JRO to set up research support hubs

The JRO is setting up several research support hubs to provide infrastructure support to researchers.

The hubs form part of a new system for allocating NHS support funding.

Plans for the hubs are outlined in the newly-released Joint Research Office (JRO) guide to allocation of UCLH's £4.2m NHIR Clinical Research Network funding.

The formation of the hubs will enable the JRO to set up a basic infrastructure of targeted support for groups of related studies. These groups could be led by a single investigator or by groups of investigators working in the same clinical division, perhaps researching similar patient groups.

Each hub will be led by a named investigator and will usually be based on the clinical division structure. Typically it is envisaged that the resource will be allocated for the purpose of improving recruitment timelines to NIHR portfolio studies and enabling PIs to meet their time to target responsibilities.

The overall £4.2m awarded to UCLH for 2012-13 NHS service support costs in research will be allocated in the following way:

• £2m set aside by the Central and East London Comprehensive Local Research Network (CEL CLRN) for commitments made through the CLRN contingency funding mechanism in previous years
• £1.2m for activity based studies adopted before 1 April 2009.
• £0.518m for UCLH Principal Investigator-led new NIHR adopted studies going through approval system in 2012-13
• £0.377m for the research management and governance team costs.

For all new NIHR portfolio studies adopted after 1 April 2012, The JRO will cost NHS support costs as part of the application process for R&D approval. The source of funding for support costs will depend on who is leading the study:

• Where the Chief Investigator is at UCLH/UCL, UCLH can approach the CLRN for additional funding. The JRO will help with costing and a supporting statement.
• Where the Principal Investigator is at UCLH/UCL, funding for NHS Support costs will be provided via the JRO. Infrastructure requirements, such as nursing and Investigator time will be provided through the new research support hubs.

Click here to read the full guidance.

The Royal Free is also reviewing its mechanisms for providing support to Principal Investigator-led new NIHR adopted studies going through approval system in 2012-13. A similar system of 'research support hubs' will be established as at UCLH. Each group will require a trial feasibility system to be established so that the institution can plan support in advance. The work will be co-ordinated by Farhan Naim. In the interim, requests for support can be addressed to the Divisional Research and Development Directors or the Directors of Research and Development.

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