Access research activity databases to help plan your trial

When you are planning health and care research it’s helpful to understand the existing research landscape. For example, knowing what research has already taken place, if similar trials are ongoing, and how many studies are upcoming. This information will help you to evaluate if there is a gap in the market or an unmet clinical need. It will also help you decide where and when to conduct your trial.

Benefits of accessing this support

  • Reliable: use real-time data to make feasibility decisions
  • Efficient: identify where the best recruitment potential lies
  • Easy: our basic research activity data is self-service
  • Free: all our Study Support Services are free

Access national research activity data (self service)

The NIHR helps to deliver between 5,000 and 6,000 studies each year. We collate real-time research activity data on these studies and make it freely accessible via our public data platform to help you plan your trial:

Public data platform

Inform your feasibility decisions

Visibility of real-time research activity data can provide evidence to support feasibility assessments, country bids to run global trials and can be included in submissions for UK regulatory approvals. It may also help you to assess whether an appetite exists among investigators and patients to take part in your study.

Inform your site selection decisions

Visibility of real-time research activity helps us to understand and utilise all the capacity in the health and care research system to deliver research as efficiently as possible. We can help you to identify where the best recruitment potential lies and avoid placing your study where similar trials are ongoing that may affect the pace of your recruitment.

Contact us for advice

 Contact the Industry team

Unlock deeper insight and intelligence from data

Our data capabilities are expanding. We can compare many external data sets against real-time research activity data. For example, public health data, disease prevalence, and population and socio-economic data.

Viewing data in these different ways can further support feasibility and site identification. It can also help us to improve inclusion of under-served groups in clinical research and ensure that the people taking part in your clinical trial are representative of those most in need.

Extracting this in-depth insight and intelligence from our data requires specialist skills and is not a self-service option. Sponsors seeking this more tailored approach should contact the Industry team about collaborative ways of working to support study pipeline planning, as well as individual studies.

This video provides examples of how data can be used to help plan your research.

How the accuracy of our data is maintained

These insights are only possible if we have a comprehensive view of all the research taking place. It’s crucial that we receive accurate data on study progress from all study sponsors. In the UK measures have been introduced which help us to work collaboratively with sponsors to ensure the data we hold is up-to-date. 

Download the Terms and Conditions for NIHR Clinical Research Network Support to find out more to see the UK Measures to help us work collaboratively.

terms-and-conditions-for-nihr-crn-support.pdf

Learn more about how to streamline your study set-up and monitor progress.

ScanMedicine - the health technology innovation landscape

ScanMedicine is a comprehensive database of clinical trials and medical devices information. It provides users with open access to the development pipeline underpinning health technology innovations so that they can understand new research in their area of interest and up-and-coming medicines, devices and diagnostics.

This free NIHR resource collates information from 11 major health databases from around the world and presents up-to-date search results in an accessible format. It captures clinical trial records hosted on national and international clinical trials registries and medical device approval data from the FDA.

NIHR Open Data - funding award information

The NIHR is the UK’s largest funder of health and care research. NIHR Open Data allows you to view information on all NIHR research funding awards that have been active since 1 April 2011. The information is updated 4 times a year and contains basic information such as:

  • Award Title
  • Chief Investigator details
  • ORCiD identifier where available
  • Contracted organisation details

Health data and patient samples

We can also help you to access health data and patient samples to conduct your research. 

Contact and more information

Contact the Industry team

Fill out our contact form to request a chat with our team. We aim to reply as soon as possible and always within two business days.