NIHR Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure (NOCRI)

• The NIHR provides a health research system in which the NHS supports outstanding individuals working in world class facilities, conducting leading-edge research focused on the needs of patients and the public. The NIHR works in partnership with many sectors including the public and service users, the NHS, public health, other Government funders, the academic and third sectors and industry.

• The NIHR Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure (NOCRI) aims to maximise the Department of Health's substantial investment in clinical research infrastructure and help other research funders, such as industry and charities, to navigate this infrastructure by:

o facilitating collaborations between NIHR-funded infrastructure and funders of research, including industry and charities, prioritising those of greatest significance to the health and wealth of the nation;

o promoting and enhancing the nation’s reputation as a world-class centre for early translation (experimental medicine), clinical and applied clinical research, as well as supporting how the NIHR contributes to broader economic growth, including through working with other government departments and functions such as UKTI;

o maximising the impact of the NIHR as a whole, by contributing or leading work to shorten the time it takes to develop new therapies and medical technologies;

o managing the NIHR Translational Research Partnerships and Collaborations o provide oversight of operation of the UK CRF Network;

o facilitating NIHR Translational Research Collaborations created to enhance translation into patient benefit and collaboration across the NIHR research infrastructure – currently there is a Collaboration in Dementia and one in rare Diseases, with the potential of others being created at the direction of the DH. NOCRI supports opportunities where collaborations bring added value and overcome disease and technical challenges;

o providing analyses, intelligence and information on NIHR research infrastructure portfolios to facilitate collaborations including with other public, industry and charity research funders;

o providing information and intelligence and support as required for meeting information and briefing requests, responding to parliamentary questions and other requests for information as required;

o providing seamless and rapid links to the NIHR's Clinical Research Network to ensure efficient and effective delivery of appropriate research studies;

o strengthening enduring relationships between the NIHR and NIHR research infrastructure with biotech, medtech and pharma companies and contract research organisations, charities and other public research funders;

o acting as a unique resource for the global life sciences industry - sign post to and improve the quality, efficiency and success of translational research. NOCRI will help companies of all sizes work with the right people within the NIHR infrastructure and makes it easy for infrastructure and industry to work together.