The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has awarded nearly £800 million to 20 Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs) across England, to develop scientific discoveries into new treatments, tests and medical technologies to improve patient care.
NHIR Biomedical Research Centres are formed by partnerships between healthcare professionals and academics in NHS trusts and universities. As part of NIHR’s research infrastructure, they receive funding to “attract the best scientists and create an environment where experimental medicine can thrive.”
The NIHR funds 20 BRCs at present, with 12 receiving additional investment in this new funding round. This marked the fourth round of NIHR Biomedical Research Centre funding and is set to support research over the next five years in areas such as cancer, mental health, dementia and infectious diseases. The funding also provides opportunities for professionals to undertake research, with a focus on expanding expertise in allied health professionals such as such as physiotherapists, radiologists and dietitians, as well as in doctors and nurses.
Notably, biomedical research in the North and Midlands is set to see a “significant” funding boost, with nearly £250 million of the funding invested outside of London, Oxford and Cambridge.
Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Executive of the NIHR, said: “Research by NIHR Biomedical Research Centres has led to a number of ground-breaking new treatments, such as new gene therapies for haemophilia and motor neurone disease, the world-first treatment for Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, a nose-drop vaccine for whooping cough, and the first UK-wide study into the long-term impact of COVID-19.
“This latest round of funding recognises the strength of expertise underpinning health and care research across the country and gives our nation’s best researchers more opportunities to develop innovative new treatments for patients.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Thérèse Coffey added: “This additional funding will harness the UK’s world leading innovation and allow research centres up and down the country to attract experts in their field and conduct research that saves lives.”
