Eligibility criteria for NIHR Clinical Research Network support for commercial studies

Commercial companies wishing to apply for NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) support for their studies are required to make an application via the CRN Central Portfolio Management System. 

In order to be eligible for NIHR Clinical Research Network support commercial contract research (studies that are fully funded and sponsored by a commercial company) must:

• Meet the definition of ‘research’ - According to the current Department of Health and Social Care policy document, ‘Eligibility criteria for NIHR Clinical Research Network Support’, research can be defined as “the attempt to derive generalisable or transferable new knowledge to answer or refine relevant questions with scientifically sound methods. This excludes: audit; needs assessments; quality improvement and other local service evaluations. It also excludes routine banking of biological samples or data except where this activity is integral to a self-contained research project designed to test a clear hypothesis”.
  
   
• Have appropriate ethical approval, eg NHS, Social Care Research Ethics Committee (REC), or Ministry of Defence REC; and Health Research Authority (HRA) Approval where required.

The NIHR Clinical Research Network will use the information you supply in the submission to ensure that the above criteria are satisfied. If there are any questions relating to the above, a Network representative will contact the applicant for clarification.

Contact us

For support and advice please contact the Study Support Service Helpdesk:

• Email: supportmystudy@nihr.ac.uk