The NIHR funds a range of health and social care research with the aim of improving people’s health and promoting the economy. We collaborate with a variety of organisations in the region who are also funded by the NIHR. These organisations can support research at different stages which are described below.

• Invention: Research into new technologies and approaches. At this stage research needs to be undertaken to demonstrate how the invention could be used to address a health and social care challenge.
• Evaluation: Judging the invention. First the invention is assessed in a controlled environment, such as a laboratory, to ensure that it produces reliable results. The invention will then be examined to see how it performs in practice and whether it adds any benefits.
• Adoption: At this point the new invention is commercially available and can be used in the population. Further research may be undertaken to examine the acceptance of the innovation by potential users of the technology.
• Diffusion: The invention is used widely and routinely in practice. For example, it may be described in policy documents.

The below image illustrates when ourselves, and some other regional NIHR organisations, can support researchers.

Glossary of NIHR funded organisations in the region

Applied Research Collaboration North East North Cumbria (ARC) brings together universities, health and social care providers, local authorities and others. They support research that solves practical problems and meets the needs of the local population.

Blood and Transplant Research Unit in Organ Donation and Transplantation (BTRU) is evaluating new approaches in this area and involves collaboration between Newcastle University, University of Cambridge and NHS Blood and Transplant.

Clinical Research Network North East North Cumbria (CRN) supports patients, the public and health and care organisations across the region to get involved in high-quality research. They help with the set up and delivery of these research studies.

Innovation Observatory (NIHRIO) is a national facility located at Newcastle University. They look for new medical technologies and track them as they are developed. This helps to shape future policy, regulations, and research activity.

Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) is a partnership between Newcastle University and Newcastle Hospitals. They bring together academics and clinicians to convert lab-based breakthroughs into new treatments, diagnostics, and medical technologies.

Newcastle Clinical Research Facility (CRF) is a partnership between Newcastle University and Newcastle Hospitals. The facility is located across three sites and supports researchers to deliver early stage and complex clinical studies.

NIHR BioResource Centre Newcastle is a national resource of patients and members of the general population who have volunteered to be called up for research based on their genotype and phenotype.

Policy Research Unit in Behavioural Science (PRU) is a collaboration across four universities in England. Their work supports the government with their policy decisions about health and social care.

Research Design Service North East North Cumbria (RDS) is a regional service that supports research teams to develop and submit grant applications to NIHR and other national funding programmes.

School of Public Health Research (SPHR) is a virtual network of academic centres in England. Their research is being applied across the country to improve the health of the population as a whole and reduce inequalities.