NIHR Clinical Trials Units Support Funding

NIHR Clinical Trials Unit support funding

The NIHR recognises the important and crucial role played by Clinical Trials Units (CTUs) in helping to deliver quality research projects.

“Clinical Trials Units are central to our vision of expanding clinical trials in the country.” (Professor Dame Sally Davies, Director General of Research and Development, Department of Health)

The NIHR CTU support funding is intended to strengthen the capacity for designing and conducting clinical trials and other evaluation studies. It does this by providing funding to offer additional stability and flexibility, and giving units increased capacity to support applications and projects.

Please see the FAQ section below for further information.

FAQ
1. What is NIHR CTU support funding?
2. When was NIHR CTU support funding launched?
3. How was funding awarded?
4. How does CTU support funding work?
5. Can I view a list of current award holders?
6. Who sits on the CTU Standing Advisory Committee? 

Links
For more information on current registered CTUs and the registration process please visit the UKCRC Clinical Trials Units website.

How to contact us
In the first instance please contact nihrctu@southampton.ac.uk

FAQs

Q. What is NIHR CTU support funding?

A . The NIHR has strengthened the capacity for conducting clinical trials within the NHS, through the establishment of a system to provide priming funds to units who intend to conduct NIHR trials. This initiative is part of the NIHR and MRC joint health research strategy. CTU support funding is intended to strengthen the capacity for conducting clinical trials and other evaluation studies. It does this by providing funding to offer additional stability and flexibility, and allowing units to increase capacity to support research funding applications and projects.

Q. When was NIHR CTU support funding launched?

A . NIHR CTU support funding was launched in 2008. Since then there have been two funding rounds resulting in total of 22 successful CTUs in England now receiving funding on a three-year rolling contract basis.

Q. How does CTU support funding work?

A . The award is intended for use as ‘priming' funds, to support the CTU by increasing ability to offer longer contracts to staff and increase research capacity. The expected result of this investment is an increase in the number of high quality research applications submitted to NIHR programmes and supported projects. It is not core-funding.

CTU support funding payments are offset against the income from successful NIHR programme project grants. The idea is that once the CTU is stabilised by an increase in grant income, the amount of CTU support funding will be reduced. All projects that started or had funding agreed since the start of a CTU's support funding award will be eligible for offset. On receipt and review of the annual report,
a reduction will then be calculated (as appropriate) in the next payments made to the CTU .

Q. How was funding awarded?

A . All CTUs in England that are registered with the UKCRC, either fully or provisionally were eligible to apply. Awards are made within three funding bands:
£150,000, £200,000 and 250,000 per annum, and are paid directly to the CTUs. Applications were reviewed by the NETS CTU Standing Advisory Committee. Membership of the committee can be found here. All units were assessed on their track record, their planned use of the award and their ability to attract appropriate levels of NETS programme research funding to off set against the funding award.

Once funded CTUs are evaluated annually to determine:

• Whether they have met their objectives
• Their activity in terms of the number of NIHR programmes outline and full proposals submitted and their success rates.
• Their income derived from projects funded since the commencement of the CTU support funding.

A copy of the public minutes can be viewed by clicking the links below:

December 2011 NETS CTU Standing Advisory Committee public minutes *NEW*

December 2010 NETS CTU Standing Advisory Committee public minutes

Q. Can I view a list of current award holders?

A . A list of the CTUs receiving CTU support funding, with direct links to their websites, can be found below.

Q. Who sits on the CTU Standing Advisory Committee?

A. Membership of the CTU Standing Advisory Committee (as of Dec 2011):

Chair

Professor Tom Walley, Director of NETS, University of Liverpool

Members

Professor Deborah Ashby, Imperial College London
Professor Julia M Brown , University of Leeds
Dr Simon Gates, University of Warwick
Professor Jenny Hewison, University of Leeds
Professor Max Parmar, MRC Clinical Trials Unit
Professor Jon Nicholl, University of Sheffield
Professor Tim Peters, University of Bristol
Professor David Torgerson, University of York
Professor Hywel Williams, University of Nottingham