Brand evolution
FAQs

Our brand has been refreshed to drive greater brand awareness and engagement among our key audiences. Along with a new communications strategy, it represents what we stand for: life-changing research for the health and wealth of the nation. 

Last year, we consulted over 150 people from across the NIHR and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). They told us there is confusion on how our logos work together and that some were too long and difficult to read. Accessibility concerns were also raised - colleagues commented that the way we used colour could be difficult to read. 

These issues have led to inconsistencies on how we appear across websites, social media and printed materials. They’ve also made it difficult for users looking for consistent guidance and examples to follow.

We need a digital-first brand that reflects the progress we have made throughout our 20-year history to meet the most urgent health and social care challenges and inequalities. Our work is world leading and we require a brand that provides confidence and robustness on the international stage.  

Our brand needs to be more flexible as new technologies and audiences develop. We also want to recognise and incorporate the day-to-day, practical requirements of NIHR to make sure we can support communication requirements.  

We now have a bolder message and refined look embedded in the 4Is that captures what we stand for, while standing out from our partners and other key audiences. 

Our identity is now more accessible, expressive and purposeful. This includes some changes to our colours, typeface, logos and the way we use graphics. More practically, our presentation, document and business communications templates have been refreshed and we will be updating our websites and social media channels over the coming months.

We have also reduced the complexity of our logos by creating a much clearer brand structure and streamlining how they appear. The NIHR brand has grown organically over two decades and become unwieldy in places. So this is a great opportunity to take stock and strengthen our brand recognition, with a focus on collective One NIHR power. 

We have a new system for our schemes and services. Every location and specialism within a scheme/service will use the same logo - location and specialism details will be included underneath the scheme/service's logo where required. This change will clarify roles within NIHR infrastructure and bolster NIHR as a brand.

Expect to see old, as well as refreshed, branding across channels as we transfer to the refreshed identity over the coming weeks and months. 

Full guidelines will be published on the NIHR website at the end of February and signposted to colleagues from The Bridge. Before then, guidance is available from Communications colleagues via the NIHR comms site or by contacting brand@nihr.ac.uk.

We have evolved the brand to give greater prominence to each of NIHR’s overall scheme names, drive consistency and improve audience understanding of our schemes and services. 

The evolution simplifies how individual parts of NIHR are named visually, with a single scheme logo. Names of NIHR infrastructure, schools and units are agreed by DHSC with the NIHR brand team. Rather than include the specifics of specialism or location in the logo, individual schemes or services will now add this information in a text descriptor underneath the scheme or service logo.

This step will significantly reduce the number of NIHR logos people will encounter, giving greater coherence to the story we want to tell of the life-changing research that takes place across each scheme. This in turn will drive greater brand awareness and understanding.

We have new visual identity guidelines and a brand architecture that will be made available on the NIHR website at the end of February. These set out in detail how we use our brand, from our logos to how we appear across digital, print and event spaces.

There will also be new templates for presentation slides, letterhead docs, business cards, digital backgrounds, research posters, video graphics and a starter selection of icons. These will be followed by social media templates later in spring. Each will have an allocated space for a scheme or service logo. Templates will be provided in formats compatible with Google Slides, Google Docs, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Canva and Adobe Creative Suite as appropriate.

A choice of social media profile picture images, along with an updated favicon, will also be provided.

If you are a scheme or service designated by DHSC, you will be given an updated logo using our new typeface and design style by March 2026.

The NIHR brand team will host sessions to support communications staff with implementation over Spring. Brand updates will be provided through The Bridge, NIHR Comms site and NIHR website.

Our new headline typeface, Archia, will be distributed to communications staff and digital channels owners in both a desktop and web format.

Inclusive Sans is available in Google Suite and can be downloaded for free from Google Fonts for use on desktop and website. Microsoft Office templates will have Inclusive Sans embedded to ensure documents appear as intended across devices, even when the font is not installed locally.

Arial can be used where custom fonts are not available and templates will also be provided in this format.

These will be made available to Communications colleagues directly and links to files will be published on the NIHR website at the end of February.

Graphic elements, icons and illustrations should not be newly created or altered. Any suggestions for additional elements must be addressed to the NIHR brand team, who will consider whether they are required. This is to ensure the identity remains consistent as we roll out within the organisation and to our key audiences.

