Aston University and the University of Oxford have won £16.3m in funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to fund infrastructure to improve the health of people living in the Thames Valley region and beyond.
The Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) Thames Valley will be hosted by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and will be co-led by Aston University's Professor Shivani Sharma, a professor at Aston Business School and deputy pro-vice-chancellor (research and enterprise), and the University of Oxford's Professor Kam Bhui CBE, professor of psychiatry and honorary consultant psychiatrist. This pan-region leadership model harnesses the strengths of both institutions and reflects the ambition to share learning for wider public benefit, including in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey, and the West Midlands.
The ARC Thames Valley will bring together researchers, health and social care staff, patients, the public, and wider groups in its research. The team will listen to health and social care providers and patients to learn about the most pressing needs, and collaboratively set priorities and find practical solutions for fairer health for all.
Professor Sharma explains that the ARC will drive sustainable implementation of solutions including for the most disadvantaged people in society when it comes to health.
Aston University will play a role in delivering the ARC's dedicated theme on research inclusion and health inequalities. This cements the university's civic mission and wider emphasis on inclusive innovation.
There will be a number of further research themes for the ARC to deliver its vision aligned with the ambition of life course health. This is captured in the Start Well, Live Well, and Age Well ethos. Start Well will focus on helping new mothers, children, and young people with physical and mental health issues. Live Well will involve helping adults to avoid or reduce the effects of living with two or more health issues and return to employment. Age Well will promote brain and heart health and prevent falls and frailty.
ARC Thames Valley will collaborate with more than 40 other partners, including NHS trusts, local authorities, voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations, businesses and universities.
The funding for ARC Thames Valley is part of NIHR's £157m investment to support ten ARCS over five years. They aim to tackle some of the UK's most pressing health and social care challenges through high-quality applied research, while also accelerating the implementation of effective interventions and models of care.
The NIHR ARCs are collaborative partnerships involving universities, NHS trusts, local authorities, health innovation networks, integrated care boards, and the voluntary sector. Through these partnerships, the ARCs will deliver impactful research in applied health, public health, and social care, particularly in under-represented areas. The aims of the ARCs include supporting the rollout of effective care models, collaborating with commercial companies to evaluate new treatments and technologies, and addressing health inequalities by embedding inclusive approaches.
Research should reflect the reality on the ground. We have the opportunity in our ARC to rethink inclusion, strengthening the link between research and its impact in everyday lives.
It is a real privilege to be working with such a diverse network to deliver on the ambition of the ARC. I believe that we will achieve lasting impact on health, which is fundamental to helping regions to thrive."
Professor Shivani Sharma, professor, Aston Business School
Professor Bhui said:
"I'm delighted to be leading an ambitious and talented team to ensure we improve health and social care and reduce health inequalities. We will do this through the implementation of research knowledge to improve commissioning, policy, and practice across university, community, charity and health and social care partners."
Dr Karl Marlowe, Chief Medical Officer at OHFT, said:
"Our commitment at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust is to ensure that research translates into real-world benefits for patients, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to continue as the NHS host for the new ARC. Through ARC Thames Valley, we will accelerate the adoption of knowledge transfer for NHS innovative care models and address health inequalities across our network of partners."
Professor Aleks Subic, Vice-Chancellor and CEO of Aston University, said:
"We are proud to be co-leading the ARC Thames Valley, a transformative initiative that reflects Aston University's deep commitment to inclusive innovation and civic engagement. This partnership will enable us to tackle health inequalities head-on, ensuring that research translates into real-world impact for the communities who need it most. I congratulate Professor Sharma and the wider team on securing this significant funding and look forward to the positive change it will bring."
Professor Marian Knight, scientific director for NIHR Infrastructure, said:
"The NIHR is committed to providing the funding needed, at all stages of the research journey, to ensure that the best treatments and care get to the patients who need them, as efficiently and effectively as possible. The ARCs play a vital role in this process, generating evidence around new technologies and treatments, as well as innovative ways of delivering care - all of which seek to boost the public's health and wellbeing, and increase NHS productivity."
Zubir Ahmed, UK health innovation minister, 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."
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