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Study within a Trial (SWAT) Funding
To date, the HRB-TMRN has funded thirteen SWATs investing €160,000 in developing this initiative nationally. In 2025 the network will provide further funding for one SWAT award. This award is worth up to €12,500 (inclusive of 25% institutional overheads of direct project costs) and will provide for the implementation of a self-contained methodological research study in a planned or an existing randomised trial. This funding is available to research teams in University College Cork, University of Galway, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick and University College Dublin.
Scope of the current call
The scope of the current call is to undertake a Study Within A Trial (SWAT) to test the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of monetary incentives for recruiting or retaining trial participants. Applicants are encouraged to answer at least one recruitment or retention research question focused on the use of monetary incentives in their trial. A list of suggested SWAT titles is available in the guidance notes.
This call is in collaboration with the Implement SWATs Team at the University of York.
Number of awards
One award of up to €12,500 (inclusive of 25% institutional overheads of direct project costs) for up to 12 months in duration will be awarded in 2025. The SWAT must be completed by March 2026. Applicants must be from one of the five eligible institutions; University of Galway, UCC, TCD, UL and UCD.
Who should apply?
Trial investigator teams in Ireland working on a planned or ongoing randomised trial are invited to apply. There are no eligibility restrictions for the lead applicant (e.g. previous grant holder) and early stage career researchers are welcome to apply, provided that the trial Principal Investigator for the host trial within which the proposed SWAT is embedded supports the application and appropriate mentoring arrangements are in place.
Eligibility criteria
- The application must include evidence from host institution of provision for funding for the ongoing trial (letter from research office). In the case where a trial is not funded and does not need funding to proceed, this will need justification.
- Lead applicants must not have received HRB-TMRN SWAT funding in the previous round of funding. Applicants successful in any other HRB-TMRN funding stream are eligible to apply;
- Applications must provide evidence of mentoring arrangements (where appropriate) to provide academic and clinical/practice-based support.
- Applications must include a named collaborator from the Implement SWATs team at the University of York. Lead applicants can request a collaborator by contacting swats-group@york.ac.uk in advance of submitting the application. The Implement SWATs team will also provide advice on the compatibility between the host trial and proposed SWAT question.
Deadline
Opening Date: November 08th 2024 | Closing Date: February 03rd 2025
Queries relating to this application can be submitted by email to hrb-tmrn@universityofgalway.ie, please include SWAT FUNDING 2025 in the subject line. All application forms must be submitted by email, along with relevant documentation to hrb-tmrn@universityofgalway.ie by the deadline listed above.
SWAT Repository
Condition of award: The successful SWAT must be registered on the MRC Northern Ireland Hub for Trials Methodology SWAT Repository, which is an online database of ongoing SWATs.
Available Downloads
Below you will find all relevant forms for this call.
Recommended Reading / Resources
Undertaking Studies Within A Trial to evaluate recruitment and retention strategies for randomised controlled trials: lessons learnt from the PROMETHEUS research programme.
Parker A, Arundel C, Clark L, Coleman E, Doherty L, Hewitt CE, Beard D, Bower P, Cooper C, Culliford L, Devane D, Emsley R, Eldridge S, Galvin S, Gillies K, Montgomery A, Sutton CJ, Treweek S, & Torgerson DJ.
Prioritised recruitment and retention strategies for testing using a randomised Study Within A Trial (SWAT) design
Parker A, Way R, Okanlawon A, Mongelli G, Coleman E, Arundel C, Gkekas A, Shiely F, Patetsini E, Sutton C, Boxall C, Love S, Meakin G, Torgerson D, Piccolo-Lawrance C, Treweek S, on behalf of the Prioritisation Working Group of Trial Forge SWAT Network and Implement SWATs.
Guidelines for reporting embedded recruitment trials
Vichithranie W. Madurasinghe and Sandra Eldridge on behalf of MRC START Group and Gordon Forbes on behalf of the START Expert Consensus Group.
SWAT-1: The effectiveness of a ‘site visit’ intervention on recruitment rates in a multi-centre randomised trial
Valerie Smith, Mike Clarke, Cecily Begley and Declan Devane
Trial Forge Guidance 1: what is a Study Within A Trial (SWAT)?
Shaun Treweek, Simon Bevan, Peter Bower, Marion Campbell, Jacquie Christie, Mike Clarke, Clive Collett, Seonaidh Cotton, Declan Devane, Adel El Feky, Ella Flemyng, Sandra Galvin, Heidi Gardner, Katie Gillies, Jan Jansen, Roberta Littleford, Adwoa Parker, Craig Ramsay, Lynne Restrup, Frank Sullivan, David Torgerson, Liz Tremain, Matthew Westmore, Paula R. Williamson.
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