Part A: Background

1.1. This NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN) Performance and Operating Framework (‘NIHR RDN POF’) applies from 1 October 2024. 

1.2. The NIHR RDN POF comprises three sections; this Part A: Background, Part B: Performance Framework, and Part C: Operating Framework. Collectively, the NIHR RDN POF is intended to document and support the delivery of NIHR Regional Research Delivery Network (RRDN) contractual commitments from the commencement of NIHR RRDN contracts on 1 October 2024.

1.3. The NIHR RDN POF forms part of the Work Programme between DHSC and RRDN Host Organisations, and between RRDN Host Organisations and Delivery organisations.

2.1. It should be noted that the design of RDN Services and Functions will continue during the period applicable to this NIHR RDN POF, and ‘ways of working’ will continue to evolve in order to deliver on commitments made in the Full Government Response to the O’Shaughnessy Review, as the RDN transformation progresses. Further operational guidance will be provided alongside this RDN POF as appropriate to support the implementation of these changes.

3.1. The NIHR RDN, will support the country’s world-class research system to deliver high quality research that enables the best care for our population.

3.2. Building on the success of the NIHR’s Clinical Research Network (CRN), it will work across the health and care system, with staff in all health and care settings, and distribute funding to support the effective and efficient initiation and delivery of research.

3.3. The NIHR RDN will operate as one organisation across England, through a network of 12 RRDNs and a central Coordinating Centre (RDNCC).

3.4. The 12 NIHR RRDNs will have three key roles: 

• To provide support to research sites to enable the effective and efficient initiation and delivery of funded high-quality research across the health and care system in England. 

• To enable the strategic development of new and more effective research delivery capability and capacity. This will include bringing research to under-served regions and communities with major health and care needs.

• To work jointly with the Coordinating Centre in the strategic oversight of the NIHR RDN. This will ensure that the Portfolio is maintained as a cohort of high-quality, fully-funded, viable and deliverable studies. It will also ensure that the NIHR RDN as a whole serves the needs of researchers, R&D, and Sponsors teams and is responsive to the changing domestic and global environment for health and care, life sciences and health research.

3.5. The 12 NIHR RRDNs are:

• North East and Cumbria RRDN.

• Yorkshire and Humber RRDN.

• North West RRDN

• East Midlands RRDN

• West Midlands RRDN

• East of England RRDN

• North London RRDN

• South London RRDN

• South Central RRDN

• South East RRDN

• South West Central RRDN

• South West Peninsula RRDN

3.6. Each RRDN will develop and maintain strong relationships with health and care partners to deliver or support research in their region together with other local stakeholders serving the local population. The joint leadership function for the RDN will balance regional context, expertise, leadership and relationships, with national coordination and strategy, and involve regional leaders and DHSC policymakers.

3.7. The University of Leeds is the supplier of the NIHR RDNCC. 

4.1. The RDN will be a vital part of the research delivery infrastructure in England and a key component in making the UK the best place to carry out research. 

4.2. The NIHR RDN will have 2 primary purposes:

• To support the successful delivery of high quality research, as an active partner in the research system.

• To increase capacity and capability of the research infrastructure for the future.

As a result, research will reach more people, address changing population needs, support the health and care system and the economy, and become a routine part of care.

4.3. The RDN is a new organisation, built on the strong foundations developed through the NIHR CRN, and will have five features in the way it operates (also known as change statements):

• A single organisation with greater consistency of experience for customers.

• Collective responsibility and joint leadership of the organisation.

• A collegiate and customer-focused partner.

• Stronger focus on strategic development of research capacity and capability, nationally and regionally, with partners.

• Emphasis on continuous improvement, learning and value for money in every part of RDN.

4.4. The RDN sits within a rich research ecosystem and plays a vital role, alongside other partners and stakeholders, in achieving the overarching visions and strategies for the NIHR and wider health and care research system. These include but are not limited to: 

• Best Research for Best Health: The Next Chapter.

