Who We Are
What We Do
The NIHR Cambridge Clinical Research Facility (CRF) is part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and hosted by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Located on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, we provide a suite of purpose-built, staffed facilities for delivery of experimental medicine and translational research across two sites, at Cambridge University Hospitals and Royal Papworth Hospital. Patients and the public can take part in studies testing the latest developments to transform healthcare. Our dedicated teams work with clinicians, scientists and industry partners, enabling the delivery of commercial and non-commercial experimental medicine studies in a wide range of specialties, with people of all ages.
We are one of 28 NIHR-funded clinical research facilities networked across the UK, enabling collaboration with other sites and access to additional expertise and research infrastructure. Our CRF co-founded, and provides senior leadership to, the UKCRF Network, which develops, shares and implements excellence in CRF operations, workforce development, industry engagement and public involvement to ensure the efficient and effective delivery of studies.
Areas Of Expertise
We are proud to have been delivering high quality clinical research for over 20 years. We have experience in all health specialties, with particular expertise in cancer, metabolic diseases, neurodegenerative conditions, cardiovascular and respiratory medicine.
We Are Part of the NIHR
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funds, enables and delivers world-leading health and social care research that improves people’s health and wellbeing, and promotes economic growth.
NIHR Clinical Research Facilities (CRFs) support the delivery of early-phase and complex studies in purpose built facilities in NHS hospitals.
The NIHR has awarded £161 million over five years to 28 CRFs across England to support the delivery of experimental medicine.
Our Collaborators
We are an intrinsic part of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, one of the largest of its kind in Europe, which combines world-class biomedical research, patient care, education and industry on a single site.
Here we collaborate with a wide range of centres, organisations and people including:
- NHS Trusts, such as Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.
- University of Cambridge, including: School of Clinical Medicine departments; Office for Translational Research; Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre; Cambridge Institute for Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease (CITIID); Cambridge Institute for Medical Research (CIMR); Herschel Smith Building for Brain and Mind Sciences and more.
- Other campus organisations including: Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science Metabolic Research Laboratories; Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre; Heart and Lung Research Institute; Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre; AstraZeneca; GSK and more.
NIHR Infrastructure – Collaborations
We benefit from being part of the UK Clinical Research Facility (UKCRF) Network, which supports CRFs, both NIHR and non-NIHR-funded, to deliver clinical trials of the highest standard and promotes the UK as the place for investment in and economic growth from health research. Over 50 CRFs across the UK and Ireland are supported, working together to deliver networked experimental medicine at pace and driving forward initiatives that improve the quality of the patient experience. Read more about the UKCRF Network.
We work very closely with the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), which funds and supports ground-breaking clinical research in a wide range of clinical conditions. Approximately 85% of our studies are aligned with the Cambridge BRC themes. NIHR Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs) are collaborations between NHS organisations and universities. They bring together academics and clinicians to translate scientific discoveries into potential new treatments, diagnostics and technologies. Read more about NIHR BRCs.
We have a strong track record of delivering clinical studies designed to improve the detection and treatment of cancers, and we collaborate closely with the Cambridge Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC). The ECMC initiative is jointly funded by Cancer Research UK, the NIHR in England and the Departments of Health for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
We are committed to supporting and working with the NIHR BioResource, which brings together researchers and willing volunteers to contribute to leading research. The NIHR BioResource national coordinating centre is located in Cambridge and is hosted by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with the University of Cambridge.
Cambridge Clinical Research Facility (CRF) is the largest, single site NIHR CRF, in the heart of Cambridge Biomedical Campus. It is the largest centre of medical research and health science in Europe.
