Internal methods advisory group
The Institute is setting up an internal method advisory group. This is due to the role and responsibilities required of the Research and Development Advisory Committee (RDAC) having changed over the years, and the need for the Institute to respond to the recommendations from the scoping study of NICE's methodological research priorities led by University of York in 2008. This new internal method advisory group will allow for a more co-ordinated internal approach to identifying research priorities with advice from external research advisors. The minutes of the Research and Development Advisory Committee are available for reference.
Role and responsibilities
The internal methods advisory group, chaired by the Executive Director responsible for R&D, will be responsible for:
- advising the Institute on its programme of research
- identifying, prioritising and promoting important research to fill the evidence gaps related to the Institute's guidance
- promoting and securing funding for research to improve the methods used for scoping, producing and reviewing guidance
- promoting and funding research to help understand and improve the impact of NICE guidance
- promoting a methodological ‘research culture' within Institute Centres and its advisory bodies
- working with partners within the UK and internationally to help secure the long-term sustainability of health-services research and health-technology assessments
- coordinating the research in which the Institute is involved to ensure that it conforms with research governance standards
- periodically reviewing the strategy and processes used by the Institute to undertake its research and development work
In particular it will liaise closely with all the Institute's Centres when they update their technical manuals.
The group will also be responsible for communicating the research and development programme to key research partners and provide a national forum for commenting on matters of importance to health services research, with other organisations wherever possible.
This page was last updated: 29 June 2011
