Funding
How costs are made up, and support with grants
Cost is determined by the design, the sample size, the number of visits and the measurements taken. We do not quote a flat fee; costs are built up per project and presented as an itemised schedule after consultation.
What drives the cost
| Factor | Effect on cost |
|---|---|
| Sample size | Per-participant costs (recruitment, honoraria, laboratory tests) scale linearly. This is the largest single driver. |
| Number of visits | Each visit adds sample collection, testing and staff time. |
| Measurements | Hormone, cytokine and autonomic measures cost substantially more per sample than routine haematology and biochemistry. |
| Dosing period | Longer studies increase compliance management and monitoring costs. |
| Blinding and placebo | Placebo manufacture and allocation concealment add cost. |
| Deliverable | Documentation cost differs according to whether the study ends at a report or continues to journal submission. |
Cost structure
Design
Protocol, sample size calculation, statistical analysis plan, IRB documentation and response to review.
Conduct
Recruitment and honoraria, test material management, visits and sample handling, laboratory testing, monitoring.
Analysis
Data cleaning, statistical analysis, tables and figures, sensitivity and mediation analyses.
Documentation
Study report or CSR, English manuscript, journal submission and peer review response.
There is no charge for the initial consultation or for the proposed design. A quotation is prepared once the design has been settled.
Support with securing funding
Where the research is to be funded by a government or joint corporate project rather than from internal budget, we can work with you from the proposal stage.
- Review of the call for proposals and assessment of fit
- Drafting of objectives, content and strategy
- Review of prior work and articulation of novelty, with references
- Project timetable and itemised budget
- Setting output targets (papers, patents, technology transfer) and the plan to meet them
Terms
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Contract | A research services agreement is signed before work begins, specifying scope, schedule, deliverables and ownership of intellectual property. |
| Instalments | Payment is normally in three instalments: on commencement, at an interim milestone, and on completion. |
| Confidentiality | Where necessary, a non-disclosure agreement is signed before contract. |
| Intellectual property | Ownership of outputs and authorship of any publication are agreed in the contract in advance. |
Being paid for the work does not mean producing a predetermined conclusion. A hypothesis that is rejected is reported as such; this is stated explicitly in the contract.