In a significant leap for social care research, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has inaugurated a new Specialist Centre for Social Care.
This new centre is part of the NIHR’s Research Support Service (RSS), established to bolster the development and delivery of social care research across England.
The University of York, in collaboration with its partners, has been awarded an impressive £4.9 million to manage and operate the new centre. This initiative will run from 1 February 2025 to 31 September 2028, complementing the existing NIHR RSS Specialist Centre for Social Care, managed by Lancaster University and Partners. Together, these centres will form a cohesive network, offering free support, advice, and expertise to researchers.
The Department of Health and Social Care’s Deputy Director for Research Capacity and Growth, Alice Mortlock, commented:
"Driving research that can directly improve the provision of social care is a key priority for this Government. This additional funding for the Research Support Service will provide social care researchers across England with the support and advice they need to secure funding, conduct impactful studies and deliver outcomes that will bring important benefits for patients, their families and the social care system across the country."
The new Specialist Centre will enhance the RSS’s connections with the social care sector, providing a core of methodological expertise. By focusing on suitable training and career development opportunities for its staff, the centre aims to deliver equitable support to all researchers, regardless of their location. Researchers will have access to essential methodological advice and support, from the initial research idea to the final outcomes.
The centre will also promote inclusion by guiding researchers to the most appropriate methodological expertise available across the RSS. This includes support for patient and public involvement, equality, diversity, and inclusion. Additionally, the centre will collaborate with other NIHR infrastructures and the Research Delivery Network (RDN) to develop and grow research and methodological capability across the health and care workforce.
Dr Mark Wilberforce, Director of the NIHR RSS Specialist Centre for Social Care, added:
"We are delighted to host this new Specialist Centre. These are such exciting times for social care research, with so many opportunities for investigating innovations, studying new approaches to care, and building capacity for impactful evidence. We look forward to working together with the other RSS specialist centres and hubs to deliver an ambitious support and infrastructure programme for social care research teams and their partners in local communities."
The NIHR Research Support Service, launched on 1 October 2023, has already demonstrated its effectiveness. In its first six months, the RSS supported over 1,700 clients across England, marking an 18% increase compared to its predecessor, the Research Design Service (RDS). Researchers from higher education institutions, NHS organisations, SMEs, local authorities, and all regions of England have benefited from the RSS’s services.
The establishment of this new Specialist Centre for Social Care underscores NIHR’s dedication to advancing social care research, fostering innovation, and ensuring equitable access to research expertise. This initiative promises to deliver real-world benefits for communities across England, strengthening the social care research system for years to come.
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