Until December 2007, the National Research Register (NRR) provided information on research taking place in NHS organisations in England, Scotland and Wales.  The development of Clinical Research Networks has shifted the responsibility for registering eligible research from NHS organisations to the researcher and the topic network.  Data is no longer submitted or collected from NHS organisations.

In the NIHR, the Research Networks are the only route for access to NHS Service Support costs. The NIHR CRNCC publishes eligibility criteria for the inclusion of studies in the NIHR Clinical Research Network Portfolio which can be found at http://www.ukcrn.org.uk/index/clinical/portfolio_new/P_eligibility.html.

Only studies that meet these criteria will be included in the NIHR Portfolio. The NIHR will not fund “own account” research in NHS Trusts in England. Where any such research continues, it will not be eligible for the Portfolio.

Under the Portfolio, data is now collected study by study rather than by the location of research. This will correct one of the principal failings of the NRR system namely, duplication of records.  Data quality and accuracy will also improve.

The Portfolio Database is the repository for this information; it currently contains over 2,500 studies that can be accessed for public searching.  Further information about the Portfolio Database is available at http://www.ukcrn.org.uk/index/clinical/portfolio_new.html

The National Research Register Archive has been established as a public resource and to support historical analysis. It is possible to make amendments to this data for legal or accuracy reasons but no new records will be added to this archive.