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CRN West Midlands

The CRN West Midlands provides the infrastructure that allows high-quality research to take place in our area, so that people can benefit from new and better care and treatments. We help to increase opportunities for people to take part in research, ensure that studies are carried out efficiently and provide researchers with the practical support they need to carry out their research.  

About Us

Below is a map of the counties covered by the CRN West Midlands.  These are:

  • Shropshire
  • Staffordshire
  • County of the West Midlands
  • Warwickshire
  • Worcestershire
  • Herefordshire

Map of counties covered by the CRN West Midlands

We help to increase the opportunities for our local population to take part in health and social care research and ensure that studies are carried out efficiently and to a high standard. 

The CRN West Midlands (CRN WM)  is the largest of 15 local Networks across England with an economically and ethnically diverse population of around 5.9m. Funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, the CRN WM makes sure that health and social care research occupies the place it deserves across the West Midlands locality, including hospitals and other settings such as care homes, hospices, prisons and schools

The Network provides researchers with the practical support they need to ensure the research successfully delivers its aims. 

For research that meets certain criteria we offer free of charge operational and practical support. This support includes : 

  • Advising researchers on how to make their study work in hospital and other settings
  • Making it easier to set up a study
  • Helping health and social care researchers to identify suitable sites and recruit patients to take part in studies
  • Funding the people and facilities needed to carry out research
  • Access to nationally and locally designed research-related training

The Network is hosted by The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.  Follow the link to find our Funding Model.

We want the West Midlands to be the best possible place to live, work and receive healthcare and social care, where research and innovation thrive.  Our  Progression Plan (formerly Entry Plan) sets out how we aim to achieve this.

Our Partners

NIHR Research Delivery Network - coming in 2024

The NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN), launching in April 2024, will support the country’s world-class research system to deliver high quality research that enables the best care for our population.

Building on the success of the NIHR’s Clinical Research Network, it will work across the health and care system, with staff in all health and care settings, and distribute funding to support the effective and efficient initiation and delivery of research.

The NIHR RDN will operate as one organisation across England, through a network of 12 Regional Research Delivery Networks (RRDNs) and a central Coordinating Centre (RDNCC).  Find out more about the transition from CRN to RDN on the RDN site.

Our Bulletin

Issue 97 - 8 March

Issue 96 - 23 February

Issue 95 - 9 February

Contact Us:

Please Note: the majority of staff are still working from home so please contact us via email.

Senior Leadership Team

Clinical Director - Professor Matthew Brookes
matthew.brookes@nhs.net

Chief Operating Officer & Improvement Lead - Carly Craddock
carly.craddock@nihr.ac.uk

Pam Devall (Acting Deputy COO)
pamela.devall@nihr.ac.uk

Deputy Clinical Directors:

Dr David Shukla
david.shukla@nihr.ac.uk

Professor Chris Imray
christopher.imray@uhcw.nhs.uk

Study Support

Please use the email addresses below for study-related enquiries:

Study Support Services (for study enquiries, including queries about Excess Treatment Costs):
studysupport.crnwestmidlands@nihr.ac.uk

OR

studysupportpc.crnwestmidlands@nihr.ac.uk (for Primary Care studies)

CPMS, ODP or EDGE queries: 
servicedesk.crnwestmidlands@nihr.ac.uk

Industry Enquiries:
industry.crnwestmidlands@nihr.ac.uk 

Training

We are committed to delivering high quality training to NHS research staff throughout our region who are involved in the conduct of studies accepted onto the NIHR CRN Portfolio.  All courses are advertised and booked via a dedicated website - find out more on our training page

General Enquiries (not study related):

**Please do not use this email for study-related enquiries - see above for the relevant contact email addresses**.

To contact our Research Delivery Managers, Clinical Research Leads and Research Specialty Leads, please email crnwestmidlands@nihr.ac.uk for details.

Media Enquiries

For any Communications queries, resources, Network Awards information or to be added to the mailing list for the Network Bulletin, please email claireanne.hall@nihr.ac.uk

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