We offer the life sciences industry a range of services and free support.
We can work with you at any stage of your clinical development pipeline, from providing expertise to aid early stage development, to supporting the design, set-up and delivery of your study protocol in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) and social care system.
From identifying ideal NHS sites to performance monitoring, we provide a range of support to help the life sciences industry run studies in the NHS. You can also find out about our new national Patient Recruitment Centres.
We work in partnership with medical device, digital technology and diagnostic companies (collectively known as MedTech) to help them successfully translate innovative ideas into the clinical setting.
Discover how we can help you identify, partner and work with the UK’s leading academics and clinical experts and access NHS research intelligence. For example, why not learn more about our Patient Engagement in Clinical Development Service?
At the beginning of the pandemic, we streamlined the COVID-19 research set-up process in the UK by establishing a single, collective UK system-wide approach involving NIHR, Public Health England, UK Research & Innovation (UKRI), the Health Research Authority (HRA), Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and others.
Due to the drop in COVID-19 case numbers and significant progress with the vaccine roll-out, we are no longer accepting applications for studies to be designated as Urgent Public Health (UPH). However existing UPH studies will continue to be prioritised over the coming weeks, and new COVID-19 portfolio studies will be supported in line with local priorities and capacity. Find out more about NIHR support for COVID-19 research.
You can read examples of how our support has helped, such as:
You may also find the following resources useful:
With the pressures of the pandemic beginning to ease and COVID-19 caseloads falling, work is underway to support the recovery of research into other conditions, and to increase the strength of the UK’s research base and life sciences sector. This supports the vision set out by the Department of Health and Social Care in the document Saving and Improving Lives: the future of UK clinical research delivery.
Find out how we are managing recovery and work to support non-COVID 19 studies to improve research recovery, resilience and growth.
We are the nation's largest funder of health and care research and provide the people, facilities and technology that enables research to thrive. Working in partnership with the NHS, universities, local government, other research funders, patients and the public, we deliver and enable world-class research that transforms people's lives, promotes economic growth and advances science.
We are primarily funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, but also receive UK Aid funding to support research for people in low- and middle-income countries.
Our Mission
NIHR's mission is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. We deliver against this mission through five strategic workstreams.
Our Governance
The NIHR's work is directed by leaders at Department of Health and Social Care working in partnership with the directors of our six coordinating centres.
Our Contribution to Research
The NIHR is a central part of the UK research landscape, collaborating in national activities to improve research and supporting NHS research performance.
