The ROOTS Network programme, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), aims to better understand the nature, drivers and consequences of moral distress faced by frontline staff, and to identify organisational responsibilities and strategies to minimise and manage distress.

Frontline staff play critical roles in the ethical conduct of quality research, in healthcare service delivery and in wider health system functioning. Their daily work involves interactions with patients, research participants, and community members, which can present significant practical challenges and stress. These challenges may have adverse implications for staff well-being, team relationships, quality of care and research, and patient outcomes. In low-resource settings, the nature and drivers of the challenges and distress faced by frontline research staff are poorly understood, including how these are changing with current funding cuts in ‘global health’. Moreover, there is little practical guidance for leaders and funders on how research/systems might be set up and support processes organised to minimise and manage moral distress among frontline staff. The ROOTS programme of work has as a core focus frontline staff involved in knowledge production/research. However, there are grey areas and overlaps between research and service provision staff in health systems, and so we include learning from health and research literature and activities. 

This website serves as a central hub for knowledge-sharing, offering resources, evidence, and insights to strengthen support systems for frontline workers. It is also a space to connect with others in the field, discover ongoing initiatives, and engage in conversations that help shape better practices for those working in resource-limited settings.