• Saving and Improving Lives: the future of UK Clinical Research Delivery and subsequent implementation plans including the Full Government Response to the O’Shaughnessy Review.

4.5. As part of the NIHR, the RDN follows the 5 NIHR operating principles (available in full at: https://www.nihr.ac.uk/documents/our-operating-principles/30311), these being:

• Impact

• Excellence

• Inclusion

• Collaboration

• Effectiveness

5.1. Delivering the Government Priority Projects (as set out in the RDN Transformation - High Level Plan). 

5.2. Delivering the RDN Transformation - High Level Plan. 

6.1. As part of the NIHR, the RDN works within the NIHR Strategic Framework set out in Best Research for Best Health: The Next Chapter. 

6.2. NIHR’s mission is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. NIHR delivers against this mission through six core workstreams:

1. Funding high quality, timely research that benefits the NHS, public health and social care.

2. Investing in world-class expertise, facilities and a skilled delivery workforce to translate discoveries into improved treatments and services.

3. Partnering with patients, service users, carers and communities, improving the relevance, quality and impact of our research.

4. Attracting, training and supporting the best researchers to tackle complex health and social care challenges.

5. Collaborating with other public funders, charities and industry to help shape a cohesive and globally competitive research system.

6. Funding applied global health research and training to meet the needs of the poorest people in low and middle income countries.

6.3. In the context of the above six core workstreams, the RDN’s primary role aligns with ‘2. Investing in world-class expertise, facilities and a skilled delivery workforce to translate discoveries into improved treatments and services’. The RDN also supports ‘3. Partnering with patients, service users, carers and communities, improving the relevance, quality and impact of our research’ and ‘5. Collaborating with other public funders, charities and industry to help shape a cohesive and globally competitive research system’, both with a focus on research delivery.

6.4. In addition, the NIHR has seven Areas of Strategic Focus, which form the overarching strategic priorities for RDN (available in full at: https://www.nihr.ac.uk/about-us/our-key-priorities), these being:

1. Build on learnings from the research response to COVID-19 and support the recovery of the health and social care system.

2. Build capacity and capability in preventative, public health and social care research.

3. Improve the lives of people with multiple long-term conditions through research.

4. Bring clinical and applied research to under-served regions and communities with major health needs.

5. Embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) across NIHR's research, systems and culture.

6. Strengthen careers for research delivery staff and under-represented disciplines and specialisms.

7. Expand our work with the life sciences industry to improve health and economic prosperity.

7.1. Although there are different component parts of the RDN, we will refer to the NIHR RDN as a single entity rather than its component parts wherever possible:

• In line with the RDN being a national entity, it is referred to in the singular as the NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN) or ‘RDN’.

• The RDN is a single Network consisting of 12 Regional Research Delivery Networks (RRDNs) and the Research Delivery Network Coordinating Centre (RDNCC), which is part of the NIHR Coordinating Centre and working with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC). 

• To emphasise that it is a single entity, the RDN will be referred to as the ‘NIHR Research Delivery Network’ in our work, for example, ‘This is an NIHR RDN supported study’ rather than ‘this is a South London RRDN supported study’, except in circumstances when there is a need to differentiate from other regional networks and the RDN executive, for example, ‘the chief investigator is based in South London RRDN’. 

• The nomenclature for each RRDN will be [region] RRDN e.g. South Central RRDN - see section 3.5 for a full list of RRDNs.

• When we refer to ‘RRDN’, we mean ‘RRDN Staff’ and the services / functions they perform:

  • Staff employed to undertake RDN management functions (“RRDN Management Team”, previously referred to as “Core Team”)

  • RRDN Agile Research Delivery Team (previously referred to as ‘Agile Research Support Team’)

  • RRDN Specialties and Settings Leads.

7.2. For the avoidance of doubt, “RRDN” does not refer to health and care providers or other organisations in the region, or other staff employed in research support roles, such as RDN-funded research delivery staff.

7.3. A Glossary of common terms can be found in Appendix 1.