University chosen as Government’s health research co-ordinator for England

The University of Leeds has been chosen by the Government to take a leading role in the co-ordination of health research across England.

After a competitive tender, the university was selected by the Department of Health and Social Care to lead the NIHR Research Delivery Network Coordinating Centre, a five-year contract beginning on 1 April 2024.

The new coordinating centre will be based in Leeds and will employ more than 270 people.

It will work across England’s health and care system, with staff in all settings, to support the effective and efficient initiation and delivery of research.

Additionally, it will be responsible for the knowledge and skill development of the whole health research and development workforce, which will help to address health and economic inequalities across the Leeds city region and nationally.

The centre will be joined by 12 new Regional Research Delivery Networks, hosted by NHS organisations across England.

Professor Mark Kearney, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, said: “The University of Leeds, as part of the Research Delivery Network, is poised and eager to work with the health and care system to make a step change in how we deliver this research.

“We will harness the talent of our NHS staff and generosity of the population to progress new ways of working to support the delivery of research to achieve our ambitions to improve the health and wealth all our communities.”

Professor Nick Plant, deputy vice-chancellor: research and innovation at the University of Leeds, said: “We pride ourselves on our dynamic research portfolio that works to improve health and well-being by undertaking excellent biomedical, translational, and applied health and care research and innovation.

“Our successful tender for this highly competitive Government contract is further recognition of our outstanding track record in health and care research, and allows us to build on the work of our brilliant colleagues across the Clinical Research Network over the last nine years.”

Professor Lucy Chappell, chief executive of the NIHR, said: “The new NIHR Research Delivery Network is designed to provide an enhanced, consistent service for all those involved in research delivery.

“It includes part of a system wide drive to increase commercial clinical trials, ensuring we work more effectively than ever with the life sciences industry to deliver the best, most cutting-edge health and care research for the British public, alongside research funded by the government and charities.”

“It will be pivotal in supporting new treatment and models of care to communities with major health and care needs.

“It will build capacity to extend research delivery in primary, community and social care settings to make it easier for patients to get access to cutting-edge treatment, through research.”