Simulation Project Funding 2022/23
The funding application window for 2022/23 has now closed. Successful applicants from 2022/23 funding round will receive their funding in the June Educational Contract payment from NHSE (previously HEE) or through invoice if the successful organisation is not an NHS Trust holding a relationship with NHSE (previously HEE SW). Unsuccessful applicants will get written feedback and advice on future applications.
The South West Simulation Network is proud of consistently offering funding for Simulation projects around the South West region. We aim to open for applicants early in each financial year. Please contact us for further information and updates on opportunities.
South West Simulation Network funding is open to anyone involved in Health and Care across the SW region, to fund projects involving simulation-based education or other immersive TEL technologies. The maximum that will be funded is £30,000 per project, and we will not fund the purchase of simulation mannequins, VR goggles or other equipment. Please ensure you review the project funding information and guidance below before completing your application form to make sure your bid is applicable to the Simulation Network funding stream.
If you need any inspiration for Simulation Project ideas, please visit our Funded Projects page to see ongoing projects within the region.
If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly at england.simulation.sw@nhs.net
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Simulation Project Funding Information & Guidance:
Introduction
The South West Simulation Network (HEESWSN) has been allocated funding for projects which will seek to develop multi-disciplinary education through the use of innovative educational technologies across the South West region. Such projects will usually be based around simulation-based education, but might also include e-learning programmes, virtual reality technologies and others. Funding will usually be in the form of Fellowship or Technician roles for one year, but other projects will also be considered subject to the scoring criteria below.
Fellowship roles may be drawn from medicine, nursing or other healthcare professional backgrounds. Technician posts funded as part of this funding stream should be open to all eligible applicants and should be linked to Trust Apprenticeship Schemes where possible. Technician posts do not normally have to be filled by individuals with a clinical background, but the range of technician roles is wide and all suggested posts will be considered. Funding will be available for a maximum of £30,000 per project.
The projects must support the development and delivery of multi-professional educational projects and initiatives throughout the South West region within NHS providers, HEIs, social care or other healthcare settings. Any resources developed through these projects must be shared with other NHS providers, for instance using the iRIS platform. Furthermore, NHSE (previously HEESW) proposes that organisations explore the sustainability of these posts with the intention of permanently funding the project after the 12 month funding period ends.
All proposed projects must align with at least one of the 5 Simulation Network workstreams:
- Multi-agency Simulation Activity
- Simulation Technicians
- Research
- Virtual Simulation, Digital Technologies and Innovation
- Standardised Patients
Contractual obligations and preconditions for applications
Applications are open to projects originating from any healthcare providers, HEIs, and other organisations working in health and care across the SW Deanery footprint.
A named project lead and executive sponsor is a precondition for each bid. Assurances will be required from these individuals that the project has full support from the organisation and all parties involved from each division that the project crosses.
Bidding organisations are obliged to provide suitable professional continuing support for any fellows, technicians or other staff members employed as part of the project. It is imperative that there is time set aside that enables the fellow/technician to convene at least weekly with a project lead or mentor from their organisation. They should also be provided with appropriate resources to support the project – information and a proposed outline for these must be detailed in the bid.
Whilst all fellows/technicians, project leads and other staff appointed through this funding stream will be employees of the bidding organisation and not of NHSE (previously HEESW), it is a prerequisite of the bid that good communication is fostered and maintained with the Simulation Network and the Associate Deans for Simulation. The South West Simulation Network will provide a named member of the Network who will be the liaison between the Network and each project, and who will provide external mentoring and guidance as well as receiving project reports and updates, as detailed below. We would anticipate that the Network Liaison would have contact with the fellow/technician and project lead on a monthly basis, with quarterly face-to-face meetings, and agreement to this is a fundamental requirement in order to receive funding.
A detailed quarterly update is required from each project. This is essential to ensure a regular review with risks and issues at the end of each quarter is reported to HEESW via the Network Liaison. An end of project form detailing outcomes and benefits must be completed to demonstrate for value for investment.
Meetings of the South West Simulation Network will be held quarterly throughout the year, and attendance at these meetings is mandatory. Additional quarterly project meetings will be organised to support development of the fellows/technicians and project leads within their roles, provide a forum for sharing practice and activity and offer educational development. Project holders must also undertake to present their project at the annual South West Simulation Network Conference, held in October of each year (next due to be held in October 2022).
Full co-operation and participation is required from all organisations, fellows/technicians and mentors with the use of iRIS. This is a web platform to developing, collaborating and sharing of simulation and education resources. All healthcare workers engaged in SBE in the South West region can have access to the system and this will be arranged for all successful applicants if they do not already have access. All scenarios and learning materials developed must be uploaded to the iRIS system for collective use where appropriate.
Exclusion Criteria
Applications which fall under the following categories will not be funded:
- Projects where the majority of the funding is to purchase equipment
- Applications which are significantly similar to previously funded projects (i.e. applications that seek to extend the funding beyond one year)
- Multiple applications from the same organisation each requesting the full £30k funding
Scoring Criteria
We will utilise a multiprofessional panel drawn from Network members, regional staff and lay representatives to score applications. This will be done via a standardised scoring model and funding will be awarded based on the average scores achieved. Where projects have the same score then the Associate Deans reserve the right to make any tie-break decisions that might be required.
Applications will be scored against a variety of criteria, and the following areas will be under particular scrutiny:
- Projects with demonstrable Human Factors, patient safety and quality improvement benefits to staff and patients in the South West will score highly
- Projects that can demonstrate a multiprofessional approach will score highly
- The project may directly teach multiprofessional groups or may benefit multiple professional groups in the organisation
- The project is led by a multiprofessional group
- The fellow/technician/other project roles are open to applicants from all professional backgrounds
- The scope of the project extends to non-professional staff groups e.g. admin support, portering, estates, domestic staff etc.
- It is particularly favourable if the project will deliver simulation-based education to staff groups/area/organisations that currently have no/little access to this mode of education
- Where projects propose to appoint staff into simulation technician roles, higher scores will be given to projects that utilise Apprenticeship schemes, and which will deliver training pathways in line with the RSCiTech qualification (https://sciencecouncil.org/scientists-science-technicians/which-professional-award-is-right-for-me/rscitech/)
- Projects that clearly demonstrate how they will improve the quality of patient care, prevent ill health and promote healthier lives in the South West region will score highly
- Projects which support development of a safe and capable workforce, particularly through an increased number of clinical placements for undergrad students, nurses, or AHPS will score highly
- Applications with a clear plan for how the project will be delivered and outcomes/benefits measured and quantified (e.g. milestones, Gantt charts, KPIs and SMART objectives) will score highly
- Projects introducing an innovation (new concept/methods) in health care, education or training will score highly