NIHR’s Research Delivery Network launched

This month marks a new chapter in the optimisation and delivery of health and care research in England, with the launch of the NIHR’s Research Delivery Network (RDN).

The RDN is a new organisation which has been set up to respond to the changing requirements of the health and care research system.

Having taken over from the NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN), a new organisational structure with an ambition to help make the UK a more attractive place to conduct high quality research, is now in place.

This is a unified Network where systems are aligned and talent and resources are deployed nationally for maximum effect.

Delivering the government priority projects

Although the transition process from the CRN to the RDN is ongoing, the Network is already pressing ahead on delivering the government priority projects. Examples include:

The RDN has implemented the Terms and Conditions for NIHR CRN/RDN support (T&Cs) on behalf of DHSC, to the nationally agreed process and timelines. The T&Cs outline the expected actions and requirements for sponsors to access RDN support. The Sponsor Engagement Tool is being further developed to provide a more efficient and effective way for sponsors to provide regular assessments of study progress and ensure the data the Network holds is up-to-date. These collective actions will result in improved data quality and accuracy. This can be used to improve study planning and placement to make best use of the research system’s capacity and capability.

A new site ID service is being developed to enable sponsors to identify and connect with the most suitable locations across the whole health and care system to deliver each study. This will be a nationwide process and it will combine clinical research activity and infrastructure data for informed decision making.

The RDN continues to facilitate the UK’s interactive Costing Tool and play a  key role in operating the National Contract Value Review, a system-wide process that helps different parts of the research ecosystem function collaboratively. The process has already demonstrated a reduction in study set up times. Work is underway to support the next stage which covers early phase and Advanced Therapies Medical Products, and is due to launch in October.

The RDN provides a personalised account management service to organisations with significant research portfolios in the UK, working in partnership to help them plan, place and deliver their studies.  The service is being enhanced and expanded for delivery by industry-facing colleagues across the Network, with the ambition of increasing the number of commercial and non-commercial studies being placed in the UK.

A more inclusive approach to health and care research

By focusing on these and other government priority projects, the new organisation will bolster the UK’s position as one of the world’s key destinations for health and care research delivery. This in turn will enable more people to take part in research wherever they live – helping to address changing population needs, support the health and care system and the economy, and become a routine part of care.

Up until now, health and care research has predominantly taken place in secondary care settings but going forward, the RDN will focus on enabling research to be delivered where it is most needed and best placed. This will include more research in primary care, community care and residential settings, making research delivery as inclusive as possible.

A unified and collegiate organisation

The key to enabling the government priority projects to flourish, is to operate as a single organisation, working as a team not just internally, but with our partners across the health and care research system.

Throughout the process of transition, the Network has consulted and involved valued partners and stakeholders when making key decisions. The RDN will continue to seek the views of the wider system when deciding how the Network adapts its services and allocates its resources.

Building on the successes of the CRN

The new RDN builds on the successes of the CRN including; involving over 10 million people in health and care research and supporting over 20,000 studies – 6,000 of which were commercial – to name just a few.

It was during the COVID-19 pandemic, that the innovation and commitment of the CRN really came to the fore. CRN teams recruited to our RECOVERY, PRINCIPLE and PANORAMIC trials and vaccine trials at an unprecedented pace and scale, the results of which have saved countless lives across the UK and around the world.

Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department of Health and Social Care and Chief Executive Officer of the NIHR said: “Today marks an important and exciting step forward for research delivery across England. Research delivery is taking place in more settings than before and as part of that change we need to be more strategic across our regions, and united as we drive consistent, continuous improvement. With this new organisation in place, I look forward to seeing more high-quality health and care research studies successfully delivered, resulting in improvements in health for all communities.”

Professor Andrew Ustianowski, Interim Executive Director of the NIHR Research Delivery Network said: “We have undergone a process of transition to a new organisation structure within our coordinating centre, and now that process is happening in the regions too alongside the start of our new regional contracts. Work to fully transform the way we work with partners and the services we offer is also continuing, to ensure we meet the needs of a changing health and care system and act as effective partners in the research system. So although the RDN launches today and there is much important work underway, we need time to deliver what we are committed to. Working as one unified RDN will be the cornerstone of our success. By pooling resources, working smarter and continuing to work as part of the broader system, we will unlock the full potential of UK research delivery.”