To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 174 of the Levelling Up White Paper, which NHS-university partnerships will receive the £30 million in additional funding; and what the criteria is for the allocation of that funding.
This answer is the replacement for a previous holding answer.
Answered on
15 March 2022
The open competition for the National Institute for Health Research’s (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs) is continuing. The National Health Service and university partnerships which will receive NIHR BRC designation and funding levels will be confirmed in May 2022.
An independent international selection committee will review applications received from partnerships and provide assurance to the Department that designated and funded NIHR BRCs demonstrate the capability to meet the aims of the scheme. It will review applications and make recommendations on the basis of the following selection criteria:
- the strength of the strategic plan including a clear demonstration of patient and public involvement and plans to deliver improvements in research culture;
- existing research capacity and capability and plans for increasing capacity including through the provision of training which supports diverse career paths and promotes equality, diversity and inclusion;
- the quality and breadth of world leading experimental medicine and early translational research, with a proven ability to translate findings from discovery research into translational and clinical research to benefit patients and the public, the health and care system and for broader economic gain;
- the strength of the strategic partnerships, including those with industry, charities, and other NHS organisations/universities, NIHR-funded research infrastructure and a demonstrable track record of collaborative working;
- the contribution of the research portfolio to the health of patients and the public, including a demonstration that research is following patient need and reflects the diversity of the population (including support for research activities being conducted in areas with the greatest disease burden in collaboration with local investigators); and
- value for money.