search symbol to show the search bar

  1. About Us
    1. About Us
    2. The Team
    3. Member Organisations
    4. Governance
  2. Research & Knowledge Mobilisation
    1. Research & Knowledge Mobilisation
    2. Impact
    3. Social Care and Social Work
      1. Social Care and Social Work
      2. Social Care - Kent, Surrey & Sussex Region
    4. Starting Well: Children's Mental Health
      1. Starting Well: Children's Mental Health
      2. Meet the team
    5. Primary and Community Health Services
      1. Primary and Community Health Services
      2. Meet the team
    6. Living Well with Dementia
      1. Living Well with Dementia
      2. Meet the team
    7. Co-production
      1. Co-production
      2. Meet the team
    8. Public Health
      1. Public Health
      2. Meet the team
    9. Digital Innovation
      1. Digital Innovation
      2. Meet the team
    10. Economics of Health and Social Care
      1. Economics of Health and Social Care
      2. Meet the team
    11. Implementation
      1. Implementation
      2. Meet the team
    12. Rapid Evidence Synthesis
      1. Rapid Evidence Synthesis
      2. Meet the team
    13. Knowledge Mobilisation
      1. Knowledge Mobilisation
      2. Meet the team
  3. Public and Community Involvement
    1. Public and Community Involvement
    2. What is PCIE?
    3. Getting Involved
    4. Support for researchers
    5. Resources
    6. PCIE Guide
      1. PCIE Guide
      2. Contents
      3. Introduction
        1. Introduction
        2. An overview of ARC KSS
        3. Who can help you with PCIE?
        4. Terminology and PCIE
      4. Why and When to do PCIE
        1. Why and When to do PCIE
        2. Why involve members of the public in research?
        3. Why do members of the public want to get involved in research?
        4. When to get members of the public involved?
      5. How to do PCIE
        1. How to do PCIE
        2. Communication and Accessibility
        3. Budgeting
        4. Planning for involvement and engagement
        5. How to recruit members of the public
        6. Inclusive Research
        7. Approaches – different options for undertaking PCIE
        8. Facilitating meetings and Group dynamics
        9. Ethics
        10. Feedback
        11. Impact and Evaluation
      6. Examples/Case Studies
      7. Appendix/Useful tools
  4. Learning and Development
    1. Learning and Development
    2. ARC KSS AcademyARC KSS Academy
    3. Learning and DevelopmentLearning and Development
      1. Learning and Development
      2. Learning and Development Finder
      3. Researchers Journeys
    4. MentorshipMentorship
    5. Research communities of practiceResearch communities of practice
    6. Research Week Research Week
      1. Research Week
      2. Research Week 2025: Poster Competition
      3. Previous Research Weeks
    7. NIHR Health and Care Professional Internship Programme South EastNIHR Health and Care Professional Internship Programme South East
  5. Resource Library
  6. Events
  7. News
  8. Contact Us

We’re updating our website

We are currently updating the ARC KSS website to reflect our new funding and the changes it brings to our programme of work.  These changes will take place over the course of the next few months.

Please bear with us while we work behind the scenes to make these improvements. We thank you for your patience.

In the meantime, if you need help finding anything, please contact spft.arcksscommunications@nhs.net

The next round of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Short Placement Awards for Research Collaboration (SPARC) and Local Authority Short Placement Awards for Research Collaboration (LA SPARC) will be opening in September for applications.

The SPARC scheme offers NIHR Academy members (pre-doctoral to early career post-doctoral researchers) an opportunity to spend time in other parts of the NIHR to: network, train in a specific skill or collaborate with other researchers or specialists.  Individuals can apply to the SPARC scheme for up to £5,000.

The LA SPARC scheme is designed to support individuals, working in local authority settings and NIHR Academy members, to design and apply for funds to undertake short placements allowing them to move between NIHR and local authority settings. Individuals can apply to the LA SPARC scheme for up to £15,000 to undertake a bespoke short placement.

Last year,  Dr Deborah Ikhile, ARC KSS Post-Doctoral Research Fellow (Primary and Community Care) was successful in a SPARC award focusing on ‘Building research capacity for health promotion interventions to support the management of multiple long term conditions - multimorbidity’.  Deborah is spending time with ARC KSS North Thames and building her networks. 

Dr Mel Rees-Roberts, ARC KSS Research Programme Manager, presented a virtual session during ARC KSS Research Week on the SPARC/LA SPARC awards, accompanied by Dr Deborah Ikhile who shared the process and her experience of applying for the award – view video here. 

For further details on the schemes and how to apply please visit the links below:

NIHR Short Placement Awards for Research Collaboration (SPARC)

Local Authority Short Placement Awards for Research Collaboration (LA SPARC) 

If you have any questions or are thinking about a placement with ARC KSS please get in touch with us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Recite Me Accessibility Tools