Investing in infrastructure

Explore the world-leading facilities and expertise which make up the NIHR infrastructure and support research in the UK.

NIHR research infrastructure funding provides a platform to enable early stage and applied research. Our infrastructure provides research expertise, specialist facilities, a research delivery workforce and support services, all of which help to support and deliver the research we fund, and research funded by others. The life sciences industry chooses to work with NIHR infrastructure to access expertise in designing, setting up and delivering high-quality, innovative research.

Some of our schemes support researchers to develop and conduct research (translational infrastructure), others provide a workforce to deliver research on behalf of others (delivery infrastructure), and others provide broader research support and opportunities for collaboration across the infrastructure.

Each year, the NIHR invests more than £606 million of infrastructure funding through five, or more, year awards. The infrastructure provides funding towards, and supports the delivery of, several research projects.

 

Translational infrastructure

Biomedical Research Centres

Collaborations between universities and NHS organisations. The 20 centres bring together academics and clinicians to translate lab-based discoveries into potential new treatments, diagnostics and technologies.

HealthTech Research Centres

Centres of excellence to accelerate the development of healthcare technologies (healthtech) that improve the effectiveness and quality of health and care services.

Applied Research Collaborations

Regional collaborations between organisations that undertake applied health and care research. The NIHR currently funds 15 local collaborations across England.

Patient Safety Research Collaborations

Partnerships between universities and NHS trusts to support patient safety research. There are three centres in England, aiming to bring patient safety discoveries to NHS frontline services.

Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres

A UK-wide network that brings together world-leading laboratory and clinical researchers to test new cancer treatments.

Delivery infrastructure

Clinical Research Facilities

Purpose-built facilities in NHS hospitals where researchers can conduct studies. There are 28 facilities across England, designed to support early-phase and complex studies.

Research Delivery Network

The network co-ordinates and supports the delivery of research in the NHS and across the wider health and social care environment.

National Patient Recruitment Centres

NIHR-funded research facilities dedicated to delivering large scale, late-phase commercial clinical trials. They are designed to make it easier and quicker to deliver commercial research.

Clinical Trial Units

Specially designed centres across England which co-ordinate and analyse clinical trials. They can provide expertise and advice to support the research process, from initial idea development to project delivery and reporting.

Research Support

Research Units

NIHR research units are university-based collaborations that fund and undertake research in priority areas in health, health protection, and health and social care policy.

Research Support Service

A free and confidential service to assist researchers in applying for funding. Advisers provide guidance on research design, writing competitive applications and public involvement.

Study Support Service

Support services to help researchers plan, set up and perform high-quality research in the NHS, and wider health and social care environments.

BioResource

A national pool of patients and members of the public who have volunteered to be approached for research studies. Volunteers have provided genetic, environmental and lifestyle data to be matched to eligible studies.

NIHR Statistics Group

This network of statisticians and clinicians supports fellow statisticians by sharing expertise and facilitating collaboration. It provides opportunities for professional development and networking.

Research Collaborations

Translational Research Collaborations

Networks of the UK's leading universities, NHS trusts and research centres. They carry out early-phase translational research in different therapy areas. The networks can support the life sciences industry, charities, researchers and other partners.

Imaging Group

A group of experts and clinical leaders that provide support across the NHIR's imaging research. The group works to build research capacity and capability, improve collaboration and help contribute to scientific advances in imaging.

Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products Co-ordinating Group

A group of clinical leaders and key organisations working to address challenges and improve collaboration in advanced therapy medicinal products research.

Multiple Long-Term Conditions Cross-NIHR Collaboration

This programme brings together the NIHR's translational, applied and policy research infrastructure to respond to the NIHR Strategic Framework for Multiple Long-Term Conditions Research and work together to tackle relevant research questions.