This site is optimised for modern browsers. For the best experience, please use Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge.

Our governance

How we are managed

Our work is directed by the Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and by the Director and Senior Management Team of DHSC's Science Research and Evidence Directorate.

DHSC contracts directly with a number of NHS Trusts, universities and life science organisations that host our six coordinating centres:

  • NIHR Clinical Research Network Coordinating Centre, hosted by the University of Leeds and Guys and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust; 
  • NIHR Academy Executive, hosted by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; 
  • NIHR Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre, hosted by the University of Southampton; 
  • NIHR Centre for Engagement and Dissemination; NIHR Central Commissioning Facility; and the NIHR Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure, all hosted by LGC. 

Coordinating centres are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the NIHR. The Directors of the Centres sit on NIHR's Centres Executive Board (CEB), which also includes the NIHR Communications Director, the NIHR Chief Digital Officer and the NIHR Director for Public Voice. CEB is the decision-making body for certain NIHR-wide initiatives and projects. The members of CEB are part of the 'executive team' that is leading the NIHR at national level in conjunction with the Director and Senior Management Team of DHSC's Science Research and Evidence Directorate.

DHSC also contracts directly with the Dean of the NIHR Academy and the Research Programme Directors. These individuals are all members of the NIHR Strategy Board, as are the members of CEB. Their relationship with DHSC is therefore advisory as well as contractual. The NIHR Strategy Board advises on strategic issues relating to the management of the NIHR and the implementation of NIHR’s plans.

 

Academy

The NIHR Academy Executive manages the NIHR Academy and is responsible for development and coordination of NIHR academic training, career development and research capacity development.

The Academy Executive is hosted by Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT) and is based in Leeds.

Which areas of the NIHR are managed by the Academy Executive?

The Academy Executive manages the following programmes: 

Other key activities that the Academy Executive leads on, or manages, on behalf of the NIHR are:

  • NIHR Incubators

Who's who

Academy Executive Leadership Team 

Contact the Academy Executive

Email: academy@nihr.ac.uk

Telephone: 0113 532 8444

CED

The NIHR Centre for Engagement and Dissemination (CED) focuses on two aspects of the NIHR mission. Firstly, we champion the effective engagement and involvement of patients, public, carers, service users and communities (people and communities) in all parts of the research journey.

Secondly, through our support for dissemination and mobilisation of evidence, we stimulate the translation of research findings into policy and practice to improve patient outcomes and health and social care services.

CED is hosted by LGC's Grant Management Group and is based in Twickenham and Southampton.

Which areas of the NIHR are managed by the NIHR Centre for Engagement and Dissemination?

Dissemination and knowledge mobilisation

We support the translation and mobilisation of NIHR-funded research evidence into policy and practice through three main activities.

Firstly, we act as a thought leader and centre of expertise on dissemination and knowledge mobilisation within NIHR, promoting enhanced dissemination and knowledge mobilisation of NIHR funded research.

Secondly, we produce accessible summaries of recent health and social care research in a range of formats. These include plain English summaries of individual research studies, evidence collections on key topics and thematic reviews of priority health and social care issues. These evidence summaries incorporate the views of patients, researchers and other stakeholders. They are hosted on the NIHR Evidence website.

Thirdly, working with others in NIHR, we help provide resources and training for researchers and NIHR staff on dissemination and knowledge mobilisation best practice.

Engaging and involving people and communities (public partnerships)

Public partnership is vital to ensure the relevance, quality, reach and impact of health and social care research.

We provide leadership, coordination, support and challenge for public partnerships work across NIHR and with partners, in order that diverse people and communities can play the most meaningful role in prioritising, designing, delivering, taking part in, and making use of health and care research to achieve better outcomes.

Our role is focused on:

Leadership in setting and driving strategic goals for public partnerships, and informing and improving policy and practice. We work across the UK nations, internationally, with regulators, charities, industry and other funders to align goals and drive system change. And we work with partners to promote the UK Public Involvement Standards.

Coordination of plans, standards and objectives for improvement in public partnerships, across the NIHR and with partners, including through a cross-NIHR Programme Board.

Support to those doing public partnership work, including members of the public,  researchers and others. We provide guidance and resources (see Learning for Involvement), respond to enquiries, convene events and match people to opportunities for involvement  (see People in Research).

