HUS year 2022: Improvement of research services
We offer our researchers services for research, degree thesis and data access permits, research funding, research agreements, and publicity.
In 2022, we granted:
- 708 new research permits,
- 103 degree thesis research permits,
- 2 data access permits for researchers and organizations outside HUS, and
- 1 teaching data access permit.
In 2022, we introduced centralized processing for research and degree thesis permits as a new service. We centralized our research permit secretary services: in the course of the year, research permit secretaries processed research and degree thesis permits for 16 departments.
In research advisory services, we advised and counselled researchers at all stages of the research process. We also began planning a training package for researchers titled ‘Researcher’s driving license’.
In spring 2022, we held three ‘researcher clinics’ focusing on research agreements, Apotti and research, research panels and the biobank, and research funding.
We also developed services directly available to researchers and online services supporting HUS research activities and the use of the PowerBI software in generating research indicators.
Network for supervisors of research nurses
We promoted research by setting up a HUS-wide network for supervisors of research nurses. The first meeting of nurse directors in this network was held towards the end of the year. We will be evolving the practical operations of the network during 2023.
Research nurse training was transferred from HUS to FINBB, the biobank cooperative. The goal is to continue providing training customized for research nurses on a contractual basis in collaboration with all university hospitals in 2023, meaning that it will be free of charge for staff members.
Clarification of Ethics Committee work
The practice of the Ethics Committee at HUS meeting in a single formation was established as permanent. In the year under review, about 1,400 applications were received and about 600 statements were issued.
Clinical pharmaceutical trials accounted for about 25% of all matters discussed at meetings. As of January 31, new clinical pharmaceutical trials have been under the auspices of the National Committee on Medical Research Ethics (TUKIJA), which reduced the percentage of applications for clinical pharmaceutical trials among applications submitted to the Ethics Committee at HUS by 30% compared to previous years. In 2022, 165 amendment applications were submitted.
Research permits issued faster with improved services
In 2022, we continued our efforts to clarify and streamline the process of applying for and granting research permits. Using the LEAN method, we focused on: early stage research service improvement; setting up standardized risk assessment; using the ‘researcher navigator’ tool; and improving the ‘researcher desktop’ application on the basis of user feedback.
Legal services for researchers at the start of a research project
Legal Services introduced a case management system to help researchers in accessing legal services, particularly at the start of a research project. We engaged in closer cooperation with research management, the Data Protection Officer and research legal services.