Eight Shelford Group Trusts have been awarded a combined total of almost £484 million worth of funding to continue being National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs) for the next five years, translating scientific discoveries into new treatments, diagnostic tests and medical technologies to improve patients’ lives.
Four of our Trusts – Birmingham, Imperial, Newcastle and UCLH -have also received funding as part of £25 million to fund Patient Safety Research Collaborations (PSRCs) across England.
Shelford Group Trusts account for almost two thirds of England’s clinical research infrastructure by value, with 20 BRCs in total across England. The Trusts (and their partners) awarded BRC funding are as follows:
| Name | Host institution | University partner |
| NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre | University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust | University of Birmingham |
| NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre | Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | University of Cambridge |
| NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre | Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust | Imperial College London |
| NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre | Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust | University of Manchester |
| NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre | Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Newcastle University |
| NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre | Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | University of Oxford |
| NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre | Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | University of Sheffield |
| NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre | University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | University College London |
NIHR Biomedical Research Centres are partnerships between healthcare professionals and academics in the country’s leading NHS trusts and universities. The funding supports the country’s leading experts to develop and deliver research funded by the NIHR, other public funders, charities and the life sciences industry. In doing so, its investment plays a crucial role in underpinning research in England and supporting economic growth.
Previous Shelford Group Trust BRC research projects have included:
- ULCH working with Formula 1 engineers to create and roll out life-saving breathing machine to prevent patients from needing intensive care
- Birmingham’s project where ultrasound was shown to improve detection of muscle wasting in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. This method is now being used to assess muscle loss in a national long COVID study funded by NIHR.
- Newcastle’s project where BRC researchers have launched the UK arm of a global gene therapy study in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The study is the first time gene therapy has been given in the UK to a patient with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a disease for which there are currently no approved treatments that target the disease itself rather than ease symptoms.
Commenting on the news, Shelford Group Managing Director Will Warburton said:
“We welcome the exciting news that eight of our Trusts have successfully been awarded NIHR funding, with our Trusts accounting for two thirds of this critical component of the country’s clinical research infrastructure. This funding means our Trusts and their academic and industry partners are not only able to continue developing ground-breaking treatments for patients, but also to support vital economic growth.”