The sponsor is the individual, organisation or partnership that takes on overall responsibility for proportionate, effective arrangements being in place to set up, run and report a research project. Under the UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research, all health and social care research should have a sponsor.
- The sponsor is normally expected to be the employer of the chief investigator in the case of non-commercial research or the Funder in the case of Commercial research.
- Sponsors of clinical trials of investigational medicinal products (CTMIPs) have particular legal duties.
- University accepts the role of sponsor for all educational research conducted by their own students, unless the student is employed by a health or social care provider that prefers to take on this role.
- Sponsors of educational research should ensure that supervisors can and do carry out the activities involved in fulfilling this role.
- Where the academic supervisor cannot adequately satisfy the sponsor’s oversight responsibilities due to location or expertise, the sponsor should agree co-supervision arrangements with a local care practitioner.