Background

Involving People was established in 2006 as part of Clinical Research Collaboration Cymru (CRC Cymru), with funds from the Wales Office for Research and Development (WORD). The aim of CRC Cymru was to provide input into the strategy, development and implementation of health and social care research in Wales.

In 2010, a recomissioning bid for the Involving People project was submitted to WORD.

Following restructuring (explained below), funding until 2013 was awarded and the Involving People project moved to the National Institute for Social Care and Health Research Clinical Research Centre (NISCHR CRC).

For more information on the background of the Involving People project, download the Involving People Evaluation (click on the link on the front page of the website: http://www.involvingpeople.org.uk/welcome).

NISCHR

The National Institute for Social Care and Health Research (NISCHR) was launched in 2009 after being made a commitment in ‘One Wales: A Progressive Agenda for the Government of Wales’ (2007).

NISCHR is a Welsh Assembly Government initiative and incorporates the Wales Office of Research and Development (WORD). NISCHR provides the dedicated infrastructure, funding and co-ordination to support the development of high quality health and social care research. Its overall aim is to support the creation of evidence based policy which will improve the health and wealth of people in Wales.

NISCHR collaborates with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) in England and is a member of the Office for Strategic Co-ordination of Health Research (OSCHR) at a UK level.

NISCHR funds 17 NISCHR Registered Research Groups; a range of Research Infrastructure and Technical Support Groups; 3 Trials Units; and the NISCHR Clinical Research Centre.

NISCHR CRC

The NISCHR Clinical Research Centre (NISCHR CRC) was established in 2010 and brings together the Clinical Research Collaboration Cymru (CRC Cymru) Co-ordinating Centre and the Wales Cancer Research Network (WCRN), formerly the Wales Cancer Trials Network (www.wcrn.org.uk). It is hosted by Velindre NHS Trust via a sub-contract from Cardiff University.

NISCHR CRC provides regionally based research staff in North, South East and South West Wales. These are trained research professionals with experience of direct patient and service user contact, who work to support NISCHR research projects. There are also Cardiff based dedicated teams that lead training and development, Involving People, information, communications, finance and administration.

The overall aim of NISCHR CRC is to improve future care by developing and supporting research excellence within health and social care.

NISCHR CRC is working to:

• improve relevance by supporting ‘people focused’ research studies which benefit health and social care service delivery;
  
• involve people by providing opportunities for patients, service users, carers and the public to participate in research development;
  
• increase capacity by providing a competent and accessible research workforce to increase the quantity of research studies recruiting in Wales;
  
• underpin quality through accredited Wales wide training for researchers;
  
• engage partners in NHS and academic research and exploring collaborative opportunities.

www.nischr-crc.wales.nhs.uk