NIHR Awards Applied Research Collaborations £157 Million To Support Transformation Of The Health And Care System

The NIHR has announced a £157 million investment over 5 years in 10 NIHR Applied Research Collaborations (ARCs).

From April 2026, the new ARCs will support the transformation set out in the NHS 10 Year Plan, the Life Sciences Sector Plan and the Government’s Health and Growth Missions by tackling some of the UK’s most pressing health and social care challenges through high-quality applied research. They will also drive effective interventions and models of care into practice at pace.

The NIHR ARCs are collaborative partnerships between universities, NHS trusts, local authorities, Health Innovation Networks, Integrated Care Boards and the voluntary sector.

Through these partnerships, the ARCs will:

• identify, develop and deliver high-quality research on applied health, public health and social care that tackles the UK’s healthcare challenges, particularly in under-represented areas;
• provide greater resource and expertise to support implementation of effective interventions and models of care into practice across the country, working closely with system partners;
• provide enhanced health economic expertise to ensure the economic impact of evidence is better understood to support decisions on efficiency and growth;
• collaborate with commercial companies to evaluate and implement new NHS treatments and technologies, fostering UK economic growth;
• speed up the implementation of research findings through the use of knowledge mobilisation; and
• address health inequalities by embedding inclusive approaches across all projects.

ARCs will deliver research which is applicable and scalable across the health and social care sectors across England.

Health Innovation Minister, Zubir Ahmed, said:
“This funding will accelerate the breakthroughs that will underpin the success of our NHS 10 Year Health Plan, ensuring research is going from laboratory to living room and supporting the shift from patient to prevention.

“As we work towards our mission of building an NHS fit for the future, this investment will drive the innovations that matter most to people’s daily lives.

“Every pound invested in this research is an investment in hope – hope for faster diagnoses, more effective treatments, and a health system that truly works for everyone, no matter where they live or what their background.”

Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department of Health and Social Care and CEO of the NIHR, said:
“This new funding shows the NIHR’s ongoing commitment to developing and delivering high-quality health and care research across the country. The investment will enable the ARCs to continue to bring new treatments and technologies to patients and the public, supporting the aims of the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan to champion innovation and power transformation.”