The NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) supports patients, the public and health and care organisations across England to participate in high-quality research, advancing knowledge and improving care. The CRN is comprised of 15 Local Clinical Research Networks and 30 Specialties who coordinate and support the delivery of high-quality research both by geography and therapy area. National leadership and coordination is provided through the CRN Coordinating Centre.

The CRN enables high-quality health and care research in England by meeting the costs of additional staff, facilities, equipment and support services so that research is not subsidised with funding that has been provided for health and care treatments and service. The CRN also provides a vast range of national and local resources and activities that support health and care organisations, staff, and patients and service users to be research active, such as specialist training, information systems to manage and report research, patient and public involvement and engagement initiatives, and communications expertise.

Delivering studies ‘to plan’ - meaning within the planned timescale and with the right number of participants to make the results meaningful - is of critical importance, which is why we provide the Study Support Service. This helps researchers and the life sciences industry plan, set up and deliver high-quality research in both the NHS and the wider health and social care environment across England. We provide this service for all studies eligible for our support, regardless of location, study type, study size, therapy or research area. Whether your study is medical, diagnostic, pharmaceutical, bio-tech or is looking at healthy populations or people with social care needs, we can help.

The NIHR CRN helped 1,390,483 participants take part in portfolio studies in England in 2020/21 - the largest number ever to take part in NIHR CRN supported clinical research in a single year (up from 732,176 in 2019/20).

The Study Support Service can support healthcare professionals with the development, set up and delivery of high quality research that is taking place in the National Health Service and other areas where social care is being delivered.  We provide this service for all studies eligible for support, regardless of location, study type, study size, therapy or research area. Whether your study is medical, diagnostic, pharmaceutical, bio-tech or is looking at healthy populations of people with social care needs, we can help.

If your study is fully sponsored and funded by a commercial organisation, visit our Study Support Service for Industry page to access information specifically for commercial contract research.

You can also contact the local Study Support Service on study-support.crnnwcoast@nihr.ac.uk for more information, or call 0151 331 5126.