History of the JRO

Explore the history of the JRO at UCLH and UCL, from its inception in 2005 as the ‘Joint Biomedical Research Unit’ to the present day.

2005-2010: Building partnerships to develop capability and capacity for research management and support

• 2005 - “Joint Biomedical Research Unit” established under the leadership of the first joint UCL/UCLH R&D Director Professor Ian Jacobs, bringing together the UCLH R&D Directorate and UCL Biomedicine Research Office.
• 2006 - JRO supports first successful UCLH/UCL bid for an NIHR Biomedical Research Centre.
• 2007 - JRO hosts 2 MHRA inspections – one of UCL, one of UCLH.
• 2008 - Professor Alan Thompson and Dr Nick McNally lead a UCL Clinical Trials Taskforce, leading to new trials sponsorship policy, dedicated clinical trials team and budget for trials support in the JRO.
• 2009: 
  • Royal Free Trust becomes joint partner in the JRO, enhancing research management support and synergy for the Royal Free.
  • JRO establishes the UCL Partners Clinical Trials Unit, later to be renamed the UCL Comprehensive CTU, enhancing clinical trials infrastructure at UCL.
  • JRO establishes, following request from NIHR Central and East London Comprehensive Local Research Network, R&D management services to a network of UCL Consortium Trusts.
  • Professor Monty Mythen appointed as UCLH Director of R&D.
• 2010 - Research Support Centre (later to become the Research Directorate) established as the integrated structure for the JRO and all NIHR infrastructure at UCLH/UCL.

2011-2019: Consolidating research infrastructure and focus on UCLH/UCL

• 2011:
  • JRO supports second successful bid for NIHR UCLH Biomedical Research Centre, Dementia Biomedical Research Unit and Clinical Research Facility.
  • JRO supports 2^nd MHRA inspection of UCL.

• 2013: 

  • Royal Free establishes its own R&D Office, JBRU focused on UCL/UCLH partnership as the Joint Research Office.
  • JRO supports the first big Research Open Day at UCLH.
  • Professor Bryan Williams appointed as UCLH Director of Research.

• 2016 - JRO supports 3^rd successful Biomedical Research Centre bid and a CRF bid.

2020 to present: Responding to and learning from the pandemic - focus on service optimisation and the wider research delivery system

• 2020:
  • JRO supports 3^rd MHRA inspection of UCL.
  • JRO leads the UCLH/UCL research response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including establishing a portfolio of >100 studies in COVID-19.
  • JRO recognised as an exemplar joint office in Academy of Medical Sciences report Transforming health through innovation: integrating the NHS and academia.

• 2021 - JRO establishes UCLH Agile Research Delivery Team for flexible, Trust-wide support for research.

• 2022 - JRO carries out comprehensive review of study set up systems and structures.

• 2023:

  • JRO supports UCL review of clinical trials sponsored by the Vice Provost Health.
  • JRO leads first diversity survey of the research workforce at UCLH/UCL.