PACT Project Criteria

(Last updated 02.06.2025)

The Primary care Academic CollaboraTive (PACT) aims to deliver one core PACT project per year. These must fulfil the following criteria:

1. Topic
   The chosen topic must address a research question which is of relevance and importance to UK primary care. Important topic areas could be identified by consultation with members at the PACT Annual General Meeting, at PACT Special Interest Group meetings, or via formal membership consultation through the PACT mailing list. Projects should be national i.e. at least England, and should ideally include opportunities for PACT members from devolved nations to participate.

2. Feasibility of data collection
   The project must be achievable through the PACT model. General practice clinicians such as GPs and allied health professionals, without previous research experience should be able to collect data for at least one workstream of the study.

3. Benefits of collaborative approach
   There should be clear benefits to answering this question using a collaborative methodological approach and/or alternative approaches would be less effective or impossible.

4. Benefits to PACT member
   Participating PACT members must receive a practice report which provides their own data, benchmarked against other participating PACT members or PACT practices. This data must provide useful information which could be used for quality improvement or educational activities. PACT members' contributions should be recognised in line with the PACT Authorship Policy.

5. Scientific validity
   PACT projects must be methodologically rigorous and must adhere to relevant research governance frameworks. PACT projects must be discussed with the Senior Advisory Group and must include at least one senior academic GP within the Study Steering Group. PACT projects must be affiliated with a HE institution, as PACT is not a sponsor/contracting organisation.

6. PPI engagement
   Diverse patients must be involved in the design of PACT projects, their feedback must be acknowledged and incorporated in line with UK Standards for Public Involvement. PPIE feedback needs to be obtained before study commencement but is not required at the point of project proposals.

7. Project Lead Investigator
   The Project Lead Investigator must be a member of the PACT Core Committee. Projects suggested and developed by members of the PACT Core Committee will be given priority where they fulfil the above criteria. The Project Lead Investigator will be co-opted into the PACT Committee if they are not already a member by the time the project commences.

8. Funding and resources
   The Project Lead Investigator is responsible for having a plan for securing the necessary funding and resources for delivering the project.  PACT may be able to contribute some administrative resource, but this will be subject to its own funding constraints.  PACT can help with ideas for funding sources and comment on funding proposals.

The PACT committee welcomes ideas for PACT projects from early career researchers and practicing clinicians working in primary care. We are also happy to advertise relevant research projects which are of interest to PACT members via our newsletter. To discuss proposals please contact gppact@gmail.com or contact us via our website.