RDN Coordinating Centre (RDNCC) Transition
What is the RDNCC?
The NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN) is being established in April 2024 to build on the success of the current Clinical Research Network (CRN). The Prior Information Notice, the public notice confirming the tender, was initiated in April 2022.
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).
In November 2023, after an open competition led by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), it was publicly announced that University of Leeds will be the supplier of the NIHR Research Delivery Network Coordinating Centre (RDNCC). The contract will run until 31 March 2029.
RDNCC will be joined by 12 new Regional Research Delivery Networks (RRDNs). These will be hosted by NHS Organisations the length and breadth of the country. The Regional RDN contracts will begin on 1 October 2024.
Read the slides from the CRN wide meeting (13 November 2023) including the RRDN host information.
What is the RDNCC structure?
The RDNCC will be led by the RDN Executive Officer, John Sitzia, and is made up of 7 Directorates with a number of teams in each Directorate.
Corporate Operations Directorate - Ann Wieland, Corporate Operations Director; Tim Brown, Head of Corporate Management; Richard Horton, Head of IT Service Management; Laurence Truman, Enterprise Architect Lead; Mick Mullane, Information Technology Lead
Corporate Management – Coordinating Centre business management, HR admin support, Directors’ personal assistants, RDN governance, information governance
IT Service Management – solution development, provision and management of digital products and services, utilising both in-house staff and managed service providers
Programmes – programme and project management, and business analysis expertise, for high-value and complex RDN and NIHR programmes
Life Sciences Directorate - Nicola Yallup, Head of Business Development
Business Development – business development of NIHR services to non-NIHR funders and life sciences companies (with NOCRI), strategic engagement and key account management for life sciences companies, ensuring RDN meets the research delivery needs of funders and companies
Marketing – marketing of NIHR services to non-NIHR funders and to the life sciences industry, collect and analyse customer experience feedback, conduct analyses of data from the sector in order to identify service improvement and development opportunities
Network Operations Directorate - Sarah Thorp, Head of Finance and Contracts; Andrew Walker, Head of Performance and Impact; Chelsea Drake, Head of RDN Communications
Data & Analytics – provide data management, key information, visualisations and dashboards essential to the operation and strategic development of RDN, and as a critical service to government, customers and stakeholders
Finance & Contracts – financial management and assurance of RDNCC and RRDN host contracts, RRDN financial modelling, management of all RDNCC contracts and RRDN contracts framework
Performance & Impact – RDN strategic and operational planning, RDN performance management, impact, value for money, DHSC Enquiries, general RRDN liaison
RDN Communications - Communications service including press, publicity and internal communications activities
Public Engagement Directorate - Imogen Shillito, Public Engagement Director; Emma Maker, Head of Digital Engagement; Angela Polanco, Head of Public Partnerships
Digital Engagement – manage and promote a range of digital services to support public engagement in research, including ‘Be Part of Research’ and ‘Join Dementia Research’
Public Partnerships – deliver a range of activities to ensure RDN engages effectively with patients and the public to support research delivery, including public partnerships training and community engagement outreach with communities under-served by research, and provide services to sponsors and sites to help them improve research recruitment and retention, including use of national participant experience data
Research Delivery Directorate - Kate Jones, Research Delivery Director; Fiona Brain, Head of Portfolio Monitoring; Laura Bousfield, Head of Study Support Service; Sarah Crawshaw, Head of Specialist Commercial Services
Commercial Services – provide a new, dedicated business unit for the new Active National Delivery service, including PECD, Patient Recruitment Centres management, coordinate RRDN Commercial Research Services
Portfolio Monitoring – maintain RDN Portfolio data, make data available to sponsors and sites to enable study monitoring, respond to requests to analyse delivery issues and identify solutions
Study Support Service – provide a responsive, wide-ranging set of activities to support successful study delivery, targeted at multi-centre studies
Strategic Development Directorate - Nick Lemoine, Strategic Development Director; Tracy Harman, Deputy Director of Strategic Development; Jo Mearhart, Head of Health and Care Settings; Jane Beety, Head of Health and Care Specialties
Health & Care Settings / Health & Care Specialties – strategic engagement with R&D leaders, NHS England and leaders, professional bodies, Royal Colleges, promote and embed research in health and care, manage national and regional settings / specialties expertise, support study design, set up and delivery
Strategic Development & Projects – develop mandated 5-year strategies, develop 3-year strategies to improve research delivery efficiency, capacity, and capability, monitor RDN portfolio to ensure portfolio balance and to identify areas of strategic concern and opportunities, define and embed framework for stakeholder engagement and management
Workforce and Organisational Development Directorate - Emily Dew, Head of Organisational Development; Vanessa Poustie, Head of People and Inclusion, John Castledine, Head of RDN Funded Workforce
Organisational Development – identify and implement service improvement initiatives, embed a culture of continuous improvement, identify and facilitate sharing and adoption of best practice
People & Inclusion – RDN staff induction, development, talent management, EDI and an inclusive research culture, social value initiatives, staff wellbeing
Workforce Development – learning and training materials, tools and interventions, research delivery workforce development schemes, RRDN Agile Research Support Teams, link with other agencies on workforce planning and development
NIHR Offices
Communications – provide NIHR strategic communications function
Nursing & Midwifery - Ruth Endacott, NIHR Director of Nursing and Midwifery
– provide nursing and midwifery leadership for the NIHR, professional leadership for nurses and midwives involved in research, and work across the NIHR to optimise the contributions that nurses and midwives make to research
How can I find out more information?
CRN Coordinating Centre (CRNCC) staff will be updated through regular Future Forum meetings, Buzz Bulletin updates, team briefings and the dedicated RDNCC Transition page on The Buzz (only accessible to CRNCC staff).
Supporting information
The RDN Supporting Information page provides links to key documents relating to the RDN Transition and Transformation such as the RDNCC service specification, and draft contract schedule.