Support Network
A collection of organisations and services, locally and nationally, that can support translational research. Network items that include the University of Manchester logo are primarily accessible by members of the University. When logged in with a University of Manchester or guest user account, additional contact details will be available.
NHS/NIHR infrastructure
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Health Innovation Manchester
An academic health science and innovation system at the forefront of transforming the health and wellbeing of Greater Manchester’s 2.8 million citizens.
How do you support researchers?
As an academic health science and innovation system, Health Innovation Manchester is responsible for accelerating proven innovation into Greater Manchester’s health and social care services at pace and scale. Health Innovation Manchester was formed in October 2017 by bringing together the former Academic Health Science Network and Academic Health Science Centre under one single umbrella, which also represents Greater Manchester’s wider research and innovation system.
In Greater Manchester, we have the unique ability to deliver innovation into front-line care at pace and scale thanks to our £6bn devolved health and social care system, unrivalled digital assets and ambitions, exceptional academic and research capability and thriving industry partnerships.
HInM has a thriving programme of research activities across the six domains of research excellence: cancer, cardiovascular disease, inflammation and repair, women and children, mental health, and neuroscience, underpinned by the cross-cutting themes: precision health, digital health and applied health research. HInM is now working across GM’s main research partners to focus activity to address the health and social care priorities of GM, as well as to secure further funding and advance translational research delivery into the frontline. This activity is being further supported through the development of strategic partnerships with the University of Salford, University of Bolton, Manchester Metropolitan University, and The University of Manchester.
At what stage in their research project should a researcher approach you for support?
We work with researchers within the six research domains to develop projects at the D3 to T2 stages of the translational pathway. However, HInM has a pivotal role in bringing forward a constant flow of targeted innovations and putting them through an effective but streamlined evaluation process, so they are adopted at pace and scale across Greater Manchester and beyond.
General contact details
Website: healthinnovationmanchester.com
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Manchester Rare Conditions Centre (MRCC)
The MRCC aims to improve the lives of people with Rare Conditions, across all ages, by providing a platform the coordination of clinical care, research, education and engagement.
How do you support researchers?
We are leveraging the excellent research ecosystem in Manchester to improve research in Rare Conditions by being a hub that connects our partners.
The MRCC is working towards increasing the capacity for research in Rare Conditions in Manchester through MRCC Research Fellowships.
The MRCC is planning to set up pump prime awards and PhD studentships for promoting Rare Conditions research in Manchester.
At what stage in their research project should a researcher approach you for support?
The MRCC can support researchers throughout the rare conditions research life cycle. We can help in connecting researchers with basic science or clinical collaborators, finding suitable funding opportunities, providing resources for some projects and in planning for implementation of findings.
General contact details
Website: www.mrcc.org.uk
Email: manchester.rcc@mft.nhs.uk
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National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration Greater Manchester (ARC-GM)
We support applied health and care research that responds to, and meets, the needs of local populations and health and care systems, whilst supporting professionals to translate this into practice.
How do you support researchers?
We support researchers by working with our health and social care partners, the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector, industry and other NIHR infrastructure to translate priorities into answerable research questions, ensuring that our jointly co-produced research is relevant, useful and applicable to local service needs and affects policy and practice within Greater Manchester and beyond.
At what stage in their research project should a researcher approach you for support?
At the idea conception and design stages.
General contact details
Email: arc-gm@nihr.ac.uk
Website: https://arc-gm.nihr.ac.uk/
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NIHR Clinical Research Network
The NIHR Greater Manchester Clinical Research Network (GM CRN) is the delivery arm of research in NHS and social care settings; supporting high-quality research to advance knowledge and improve local healthcare.
How do you support researchers?
Through our free-of-charge study support service, we help academic researchers and the life-sciences industry plan, set up and deliver high-quality research in the NHS and wider health and social care environment, including: medical; diagnostic; pharmaceutical; bio-tech; med-tech; Contract Research Organisation and academia
Through working with us, you will have the opportunity to access:
- A diverse population of 3 million people through our Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement projects
- 30 specialties, with a clinical expert in each therapeutic area from the very outset of your clinical trial
- Expert advice on funding opportunities, cost attribution for grants, and commercial costing and contracting
- New sites and investigators, across health and social care settings
- Expert knowledge in delivering research based on proven experience, including feasibility assessments and recruitment plans
- Strong links with the life sciences industry and SMEs, enabling investigator initiated studies
- Full performance monitoring support, including a proven escalation and resolution route, to ensure your study recruits within the allocated time and to target
At what stage in their research project should a researcher approach you for support?
Engage with us as early as possible to enable access to the full cycle of the study support service , allowing us to actively engage, facilitate and drive the success of your study
General contact details
Email: researchsupport.crngm@nihr.ac.uk
Website: https://local.nihr.ac.uk/lcrn/greater-manchester
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NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Translational Research Centre
Develop and test behavioural and digital interventions to improve patient safety
How do you support researchers?
