Helping make research everyone’s business: Meet Susan Wellstead
A Southampton midwife says she is inspired to help “make research everyone’s business” as she joins a leadership scheme.
University Hospital Southampton’s Susan Wellstead has been awarded a place on the Senior Research Leader (SRL) Programme. It is run by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
Susan is one of just 25 health professionals nationally to be selected for this year’s cohort.
The programme supports nurses and midwives to develop their research leadership skills to improve research in their organisations and beyond.
The award will fund Susan’s time for two days per week. She will use this to expand opportunities for student nurses and improve patients’ access to research.
We spoke to Susan to find out more about the programme and what she hopes to achieve.
How did you become interested in research leadership?
I have worked as a nurse and midwife for over 30 years. 25 of those have been spent here at University Hospital Southampton (UHS).
For the last 14 years, my role has been to deliver clinical research. My goal has been to support patients and researchers to work in partnership throughout the research journey.
I have consistently felt inspired during this time. It is a privilege to be part of a team that is improving patient outcomes now and for the future.
What is the NIHR Senior Research Leader Programme?
I am delighted to be part of the SRL programme’s 2025 cohort. The award gives me protected time to lead research initiatives. It also provides valuable opportunities to network with colleagues across England.
I will use my knowledge, personal experiences and connections to motivate and enable others to partner in research projects.
Research is a core clinical activity that requires teaching, nurturing and sustaining. As a ‘Senior Research Leader’, I can enable nurses, midwives and Allied Health Professions (AHPs) to seek out a range of opportunities that will help tackle complex health and social care challenges.
What do you hope to achieve through this award?
My priorities for the three-year programme are centred around “making research everyone’s business”. Research should be embedded into the care pathway of all patients and part of nursing and midwifery culture.
An example of this will involve working with higher educational institutions. I’ll lead an initiative to expand student nurse placements within R&D settings. Evidence shows these placements are highly engaging. They may also inspire students to embrace research in their longer term careers.
Equitable access to research has underpinned my clinical and academic work for the last 14 years. Through the SRL programme, I intend to further explore the causes behind “missed opportunities”. I want to understand more about which patients are not invited to take part in research they may be eligible for. It is essential that research does not unnecessarily exclude potential participants due to minority, global majority, educational, socio economic or health complexities.
The impact of my priorities and those of the NIHR SRL programme will be part of a culture of learning. Sharing knowledge will help ensure positive outcomes benefit all patients, especially those who have been historically underrepresented in research.
How do you think your participation in this programme will benefit UHS as an organisation?
This programme is intended to drive organisational change. It will assess the readiness of our organisation to support nurses, midwives and AHPs to deliver research-related activity through the structures and processes we have available.
Through the SRL, we can bring to light the type and level of support needed to develop research capacity. Taking part will provide structure that will assist in improvement planning. It will also enable us to identify gaps and celebrate strengths and successes.
Do you have any advice for colleagues thinking of applying for this award?
When thinking about research, we often believe “it’s not my job”, ”I’m not an academic” or “I don’t have the time”. But hearing patient stories and seeing the life-changing results from our world class research here at UHS makes it hard not to be inspired.
Whether it’s applying for an NIHR SRL award, or offering an information leaflet to a patient, you can engage with research. You never know where those small steps will lead. I would encourage all nurses, midwives and AHPs to seek out the amazing opportunities available to them.