National Institute for Health Research

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is a UK government body that receives Department of Health (DH) funding to direct and coordinate translational research programmes for the benefit of National Health Service (England) patients in England.

Established in April 2006, under the slogan "improving the health and wealth of the nation through research", the NIHR does not fund any clinical services but does aim to help deliver government responsibilities in public health and personal social services by supporting individuals, facilities and research projects.

The NIHR operates only in England, which accounts for some 50 million of the 60-plus million population of the UK. The round-figure 10 million who live in the other three Home Nations, in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, live under devolved Governments, which have the autonomy to set their own priorities regarding issues of Health, and which have their own counterparts of NHS England.

The NIHR Biomedical Research Centres (BRC) are 'Partnerships' between an 'Academic Partner', usually a research university or similar specialised-institution, and an 'NHS Host', usually in the form of an NHS Foundation Trust. The NIHR BCR were initiated as soon as the NIHR itself was launched, in April 2006, and the original BRCs began work in 2007.

The purpose of the BRCs is to make a translational research (TR) path to turn scientific discoveries into medical applications, and then to apply them into daily clinical practice, to make changes that are significant, smooth, immediate and lasting, and so provide better healthcare for all. Basic Research is converted readily into clinical trials to provide bench to bedside Translational Medicine (TM).

NIHR BRC funding is in 5-year tranches. The First Tranche cycle ran from 2007-2012, the Second Tranche cycle runs from 2012-2017 and the Third Tranche of funding is now being authorised and allocated to allow the Third Cycle of research to begin in April 2017.

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