Biomedical Research Units

The NIHR has established sixteen Biomedical Research Units in 2008 to undertake translational clinical research in the following priority areas of high disease burden and clinical need that were under-represented. The funding for these Units is in its final year.

A new open competition was launched to select Biomedical Research Units for the next five year period starting from 1 April 2012. An International Selection Panel reviewed full applications in July 2011. These were announced on 18 August 2011. DH press release.

The NIHR selected 20 new Biomedical Research Units each addressing one of the following priority areas of high disease burden and clinical need:

• Cardiovascular Disease
• Deafness and Hearing Problems
• Dementia
• Gastrointestinal (including Liver) Disease
• Musculoskeletal Disease
• Nutrition, Diet and Lifestyle (including Obesity)
• Respiratory Disease  

View photographs of the Secretary of State's visit to the Newcastle NIHR Biomedical Research Centre

Role
Each NIHR Biomedical Research Unit is a partnership between an NHS Trust and a university, enabling some of our best health researchers and clinicians to work together to develop new treatments for the benefit of patients. The NIHR Biomedical Research Units:

New Biomedical Research Units
The 20 new Biomedical Research Units will begin operation on 1 April 2012.
 

NHS Organisation	Academic Partner	Priority Area
Barts & The London NHS Trust	Queen Mary University of London	Cardiovascular Disease
University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust	University of Bristol	Cardiovascular Disease
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust	University of Leicester	Cardiovascular Disease
Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust	Imperial College London	Cardiovascular Disease
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust	University of Nottingham	Deafness & Hearing Problems
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	University of Cambridge	Dementia
Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	Newcastle University	Dementia
South London and Maudsley  NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM)	Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London	Dementia
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	University College London	Dementia
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust	University of Birmingham	Gastrointestinal Disease
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust	University of Nottingham	Gastrointestinal Disease
Royal Liverpool & Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust	University of Liverpool	Gastrointestinal Disease
Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	The University of Manchester	Musculoskeletal Disease
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	University of Leeds	Musculoskeletal Disease
Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust	University of Oxford	Musculoskeletal Disease
University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust	University of Bristol	Nutrition, Diet & Lifestyle (including Obesity)
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust	Loughborough University	Nutrition, Diet & Lifestyle (including Obesity)
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust	University of Leicester	Respiratory Disease
Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust	Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine	Respiratory Disease
Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust	University of Southampton	Respiratory Disease

Current Biomedical Research Units

Funding
The amount awarded to each Biomedical Research Unit is determined by the scale and nature of the research activity that it conducts and the anticipated impact of that activity. The awards have been made to the NHS partner, and can only be used to support the recurrent costs of patient focused research.

NIHR briefing document:

4.3 Biomedical Research Units