The NIHR has announced a £11.6m investment to bolster the UK’s pharmacy, radiography and nursing research workforce. According to the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), pharmacy and imaging workforce capacity is a particular challenge that impacts the delivery of commercial clinical research in the UK.
They have recommended giving pharmacy and radiography staff more opportunities to be research active. As a result, £7.1m of the new funding will expand opportunities for these research professionals.
The funding will be embedded into the NIHRs existing early career research programmes. This will enable more participation in clinical research. And it will enhance the overall research capability in the health and care sector. This will enable faster setup and delivery of clinical trials across the UK.
A further £3.6m will enable pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to join the NIHR Senior Research Leader (SRL) programme. And £900,000 will increase research capacity for nurses and pharmacists through the NIHR School for Primary Care Research. This builds on a previous investment in GPs.
Professor Waljit Dhillo, Dean of the NIHR Academy and Scientific Director for Research Capacity and Capabilities, said: “This major investment in workforce development will support wider efforts to reduce clinical trial set-up times and strengthen the UK’s ability to rapidly deliver high-quality research.
“By continuing to invest in key areas like pharmacy, radiography and nursing, we can build long-term capability across the clinical research system and support future innovation and growth.
“Strengthening these specific areas is critical to improving the speed and reliability of clinical trial delivery, supporting commercial research investment and helping maintain the UK’s position as a global leader in clinical research.”
This investment supports wider UK clinical trials reform activity to make the UK a faster, more predictable and more competitive place to deliver high-quality clinical research.
Strengthening workforce capability in key areas will help improve study setup and delivery. It also supports future life sciences investment and economic growth.
The programmes to receive the funding are:
- INSIGHT Programme: inspiring students into research
- Undergraduate Internship Programme
- Health and Care Professional Internship Programme
Through these programmes, pharmacy and radiography professionals can access career development opportunities including:
- research masters training for students and recent graduates within 5 years of registration (full-time equivalent)
- research summer internships for undergraduate students
- research internships for registered professionals
The funding for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians is available for 1 cohort over a 3 year period. The SRL programme will specifically include increasing commercial research activity in their organisation.
New nursing fellowships will allow successful applicants to develop:
- new knowledge
- skills
- networks
This will help promote and extend the reach of commercial research in primary care.
Funding will be available for the new research fellows to develop their skills. In-person events will also be held to support networking and academic career development.