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The NIHR provides access to a number of data sources and digital tools that will help you to understand the existing research landscape and make evidence-based decisions when planning and placing your trial, and thinking about study recruitment. For example, by helping you to identify locations with strong recruitment potential, evaluate if there is a gap in the market, understand opportunities to reach under-served communities.
Benefits of accessing this support
- Reliable: make evidence based decisions
- Inclusive: identify opportunities for engaging underserved populations
- Efficient: optimise the recruitment potential of your study
- Strategic: identify gaps in the market and areas of clinical need
- Free: all our standard support services are free
Scoping Locations for Research tool (self service)
This tool is designed specifically for research sponsors and their representatives to help you make decisions about where to place research in the UK.
The NIHR helps to deliver between 5,000 and 6,000 studies each year. Visibility of that research activity, alongside health prevalence data, enables you to quickly see and assess potential locations for your upcoming study.
The tool is self service and can be used to filter the data by multiple criteria to match your research requirements, such as:
- specialty/disease area
- sub-specialties
- study type eg CTIMP
- study phases
You can also choose which financial years you view and to filter data relating to commercial research, non-commercial, or both.
Viewing the research experience and activity across the research system helps us to work together to utilise all the capacity in the health and care system to deliver research as efficiently as possible. It can also:
- inform feasibility decisions
- support bids to run global trials
- identify where the best recruitment potential lies
- help you discover new research locations
Access the tool on our Open Data Platform and select ‘Scoping Locations for Research’.
How the tool works
The video below demonstrates how the Scoping Locations for Research tool works, how to use it and where to go for further information.
Unlock deeper insight and intelligence from data
We can also compare other data sets such as population and socio-economic data against real-time research activity data.
Viewing data this data can 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. It can also help us to target research locations that offer the best opportunity for engaging diverse populations.
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 for support.
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 Research Delivery Network Support to find out more to see the UK Measures to help us work collaboratively.
Learn more about tools and support to monitor study progress.
ScanMedicine – the health technology innovation landscape
Knowing what research has already taken place or if similar trials are ongoing can help you to evaluate if there is a gap in the market.
ScanMedicine is is a comprehensive database of clinical trials and medical devices information. It provides you with open access to the development pipeline underpinning health technology innovations so that you can understand new research in your 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
Related services
This service is just one of the ways we help life science organisations.
Customers also viewed:
- Feasibility: Ask clinical and care experts to review your protocol
- Engage patients and the public to review your research plans
- Access the UK’s standardised approach to costing and contracting
- Life Sciences Industry Learning Centre for the Study Support Service (on NIHR Learn)
- Access patient samples and health data to conduct your research
Discover our full range of Services and support for the life sciences industry
