPSU.  The Director of the WPSU discusses the proposal with the applicant, and then it is discussed at the six monthly Steering Committee video-meeting.

 

If approved, the new study is added to the email report card and generally starts either in January or July, at the same time as any concluding studies are removed, although studies can sometimes start in any month if there have been delays due to amendments.

 

Researchers are requested to indicate quarterly how many notifications were true cases, non-cases or duplicates, and they are requested to provide an interim and/or final report.

 

Researchers are also requested to provide copies of any papers written as a result of the WPSU involvement in their study, which are circulated to members, plus details of any presentations to scientific meetings.