commissioning and funding research focusing on improving outcomes for health and social care

Partnership Programmes

The Government currently funds health related research through two main routes, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC).

Sir David Cooksey's report 'A review of UK health research funding' published in December 2006 concluded that, although good progress has been made in some areas, further work is needed to ensure that publicly funded health research is carried out in the most effective and efficient way, and to facilitate rapid translation of research findings into health and economic benefits.

A key recommendation of the review was the establishment of a new Office for Strategic Coordination of Health Research (OSCHR) that will take an overview of the budgetary division and research strategy of both the MRC and NIHR.

OSCHR has now been jointly established as a Government office by the Department of Heath in England (DH) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS).

OSCHR's mission is to facilitate more efficient translation of health research into health and economic benefits in the UK through better coordination of health research and more coherent funding arrangements to support translation. The initial focus of OSCHR's oversight has been the development of a coherent strategy for translational medicine research.

Under the auspices of OSCHR, the NIHR and MRC are developing a joint programme for translational research and are working together to establish a number of new research initiatives:

Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme

This joint programme aims to support excellent clinical science with an ultimate view to improving health or patient care. The EME programme is funded by the MRC and managed by the NIHR under the MRC-NIHR partnership.

EME Programme

Clinical Trials Units (CTUs) priming funds

Substantial funding is being provided by the MRC-NIHR partnership to implement CTUs, a key recommendation of the Cooksey Review. In September 2008, eighteen CTUs received 3 year awards. This additional funding support will increase the capacity of the Units to deliver a step change in the volume of high quality clinical trials focused on the needs of patients and the public.

Clinical Trial Units

Methodology Research Programme (MRP)

The Methodology Research Programme (MRP) supports the development of new and improved systems and theories for health research. £16m of funding has been awarded to establish a network of seven new centres dedicated to methodology research. The programme is jointly funded by the NIHR and MRC and is managed by the MRC on behalf of the NIHR-MRC partnership.

MRP

Patient Research Cohorts initiative

This joint research programme has been launched to identify small carefully defined groups of patients with a particular illness to help shed light on how diseases progress and help researchers accelerate the development of new preventative measures, diagnostics and treatments. The Patient Research Cohorts initiative is jointly funded by the NIHR and MRC and devolved administrations in Wales and Scotland and managed by the MRC on behalf of the NIHR-MRC partnership. Thirteen cohorts have been funded across England, Wales and Scotland, at a total value of £7.5 million.

Patient Research Cohorts

Hubs for trials methodology research (HTMR)

The new methodology hubs will underpin the substantial increase in clinical trials activity being planned by the MRC and NIHR for early and late phase clinical trials, which is part of the overall joint translational research strategy to turn research into health and economic benefits more efficiently. This £12 million initiative will be managed by the MRC on behalf of the MRC-NIHR partnership.

The successful Hubs will provide UK-wide coverage and support resources to enable the establishment of a regional focus for high-quality, cutting-edge methodology research in clinical trials. Each Hub will bring together and reinforce existing strengths in methodological research as well as fostering new lines of research.

HTMR