Funding boost for UK health research projects
pharmafile | August 12, 2013 | News story | Medical Communications, Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | Lord Howe, NIHR, UK government, funding boost
The UK Government has announced that 13 health research projects across Britain will receive £124 million in new funding.
The money will be used to investigate a wide variety of public health topics such as tackling dementia and reducing its risk, as well as improving the diagnosis of long-term conditions such as COPD.
Other projects will look into reducing strain on the NHS by reducing admissions among children under five, while also attempting to cut diabetes development in at risk groups.
The money will be channelled through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), a government body tasked with funding research with a view to attracting further investment.
Founded in 2006, the NIHR has already established a number of initiatives, including the Dementia and Neurodegenerative Disease Research Network and the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, an NHS database open to researchers.
Health minister Lord Howe said: “With a growing elderly population, the need for innovative and effective solutions has never been more important.”
He added: “It is vital that we invest in health research, not only to create the opportunities for health research to grow – but also to help our economy thrive so we can compete in the global race.”
Researchers were invited to bid for funding earlier this year – successful project teams will now be referred to as ‘NIHR Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care’, and will receive funding for the next five years.
Professor Dame Sally Davies, chief medical officer at the Department of Health, said:
“These NIHR CLAHRCs will link the NHS, universities, and other relevant organisations providing care for patients to improve the lives of thousands of patients across the country.”
This adds to a number of funding schemes by the UK Government over the past two years, which includes a £22 million injection into research projects designed to boost dementia diagnosis rates and trial potentially ground-breaking new treatments.
Just last week the government announced a package worth more than £93 million of support for the UK’s life sciences sector, including cash injections for companies developing diagnostic tests for tuberculosis, and for firms exploring regenerative medicine and cell therapy.
Hugh McCafferty
Related Content
Valneva COVID-19 vaccine deal pulled by UK government
Boris Johnson and the UK government have terminated its deal with specialist vaccine company Valneva …
World’s first COVID-19 vaccine booster study launches in UK
The UK government has announced that thousands of volunteers will receive a booster COVID-19 vaccine …
UK government to invest £29.3 million on COVID-19 variant testing
The UK government has announced an investment of £29.3 million, on top of the £19.7 …
