The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is the main body that controlls and supports government sponsored health related research. The NIHR has 20 specialist centres for clinical research throughout the UK that offer the hospitals and universities involved extensive financial support. Only the very best are granted Biomedical Research Centre status and none has ever been awarded to a group consisting of only Manchester hospitals and Universities. However this year (September 2016) the North West Lung Centre (NWLC) and University Hospital of South Manchester (UHSM) were part of a successful bid for £28.5 million of funding and NIHR Biomedical Research Centre status for several areas of health research. The NWLC (& National Aspergillosis Centre) are to be the respiratory research part of this centre with other centres (all in Manchester) concentrating on other areas of research. We received this accolade and funding because of the high level of translational research we carry out and thanks to the excellent involvement and interest from our patients in our research. Without you it could not have been done so many thanks from all of us to you. Our new status will provide long term funding for five years and will of course encourage an inflow of high quality people wishing to work with us and funding from other sources and organisations.
The Manchester Mycology Reference Centre and National Aspergillosis Centre have also been chosen to be the first European Confederation of Medical Mycology Centre of Excellence, enhancing our international status and reputation. Again this puts us in a good position to attract better funding and more staff.
Submitted by GAtherton on Tue, 2016-12-06 16:28