We support researchers by developing and testing behavioural and digital interventions to improve patient safety before they are used more widely.
Our research and projects focus on a “product” and “pipeline” pathway. Product refers to behavioural and digital interventions to improve patient safety primarily addressing primary care and transitions within and across health and social care settings, both within community care and in hospitals. Pipeline is the embedded involvement and engagement and patient and public involvement approaches to co-design that we use to work in partnership with members of the public, patients, healthcare professionals, policy-makers and commissioners to maximise the opportunities for our products to be used at the next translational stage and in practice. This addresses two of the three Greater Manchester PSTRC core aims on research excellence and a learning health system pipeline. Our third key aim relates to capacity building – focusing on researchers, PhD students, staff, patients/carers and members of the public. We work in partnership with other NIHR infrastructure as well as health and social care providers and Health Innovation Manchester.
At what stage in their research project should a researcher approach you for support?
Researchers can approach us for support and advice at any stage. However, given our focus on the first translational gap, on identifying, developing and testing new approaches and on involvement and engagement, it would be perhaps most relevant to do so at the start of a project or before requesting funding from a funder.
General contact details
For general enquiries:
Email: gmpstrc@manchester.ac.uk
Website: http://www.patientsafety.manchester.ac.uk/ -
NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Emergency and Acute Care
Supports evidence (clinical, analytical, economic) generation for commercially supplied Health Technology (IVDs, Medical devices, digital technologies), including sample and data provision.
How do you support researchers?
The NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Emergency and Acute Care transforms emergency care by driving the commercial development of health technologies (HealthTech). HealthTech informs clinical decision making, improves diagnosis and optimises treatments ensuring patients get the right care, in the right place, at the right time.
The HRC in Emergency and Acute Care will drive the progression of novel health technologies through the innovation pathway to patient benefit, working with innovators to co-develop technologies and generate the evidence required to achieve adoption in the health and care system at pace and scale. In doing this we will ensure the HealthTech we develop is sustainable and beneficial to all communities, to deliver equitable access to healthcare and ultimately improve public health and wellbeing for all.
Our centre brings together a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, methodologists and project managers who can provide advice and support to generate evidence and create a compelling value proposition for adoption, this includes:
- Understanding the target population and the use case
- Identifying the current care pathway and how a technology would change this
- Health Economics analysis
- Quantifying the potential impact – how will the technology improve patient care, outcomes, treatments and services.
- Designing and conducting clinical validation and cost effectiveness studies
- Providing access to patients, samples and data.
- Grant writing support
- Patient public involvement and engagement support
At what stage in their research project should a researcher approach you for support?
Researchers and innovators are welcome to get in touch at any point in their own development pathway to explore opportunities, please fill in the enquiry form on our website. Our focus is on evidence generation, so if a technology needs further testing and development, we are happy to review.
General contact details
Fill in the enquiry form on our website
Website: https://hrc-emergency.nihr.ac.uk/
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NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)
Supporting the translation of scientific discoveries into new treatments, diagnostic tests and medical technologies to improve patients’ lives in Greater Manchester, Lancashire, South Cumbria and beyond.
How do you support researchers?
Biomedical Research Centres are partnerships between leading NHS trusts and universities, creating an environment where experimental medicine can thrive, expanding research expertise and embedding routine into clinical practice.
The NIHR Manchester BRC, awarded £59.1m (2022-2027), is the fifth largest BRC in the country, and the largest BRC outside the South East of England
Manchester BRC works across the University of Manchester and our partner NHS organisations, plus industry and charities, to fund research staff, students and projects. Its experimental medicine infrastructure drives collaboration across clinical and academic specialties, supports signposting to share expertise, and drives new research ideas and areas forward across our four research clusters: Disease complexity, Inflammation, Cancer, High burden under-researched conditions.
We have a strong focus on training and education across all staff groups, driving forward Equality, Diversity and & Inclusion (EDI) in all we do.
We bring together expertise from across our partnership to design and deliver a range of training and career development opportunities for all healthcare professionals, at all levels. We run networking events and education webinars to discuss solutions to common problems in a supportive peer network, and provide exciting opportunities to develop the next generation of researchers. We value the knowledge, views and experiences of people and patients to inform our priorities, research plans and implementation, to improve the quality of our research and ensure we meet everyone’s needs and focus on issues that matter to them.
At what stage in their research project should a researcher approach you for support?
As soon as possible to enable us to appropriately input into projects/study design and support researchers to take ideas forward, but we are happy to work with anyone at any stage in the translational pipeline. The work that we fund is early phase experimental medicine (D2 to T1/2) but we cannot fund animal research.