The graphic assets can be supplied to your design team for bespoke usage on projects such as reports, banners, posters and wall art. Please contact brand@nihr.ac.uk to request these.

A starter pack of presentation, social media and business communications templates are in development: presentation slide templates will be shared in February and a brand pack and social media templates on Canva will follow in Spring for use by communications colleagues. 

If you are creating templates or physical assets such as signage please consult the NIHR brand team at brand@nihr.ac.uk for questions on using elements correctly.

We will run online sessions to support communications staff to implement the evolved brand over Spring, and brand updates will be provided through The Bridge, NIHR Comms site and NIHR website.

For more specific guidance or support to implement the evolved brand, please contact the NIHR brand team at brand@nihr.ac.uk.

All photos used in our brand guidelines document were sourced from Getty Images. Unfortunately, licensing limitations relating to multiple host organisations mean we cannot make these premium photos available across the NIHR.

However, a list of recommended free image libraries providing a wide range of high-quality, authentic photographs is available.

This will develop throughout 2026. You can see indicative uses of the brand in action on the visual identity guidelines. From the start of March, you will start to see the evolved brand appearing on our main websites and social media platforms and on internal digital platforms and services. This will continue into projects such as NIHR20 and key campaigns in the near future.

You can begin implementing the evolved brand once you receive the new guidelines and updated logos and assets. Implementation should follow a phased approach throughout 2026.

The target date for NIHRCC implementation (digital and new materials) is by 30 April 2026.

For wider schemes and services in NIHR infrastructure, schools and units, the target implementation date is by 31 July 2026 (digital and new materials).

Note that following DHSC advice (2025) new printed materials for events (pull up banners or stands for example) should feature the new core NIHR logo only, not a scheme or service logo. See 'Can I create merchandise with the evolved brand?' for information about merchandise.

The target date for physical and printed materials is by 31 December 2026. See 'What should we do with existing materials featuring out of date branding?' for further information regarding existing NIHR-branded materials.

Please contact brand@nihr.ac.uk for help with your specific circumstances.

No. Merchandise (including pens, bags and other giveaway products) should be produced in line with government guidance. Reusable lanyards can be created for staff or event delegates (not as promotional giveaways) but should use the NIHR core logo. See more information on the NIHR policy for merchandise.

Large posters, banners and physical backdrops used for large meetings, events and conferences can continue to be developed, purchased and used, but should feature only the core NIHR logo. They should not feature a sub-logo or name of a sub-brand, infrastructure scheme or service, programme or career development scheme. 

If you wish to apply for an exception to this, please email brand@nihr.ac.uk providing the intended purpose, details and rationale and it will be considered as part of the established exceptions process.

This does not apply to building and facility signage where scheme and service names and logos can be used. 

If you are attending an event and need to reflect your scheme, service, location or speciality, you should use other materials such as brochures, leaflets and smaller posters to do this.

No. Most logos are for schemes and services that are designated by the DHSC in conjunction with NIHR colleagues. These are commissioned by the NIHR brand team - brand@nihr.ac.uk.

Scheme and services logos must not be changed or added to in any way. Locations and specialisms no longer form part of our logos and should not be added under any circumstances. 

For sustainability reasons, existing stocks of NIHR branded printed materials where content is accurate should be used up before re-printing, unless there is a clear business case to create new materials. Please contact brand@nihr.ac.uk if you are unsure.

Timing for replacement of external/internal building signage can be dependent on pragmatic arrangements with local estate management. Please note that there should not be any NIHR-branded signage remaining that features the NHS lozenge, legacy Wellcome Trust references or retired NIHR scheme names.

Scheme and service names will be set via the Department of Health and Social Care, and then checked against our new brand architecture guidelines by the NIHR brand team before logos are agreed and created. 

New branded materials produced by NIHRCC/RDNCC (including those created by freelance designers) will be reviewed and approved by the central NIHR brand team before publication. More details about this process will be shared with relevant teams within NIHRCC/RDNCC.

Communications staff in infrastructure, schools and units will continue to create branded assets with support from their NIHRCC-lead communications contacts.

We are in the process of considering how our evolved brand should be reflected in Be Part of Research channels and materials. We will share the outcome of this work later in the year but, until then, you should continue to follow existing guidelines for Be Part of Research activity.

