University awarded multi-million-pound contract to manage and lead health research

The University of Southampton is to receive £140million over the next nine years to continue to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research.

The University is home to the National Institute for Health Research Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NETSCC), which is one of the largest health research funding centres in the country, managing high-quality research to meet the needs of the public, patients and the NHS.

The nine-year contract with the Department of Health means the University will continue to manage a range of healthcare research funding programmes, together with the NIHR Journals Library (which publishes NIHR-funded research) and the NIHR Centre for Business Intelligence.

Examples of the research projects managed by NETSCC which are already making a difference to people’s lives are:

• a new symptoms-and-signs-based clinical rule to help GPs and nurses diagnose urinary tract infections (UTIs) in children that avoids unnecessary collection of urine samples that are both challenging for clinical staff and daunting for young children
• the ProtecT trial which concluded active monitoring of prostate cancer is as effective as surgery and radiotherapy

Professor Mark Spearing, Vice President (Research and Enterprise) at the University of Southampton, said: “I am delighted that we have been successful in retaining the NETSCC contract and will continue to take vital research programmes forward that will improve the lives of people across the UK and meet the changing needs of the NHS and the research landscape into the 2020s.”

Professor Iain Cameron, Dean of Medicine, added: “The work of NETSCC is recognised as nationally important and is internationally respected. Hosting NETSCC enhances the reputation of the University and helps cement our position as a leading research institution in medicine and healthcare.”

Lynn Kerridge, CEO of NETSCC, said: “This is a great endorsement of continued confidence in our work to ensure investment in health research is focused on areas of greatest need for patients, the public, the NHS and social care. I am delighted we can continue the important work we do to shape the future of healthcare and public health and make a difference by maximising the impact of health research.”

The new NETSCC contract commences in April 2018.