Research Passport and Letter of Access Procedure

How to apply for a research passport and key contacts

Please check with your Principal Investigator that permission to conduct the research in the NHS organisation has been granted. The Research Passport does not remove the need to apply to the R&D department of the NHS organisation for permission or to apply for ethical review.

Procedure

1. Download the UCL version of the form, not the NHS RP Form.
   
   

   UCL Research Passport Form.doc

   UCL Research Passport Form.doc
2. Read the Guidance.
3. Complete:
   
   Section 1 – Details of the Researcher
   Section 2 – Details of the Research
   Section 3 – Declaration by Researcher
4.  Ask your line manager (or other authorised person) to complete sections 4 and 5.2.
5. Section 5 – Organisational checks
   
   Question 8 DBS disclosures:
   
   Staff:  Contact HR Services. Researchers at the Institute of Child Health and the Institute of Neurology should use their local HR departments.
   
   Students: Please follow the procedure on the Current Students website. 
   
   Question 8.1 Occupational Health Screening (needs to be signed by UCL Workplace Health department on completion of screening)
   
   You must complete the Occupational Health Screening Forms - please refer to the 'Research Passports' section on that page to access the forms and for further instructions. 
    
6. Attach the required documents to the form and complete Section 6.
7. Take the completed Research Passport form with attachments to the R&D office of the NHS organisation where you will conduct most of your research.

Contacts for further information

• For queries in relation the categorisation of a research project and the need for a research passport/letter of access please contact the Research Office of the lead Trust for your research. For queries in relation to research at UCLH and the Royal Free please contact the Administration Team at the Joint Research Office:
  
  Joint Research Office, 1st floor Maple House, Tottenham Court Road. 
  Email: uclh.jro-communications@nhs.net
  Tel: 020 3447 5557
   
• For all queries in relation to the procedure for obtaining a research passport/honorary contract or general queries in relation to pre-engagement checks:
  
  UCL HR Services, 1 St Martin’s Le Grand, London, EC1A 4EU
  Requests: MyServices
  Tel: 020 3108 7160

Once the form has been authorised by one NHS organisation it becomes a valid Research Passport that you can provide to other NHS organisations for the issue of honorary NHS contracts.

HR Strategy and Planning
Updated February 2023