General contact details
Website: www.manchesterbrc.nihr.ac.uk/
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NIHR Manchester Clinical Research Facility
Delivers early phase studies in adults and children across all therapeutic areas and all cancer types.
How do you support researchers?
We deliver early phase studies in adults and children across all therapeutic areas and all cancer types.
Manchester CRF comprises four dedicated experimental medicine research units across Greater Manchester, hosting cutting-edge technology. Our hospital locations at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI), Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital (RMCH) and Wythenshawe Hospital mean we can appropriately manage patient safety and deliver high intensity studies.
With a diverse Greater Manchester population of 2.8M our research partners benefit from the large potential for recruitment.
We deliver complex, high quality experimental medicine studies to time and target and drive faster translation from bench to bedside. Our experienced research staff, including world-leading researchers can advise on all aspects of study design and delivery.
Twenty four hour, seven day-a-week inpatient and outpatient services are available.
Partnering with us gives you access to:
- Inpatient and Outpatient Facilities
- Imaging Facilities
- Specialist Equipment and Trained Staff
We believe that collaboration with industry, universities, hospitals and others plays an essential role in improving care for the patients we serve through research.
General contact details
Email: rsm-mcrf@mft.nhs.uk
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NIHR Research Design Service North West
Supporting researchers who are applying to a national (or international) funding body in open, peer-reviewed competition to undertake applied health or social care research.
How do you support researchers?
We will support anyone applying to a national (or international) funding body in open, peer-reviewed competition to undertake applied health or social care research.
At what stage in their research project should a researcher approach you for support?
The earlier the better! We will work from the earliest ideas to help researchers to build a team that includes all necessary disciplines, including patients, the public, scientists, clinicians and methodologists. We will also review rejected applications, or those with conditional funding approvals, to help researchers to improve them.
General contact details
Follow the ‘Request advice’ tab from
Website: https://www.rds-nw.nihr.ac.uk/
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Research and Innovation, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
Develop and test behavioural and digital interventions to improve patient safety.
How do you support researchers?
The MFT Innovation Team (MIT) provides support to any member of staff working across the MFT to help them to develop and adopt solutions that improve patient care, efficiency or costeffectiveness. These services may be of particular benefit to those working on research and innovation projects.The process of developing an innovation can be complex and lengthy. An unmet need must be identified and validated and the size of the market must be assessed. The impact that an innovation could have and the cost of achieving the desired outcomes must be fully analysed so that appropriate funds and resources can be acquired and assigned to the project. External developers are often needed to help drive the innovation forward, so it is vital that adequate protection is in place when engaging in such activity.
MIT helps NHS staff to navigate this complex process. The team is adept at helping to determine the best route for your project; identifying appropriate internal and external resources that can help to achieve your goals.
Additionally, MIT delivers a range of other innovationrelated activity, such as helping to protect intellectual property through patents, trade marks and copyright, and training and education sessions.
At what stage in their research project should a researcher approach you for support?
MIT can assist you at any stage of the innovation pathway.
General contact details
Email: MFT_innovation@mft.nhs.uk
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The Innovation Nexus
Do you have an innovation which could benefit the NHS?
How do you support researchers?
The Health Innovation Manchester team of advisors brings together expertise across all aspects of working with the NHS, from trials, evaluation and market needs analysis to procurement and adoption. If you have an innovative product, service or technology that you believe has the potential to benefit the NHS, our team will be delighted to hear about your innovation and will provide bespoke advice on the steps you should be taking to progress your innovation and engage with the NHS.
At what stage in their research project should a researcher approach you for support?
We recommend getting in touch with us early, even if you feel your innovation isn’t ready yet, and we can provide you with the right advice and insight for progressing it towards implementation in the NHS.
General contact details
Email: in@healthinnovationmanchester.com
Website: https://healthinnovationmanchester.com/theinnovation-nexus/
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VOCAL
Advise on and deliver patient and public involvement and engagement across Greater Manchester, nationally and internationally.
How do you support researchers?
Vocal is a specialist unit advising on and delivering patient and public involvement and engagement across Greater Manchester, nationally and internationally. We are financially independent and not for profit, hosted by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with The University of Manchester.
We can provide support to researchers in terms of:
- Developing and supporting researchers to develop patient and public involvement and engagement strategies and plans for their research
- Advice on grant applications in relation to patient and public involvement and engagement
- Providing training, support and mentorship for researchers on involving and engaging patients and the public with their research
- Designing and delivering patient and public involvement and engagement for research including facilitating access to research advisory panels and groups (dependent on research funder)
- Evaluation of their patient and public involvement and engagement work
At what stage in their research project should a researcher approach you for support?
Ideally, as early on in a research project as possible, although support is available at all stages of projects if required.
General contact details
Email: info@wearevocal.org
Website: https://www.wearevocal.org/
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