Challenge the research system to do better, acting in the light of what people and communities are saying to promote innovation and create a more inclusive research culture.

Who's who

CED Leadership Team

Contact the NIHR Centre for Engagement and Dissemination

Email: ced@nihr.ac.uk

Telephone: 020 8843 7117

CCF

The NIHR Central Commissioning Facility (CCF) manages five NIHR research programmes, the Research Design Service and several NIHR infrastructure schemes, as well as the Senior Investigator scheme. It also supports the NIHR by providing information on recruitment to clinical trials, and ensuring patients and the public are involved in the research we manage.

CCF is hosted by LGC's Grant Management Group and is based in Twickenham.

Which areas of the NIHR are managed by CCF?

CCF manages the following research programmes:

CCF also manages the Research Design Service (RDS), to support researchers preparing applications for NIHR research programmes, and the following research schools, centres and units:

For the NIHR infrastructure, CCF manages the following NIHR schemes:

Other key activities that CCF leads on, or manages, on behalf of the NIHR are:  

Who's who

Central Commissioning Facility Leadership Team

Contact CCF

Email: ccf@nihr.ac.uk

Telephone: 020 8843 8000

CRNCC

The NIHR Clinical Research Network Coordinating Centre (CRNCC) is the headquarters of the NIHR Clinical Research Network, providing executive and operational leadership, management, and governance of the network.

The CRNCC is hosted by the University of Leeds and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust  in partnership and has offices in Leeds, London, Liverpool, Newcastle and Preston.

Find out about performance and key statistics relating to CRNCC.

Which areas of the NIHR are managed by CRNCC?

CRNCC manages the NIHR Clinical Research Network, which funds and coordinates some 14,000 research support staff in every single NHS Trust in England, in thousands of GP practices, and in numerous other research sites including care homes, hospices, local authorities, dental surgeries, schools, and prisons.

The NIHR Clinical Research Network comprises:

  • 15 Local Clinical Research Networks (LCRNs), each covering a region of England
  • 30 Clinical Research Specialties
  • National Specialty Leads, who act for the individual specialty on behalf of the NIHR CRN as a whole.

Who's who

Clinical Research Network Coordinating Centre Leadership Team

Contact CRNCC

Email: crn@nihr.ac.uk

Telephone: 020 3328 6700

NETSCC

The NIHR Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NETSCC) manages identification, prioritising, funding, delivery, publication and dissemination of high quality research for five NIHR research programmes. It also leads on a number of other NIHR initiatives to meet the needs of the public, patients, the NHS and wider care system.

NETSCC is hosted by the School of Healthcare Enterprise and Innovation at the University of Southampton.

Which areas of the NIHR are managed by NETSCC?

NETSCC manages the following research programmes:

Other key activities that NETSCC leads on, or manages, on behalf of the NIHR are:  

Who's who

NETSCC Leadership Team

Contact NETSCC

Email: netscomms@nihr.ac.uk

Telephone: 023 8059 5586

NOCRI

The NIHR Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure (NOCRI) helps charities, industry and other research funders work in partnership with NIHR and the experts and clinicians it supports.

It also  ensures that NIHR-supported centres, units, facilities and networks can work together to help drive the flow of innovative research to improve patient benefit.

NOCRI is a unique resource for the global life sciences industry - improving the quality, efficiency and success of translational research.

NOCRI is hosted by LGC's Grant Management Group and is based in London Bridge and Twickenham.

Which areas of the NIHR are managed by NOCRI?

NOCRI helps life sciences companies work with the right people within the NIHR infrastructure and makes it easy for infrastructure and industry, charities and other partners to work together.

For  early-phase clinical research, NOCRI provides connections to the country's experimental medicine experts, who can help companies understand the potential of their developmental drugs, devices and diagnostics.

In later-phase research, NOCRI provides rapid links to the NIHR Clinical Research Network, which ensures efficient and effective delivery of larger and multi-centre clinical studies.

NOCRI also supports the establishment of themed national collaborations within the NIHR infrastructure and wider ecosystem, in areas including:

Who's who

NOCRI Leadership Team

Contact NOCRI

Email: nocri@nihr.ac.uk

Telephone: 020 3794 7380