Research Delivery Network (RDN)

What is the Research Delivery Network (RDN)?

The NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN), launching in April 2024, will support the country’s world-class research system to deliver high quality research that enables the best care for our population.

Building on the success of the NIHR’s Clinical Research Network, 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.

The NIHR RDN will operate as 1 organisation across England, through a network of 12 Regional Research Delivery Networks (RRDNs) and a central Coordinating Centre (RDNCC). 

RDN Purpose

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.

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

• More information about the role of the RDN can be found on the NIHR website.

• More information on the RDN vision can be found on the RDN Transformation page.

Watch the future NIHR Research Delivery Network animation on YouTube.

Transition and Transformation

As we work to stop being the Clinical Research Network and become the Research Delivery Network, we will transition our people, processes and structures to new roles, teams and hosts, while also transforming how we all work together as one organisation and also how we work with our customers and stakeholders. Visit the following pages to learn more: 

• RDN Transition - The RDN Transition programme of work is delivering activities to design and implement operational structures, services, systems, processes, facilities and associated material for the RDN

• RDN Transformation - The RDN Transformation programme of work is defining how we work together as one organisation and how we work with our customers and stakeholders. It covers how we will live the RDN vision in our day-to-day work, our organisational values and defining what success will mean for the RDN as an organisation

• Springboard transformation programme

Staying up to date

We are regularly updating this site so that all the latest information is available to you. Please refer to our latest changes and additions page if you’d like to see what has changed since your last visit.

Key updates will be cascaded regularly through the CRNCC, LCRNs and to key stakeholders so please watch out for these.

Every month we will publish an RDN Update Briefing, starting from January 2024, for the purpose of sharing and engaging with staff and stakeholders.

We have also started a series of All Staff webinars to ensure you can stay up-to-date with the transition and transformation into the Research Delivery Network

The latest webinar was held on 22 January 2024.

Wellbeing

There is support available for CRN staff during this period of Transition and Transformation. 

Infographic on sources of wellbeing support depending on how you are feeling.  There is also an accessible version of the wellbeing support infographic. Colleagues in the CRNCC can find employer specific wellbeing resources on The Buzz.

Questions

If you have any questions related to the RDN please refer to the RDN Questions and Answers page to see if your question has already been answered, and if not, please use this Google form. 

If your questions are specifically transition/HR related, please liaise with your line manager and/or relevant employing organisation.