Local and comprehensive research networks

There are many clinical research networks in the UK that can support your clinical research in several ways, including infrastructure, resource or staff support, as well as advice and training.

By getting involved with your networks and seeing how they can help you and you can help them, you could increase the value and outputs of your Diabetes UK grant.

Research Networks in England

The NIHR Clinical Research Network consists of a set of Topic Specific Clinical Research Networks, a Primary Care Research Network and a Comprehensive NHS Research Network.

The Networks support and deliver high-quality clinical research studies and might be able to assist researchers with aspects of their research such as:

  • recruitment to trials
  • assistance with trial coordination
  • provision of research resources and trial staff
  • training and education
  • help to include patients in all aspects of the research process
  • the opportunity to get involved in writing groups
  • the chance to help shape research and regulation agendas.

NIHR Diabetes Research Network (DRN)

There is a dedicated NIHR Diabetes Research Network (DRN) that covers several areas in England. It aims to achieve benefits for people with diabetes, or at risk of developing diabetes, through excellence in clinical research.

The DRN was established in 2005 to provide a world-class infrastructure to support clinical research in diabetes and to remove barriers to its conduct. Since its inception, it has worked with primary and secondary care centres throughout England and has been supported by the Department of Health to conduct high-quality clinical research in both the commercial and academic sectors.

More than 200,000 patients have been recruited into NIHR DRN studies.

A major emphasis is placed on recruitment to time and to target.

The coordinating centre for the network is a consortium between Imperial College London, based at the International Centre for Circulatory Health, and the Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism.

This coordinating centre manages eight Local Research Networks (LRNs) which provide geographical coverage of the country. Each LRN is centrally resourced to provide the infrastructure to support randomised controlled clinical trials and other high-quality studies in diabetes. This support ranges from publicising studies and helping with R&D approval applications, to the accurate and rapid assessment of study feasibility, and timely recruitment.

The network has developed a balanced portfolio of trials and other well-designed studies that cover all aspects of diabetes research.

More information about the benefits to your study of working with the network can be found on their website.

NIHR Comprehensive Local Research Network (CLRN)

The NIHR Comprehensive Local Research Network (CLRN) covers the whole of England and can also assist with trials, even if you have a DRN in your area.

More information about CLRNs can be found on the NIHR Clinical Research Network Coordinating Centre website.

Other research networks

In addition to these networks, other NIHR Clinical Research Networks might be suitable to support your research, and these might include the following:

Research Networks in Wales

Clinical Research Collaboration Cymru (CRC Cymru)

The Clinical Research Collaboration Cymru (CRC Cymru) was established by the Wales Office of Research and Development (WORD) to provide dedicated infrastructure to improve the quality, quantity, coordination, integration, inclusiveness and speed of health and social care research in Wales.

The CRC Cymru might be able to assist researchers with aspects of their research, such as:

  • recruitment to trials
  • assistance with trial coordination
  • provision of research resources and trial staff
  • training and education
  • help to include patients in all aspects of the research process
  • the opportunity to get involved in writing groups
  • the chance to help shape research and regulation agendas.

Diabetes Research Network Wales (DRN Wales)

There is a dedicated diabetes thematic group called the Diabetes Research Network Wales (DRN Wales) - more information about support they can provide can be found on their website.

Other research networks

In addition to this network, there are other parts of the CRC Cymru that might be suitable to support your research, including:

Research Networks in Scotland

As part of the UK Clinical Research Network, the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) of the Scottish Government has established five topic-specific clinical research networks to complement the primary care and cancer networks that already existed.

These networks might be able to assist researchers with aspects of their research, such as:

  • recruitment to trials
  • assistance with trial coordination
  • provision of research resources and trial staff
  • training and education
  • help to include patients in all aspects of the research process
  • the opportunity to get involved in writing groups
  • the chance to help shape research and regulation agendas.

Scottish Diabetes Research Network (SDRN)

There is a dedicated Scottish Diabetes Research Network (SDRN). It aims to improve the quality and increase the quantity of diabetes research in Scotland.

You can find out more on the SDRN website.

Other networks

In addition to this network, there are other networks in Scotland that might be suitable to support your research, and these include:

Research Networks in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Clinical Research Network (NICRN)

The Northern Ireland Clinical Research Network (NICRN) has been established to support the contribution of the clinical research community in Northern Ireland to the work of the UK Clinical Research Network.

The NICRN continues to put in place a generic infrastructure to support a series of themed clinician Networks that comprise the NICRN.

More information can be found on the NICRN website.

Other networks

There is a dedicated Northern Ireland themed clinician network dedicated to diabetes, and other themed clinician networks might be relevant to your work, such as the Children’s Network or the Primary Care Network.