About us

Around 15 million people in England have a chronic condition, and they account for about 1 in 2 of all GP appointments. Treatment and care of these conditions accounts for around £7 in every £10 of total health and social care expenditure.

This is a complex field urgently requiring novel research-based interventions.

Grounded Research is designed to provide that innovative approach, to look for workable and compassionate solutions to find new ways of approaching these issues. See our research study for some of the work we have been doing.

Research in our community

The name Grounded Research was chosen as it embodies our intention to offer inclusive research that is grounded in our communities, that makes a positive difference to people’s lives and works for the most vulnerable in our community.

We believe that research can, and should, involve everyone. We want research questions to come from our communities, be relevant to our communities and be adopted by our communities. So we can do this we take our research into the field, visiting participants in their homes, places of worship, schools and shopping centres.

Eight people stood in a room — Members of the Grounded Research team visit Woodstock Bower GP Surgery, Rotherham, in May 2025 to strengthen research collaboration with primary care

Grounded Research delivers a broad range of research and innovation in key areas such as psychological and occupational health interventions in mental health via the Psychological Health Observatory, studies exploring new technology to manage diabetes via the Centre for Nutrition and Behaviour, sample and data collection projects to better understand the reasons for healthcare issues and how to improve services to help urgent public health work, such as COVID-19 vaccine studies, and improving the health and wellbeing of prisoners and justice staff.

Two people stood in front a banner — Grounded Research Support Assistant Charlotte Damms and Research Support Officer Andy Hall began weekly visits to a local GP surgery, engaging patients in the waiting room before their appointments

Our team

Our team is supported within the NHS trust’s wider infrastructure and thus benefits from access to support services, policies and procedures, providing assurance to partners, patients and the public. We have friendly, open, and professional working relationships where everyone has a high degree of autonomy to develop their own professional expertise and pursue their areas of interest. Our strong working partnerships across the staff networks help build a research ready workforce.

Four people smiling — Dr Mike Seneviratne, Associate Medical Director, RDaSH, Heather Rice, Director of Research and Innovation, Grounded Research, Kath Lavery, Chair, RDaSH and Jodie Keyworth, Deputy Director of Research and Innovation, Grounded Research enjoying some time together at a recent gathering at the Hub

Two people smiling — Grounded Research team members Jeannie McKie, Research Governance Manager and Oliver Davis, Clinical Studies Officer, happily catching up over a coffee break at the event

Our facilities

The Grounded Research Hub serves as a community clinical research facility, dedicated vaccine hub and a flexible research space that sits within an existing NHS trust infrastructure. The hub has been designed with input from the local community, our staff and our patients, because we want our environment to be safe, welcoming and inclusive for everyone.

The design, flow and the different colours in the building were developed and chosen by our patient research ambassadors and are inspired by the colours of the rainbow, seen as a symbol of appreciation in the pandemic for frontline NHS staff, and more traditionally the colours of the Pride flag in support of the LGBTQ+ community.

Two people sat talking — Gary Hellewell, Patient Research Ambassadors and a Charlotte Damms, Research Support Assistant share a catch-up over a cuppa in one of our vibrant rooms

The facility came into existence due to the need for more vaccine clinical trials during the pandemic and is a good example of the type of collaborative work we have undertaken, rapidly to offer research to our patients and communities.

Grounded Research also has access to the trust’s health bus to take research out into communities, which is equipped and staffed to perform research outside the traditional clinic setting.

Page last reviewed: September 18, 2025
Next review due: September 18, 2026