University of York researchers to lead new hub to support clinical and applied health and care research

Posted on 3 July 2023

Researchers at the University of York, together with partners at the Universities of Sheffield and Leeds, have been awarded funding to provide integrated research advice and collaboration to health and social care practitioners and researchers across England.

One of eight National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research Support Service (RSS) Hubs, the partnership between the Universities of York, Sheffield and Leeds will bring together expertise in statistics, data science, randomised controlled trials, qualitative methods, health economics, evidence synthesis, research delivery and patient and public involvement in research across health, public health and social care.

Research expertise

The Hub, which is hosted by the University of York, will mobilise a critical mass of research methods expertise and make it accessible to health and social care practitioners. It will bring together interdisciplinary teams to undertake research in areas of strategic importance to NIHR, for the benefit of the public and patients including in under-served regions and communities with unmet health needs. The team at York includes researchers from the Centre for Health Economics, Social Policy Research Unit, York Trials Unit, and the Department of Health Sciences.

The Hub will foster and sustain a vibrant, diverse, interdisciplinary community of researchers, professional support staff, public and patient contributors and lay researchers. The funding will also facilitate development and innovation in research methods.

Partnership working

Catriona McDaid, Professor of Applied Health Research at the University of York and Co-Director of the Hub, said: "We are committed to making the outstanding research methods expertise across the three institutions accessible to practitioners and researchers working within NIHR remit, and to undertaking inclusive research that is relevant to population needs."

Catherine Hewitt, Professor of Statistics at the University of York and Co-Director of the Hub, added: "This is also a fantastic opportunity to strengthen our capacity for methodological innovation and build research capacity in geographical areas, disciplines and topics currently underserved by research."

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