This format should now be used when displaying schemes or services in headers and titles on websites and in communications materials (including presentation slides).

Where space is limited, abbreviations such as ‘NIHR ARC: Location’ can be used, or ‘HPRU: Specialty’ if within a clear NIHR context. See 'How should I use abbreviations such as acronyms or initialisms?' for some examples.

If there are multiple sites within a scheme or service location, an additional ‘at [location]’ can be added if clarification is necessary for signage and regional communications. e.g. NIHR Clinical Research Facility: Manchester at Wythenshawe Hospital.

Names within body text

Whilst the new naming convention structure currently only applies to headers, titles and communications materials, when new contracts are commissioned, the above structure will be implemented formally. Therefore, we advise using it in preparation during this transition phase. This is particularly recommended when creating assets with a development cost such as signage. 

There is no requirement to reflect this new naming structure in contracts, agreements or other formal documentation at this stage.

There will, of course, be scenarios where using or repeating the name in its formal style is not appropriate, and so you should use your judgement in applying this flexibly or consider using the first person (we, us, our) where your name already appears elsewhere.

For example, it would be acceptable to say “The NIHR’s Clinical Research Facility in Leeds provides…”, “This work has been supported by our Thames Valley and South West Applied Research Collaborations” or “We have supported this work…”.

You should always aim to use your full name, especially in the first instance. Where space is limited, abbreviations such as ‘NIHR ARC: Location’ can be used, or ‘HPRU: Specialty’ if within a clear NIHR context. 

Example abbreviations

• NIHR Applied Research Collaboration: North East and North Cumbria - NIHR ARC: North East and North Cumbria

• NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: Birmingham - NIHR BRC: Birmingham

• NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit: Precision Cellular Therapeutics - NIHR BTRU: Precision Cellular Therapeutics

• NIHR Clinical Research Facility: Great Ormond Street Hospital - NIHR CRF: Great Ormond Street Hospital

• NIHR Commercial Research Delivery Centre: Leicestershire and Northamptonshire - NIHR CRDC: Leicestershire and Northamptonshire

• NIHR Commercial Research Delivery Centre in Primary Care - NIHR PC-CRDC

• NIHR Global Health Research Centre: Non-communicable Diseases and Environmental Change - NIHR GHR Centre: Non-communicable Diseases and Environmental Change

• NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration: Rhondda Cynon Taf - NIHR HDRC: Rhondda Cynon Taf

• NIHR Health Informatics Collaborative - NIHR HIC

• NIHR Health Protection Research Unit: Climate Change and Health Security at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine - NIHR HPRU: Climate Change and Health Security at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

• NIHR Health Protection Research Focus Award: Outbreak Related Behaviours at King’s College London - NIHR HPRFA: Outbreak Related Behaviours at King’s College London

• NIHR HealthTech Research Centre: Cardiovascular and Respiratory Medicine - NIHR HRC: Cardiovascular and Respiratory Medicine

• NIHR Inequalities Challenge: Cardiovascular Disease - NIHR Inequalities Challenge: Cardiovascular Disease

• NIHR Innovation Observatory - NIHR Innovation Observatory

• NIHR Mental Health Research Group: Bath - NIHR MHRG: Bath

• NIHR Patient Safety Research Collaboration: Yorkshire and Humber - NIHR PSRC: Yorkshire and Humber

• NIHR Policy Research Unit: Economic Methods of Evaluation in Health and Care Interventions - NIHR PRU: Economic Methods of Evaluation in Health and Care Interventions

• NIHR Public Health Intervention Responsive Studies Team - NIHR PHIRST

• NIHR Research Delivery Network - NIHR RDN

• NIHR Research Support Service - NIHR RSS

• NIHR School for Social Care Research - NIHR SSCR

• NIHR Translational Research Collaboration: Parkinson’s Disease - NIHR TRC: Parkinson’s Disease

Information about supporting the NIHR20 campaign, including using the NIHR20 logo, can be found on our NIHR20 supporters page. For any specific questions about using the evolved brand alongside the NIHR20 logo, please email the NIHR brand team: brand@nihr.ac.uk.

Email the NIHR brand team: brand@nihr.ac.uk.