The investment will establish 10 Regional Accounts for Clinical Researchers (RACR), bringing together more than 50 research organisations and over 60 NHS organisations across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
RACR is a pilot initiative supporting clinicians at critical stages in their research careers to stay involved in research alongside clinical practice.
The initiative will strengthen the UK’s clinical research workforce, which underpins innovation, improved care and better health outcomes for NHS patients.
Why clinical researchers matter
Clinicians, including doctors, nurses, dentists, midwives, therapists and pharmacists play a central role in caring for patients and identifying key challenges faced by health services.
Clinical researchers bridge the gap between scientific discovery and better patient care.
Their research prevents illness and develops new treatments connecting academia, the NHS and industry.
Improving health services
Hospitals that are involved in medical research have been shown to deliver better patient outcomes, adopt innovation more quickly and create environments that attract and retain skilled staff.
Supporting clinicians to undertake research alongside their clinical roles is essential to maintaining an innovative, evidence‑led NHS and driving the development of new treatments.
Challenges facing clinical researchers
Many clinicians face barriers to starting and sustaining research careers.
The Office for Strategic Coordination of Health Research report ‘Clinical researchers in the United Kingdom: Reversing the decline to improve population health and promote economic growth’ highlighted a long‑term decline in the clinical research workforce.
It also identified several challenges, including, pressures on time and funding, and access to mentorship and training.
These challenges are particularly acute at career ‘pinch points’, such as the move from doctoral (PhD) to postdoctoral research, or the transition towards research independence.
Left unaddressed, these challenges risk discouraging talented clinicians from contributing to research, with implications for innovation, patient care and an NHS that is fit for the future.
Piloting a regional solution
To help address these issues, the Medical Research Council (MRC) has established 10 Regional Accounts for Clinical Researchers spanning the UK and more than 50 universities and over 60 NHS organisations.
Each regional consortium will receive £250,000 to £350,000 a year for up to four years.
Working with local universities, the NHS and organisations that support research, the RACR will deliver flexible, tailored support to more than 190 clinicians across the UK.
Support may include:
- protected research time
- bridge funding
- mentoring
- skills development
- access to facilities and networks
- help for clinicians returning to research after time away
Investing in locally led solutions
Professor Patrick Chinnery, Executive Chair of MRC, said:
Clinicians play a vital role in turning discovery research into better treatments for patients, but too many face barriers to sustaining research alongside demanding clinical roles.
These challenges vary across the UK, which is why a regional approach is so important to building strong partnerships between universities and NHS trusts.
Through Regional Accounts for Clinical Researchers, we are investing in locally led solutions that support clinicians at critical points in their careers, strengthen research environments, and help improve patient outcomes while accelerating life sciences innovation to support economic growth and a stronger NHS.
Why a regional approach matters
The challenges facing clinical researchers are not the same in every part of the UK. Health needs, workforce pressures, research capacity and access to opportunities can all vary.
The RACR pilot allows local partnerships to design support that reflects these differences and builds on existing strengths.
This includes:
- addressing key career pinch points
- building on long‑standing collaborations between universities, the NHS and research support organisations
- focusing on health inequalities in areas of rural or urban deprivation
- providing enhanced support for clinicians from under‑represented groups
By enabling place‑based solutions, RACR aims to strengthen clinical research capacity in ways that are relevant, inclusive and sustainable, helping ensure the NHS benefits from research expertise across the whole UK.
MRC’s wider support for clinical researchers
Dr Joanna Robinson, MRC Director of Research Talent, Skills and Careers said:
Regional Accounts for Clinical Researchers are part of a wider approach to strengthening clinical research careers in the UK. Alongside this programme, MRC continues to invest in clinicians completing a research doctorate and taking their first steps towards research independence, with opportunities available three times a year, as well as helping experienced researchers progress into leadership and permanent roles through initiatives such as the annual Clinical Future Leaders Fellowship.
We have also worked with partners to create the first shared and visible national clinical research career pathway, helping clinicians better understand and navigate the opportunities available to them across major UK funders.
Building evidence for the future
The four‑year RACR pilot will generate valuable evidence on how best to support clinical researchers in different settings.
Insights from the programme will inform future approaches to strengthening the UK’s clinical research workforce and ensuring that research continues to benefit patients and the NHS nationwide.
Further information
10 Regional Accounts for Clinical Researchers
BEACON: Building Translational Research Excellence Amongst Clinicians of the North
This consortium in a partnership between:
- Newcastle University
- University of Durham
- Edge Hill University
- University of Lancaster
- University of Lancashire
- University of Leeds
- University of Liverpool
- The University of Manchester
- University of Northumbria
- The University of Sheffield
- University of Sunderland
- University of Teesside
- University of York
- local NHS trusts, charities and industry partners
East Midlands Regional Account for Clinical Research
This consortium in a partnership between:
- University of Leicester
- University of Lincoln
- University of Nottingham
- local NHS trusts, hospitals and organisations alongside industry partners
The Great Western Clinical Research Alliance
This consortium in a partnership between:
- Cardiff Metropolitan University
- University of Bristol
- University of Bath
- University of Cardiff
- University of Exeter
- University of the West of England
- Swansea University
- local NHS Trusts and Boards
London Launchpad RACR
This consortium in a partnership between:
- Kingston University
- King’s College London
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
- London South Bank University
- Queen Mary University of London
- University College London
- NHS Trusts, hospital charities and NIHR Biomedical Research Centres
The MRC South-West London Regional Account for Clinical Researchers
This consortium in a partnership between:
- Brunel University
- City St George’s University of London
- Imperial College London
- University of Surrey
- Institute of Cancer Research
- MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences
- local NHS Trusts
RACR East
This consortium in a partnership between:
- Anglia Ruskin University
- University of Cambridge
- University of East Anglia
- Quadram Institute
- Wellcome Sanger Institute
- local NHS trusts, hospital groups and social care partners and Integrated Care Boards alongside industry partners
Regional Account for Clinical Researchers in Northern Ireland (RACR-NI)
This consortium in a partnership between:
- Queen’s University Belfast
- Ulster University
- Health Innovation Research Alliance
- NHS Trusts
- QUB Future Medicines Institute
Scotland Partnership Advancing Research Careers for Clinicians (SPARCC)
This consortium in a partnership between:
- University of Aberdeen
- University of Dundee
- The University of Edinburgh
- University of Glasgow
- University of St Andrews
- local NHS Boards, networks
- Chief Scientist Office
SECAP – the South-East Clinical Academic Partnership
This consortium in a partnership between:
- Brighton and Sussex Medical School
- Kent Medway Medical School
- University of Oxford
- University of Portsmouth
- University of Southampton
- local NHS Trusts and health partnerships
West Midlands Regional Account for Clinical Researchers (WMRACR)
This consortium in a partnership between:
- University of Aston
- University of Birmingham
- University of Keele
- University of Warwick
- local NHS Trusts, institutes and commercial companies
