Welcoming the NIHR's announcement (7 July) for new funding to support the next generation of dementia researchers, Professor Naji Tabet, NIHR Applied Research Collaboration, Kent, Surrey, Sussex (ARC KSS) Living Well with Dementia Theme Lead, said:
"We are delighted to be part of the NIHR's £11.8 million funding introduced to support early career researchers to pursue dementia research and build up their skills.
"Health and care services in Kent, Surrey, and Sussex face the challenge of an ageing population and increasing demand to support people to live well with dementia, particularly East Sussex and Kent, where there is a high number of people living with dementia but relatively low research.
"This funding will enable us to work on key priority areas of work for ARC KSS and regional priorities, with an emphasis on under-represented groups and building patient centred care in dementia."
The two priority areas of work include:
- Supporting daily living, access to services and quality of life - A post-doctoral researcher based at the Centre for Dementia Studies (CDS), Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), will focus on strategies to support wellbeing (such as mental health, reducing loneliness/isolation) for those with dementia living alone or in hard-to-reach areas. e.g. deprived coastal communities and rural populations where health and care infrastructure is less well developed or accessible.
- An Integration of services for a seamless patient survey - A post-doctoral researcher, based across the Centre for Health Services Studies (CHSS) at the University of Kent and Kent and Medway Medical School (KMMS), will focus on models of care for a seamless patient journey. People with dementia do not differentiate between health care providers/services, social care and even the voluntary sector and should be supported with integrated care pathways that meet their needs.
Both areas of work will be strengthened by experience and contributions across several ARC KSS themes and activities, including: dementia, digital innovation, social care, public health themes, primary & community health services, and Economics of health and Social Care theme.
ARC KSS aims to build a sustainable research environment and workforce with expertise within practice and academia with shared values of:
- A supportive culture for place-based applied research
- Meaningful research to benefit practice and the public
- Sharing excellent practice
- Socially driven collaboration
- Learning together through inclusive opportunities
- Ensuring equality and diversity in research.
Further details about the recruitment process will be available on this website shortly.
