One side of research that isn’t seen much but is hugely important is securing the funding to do the research. We work very closely with the National Institutes for Health Research (NIHR) and, for example, lead the Modernising Medical Microbiology and Big Infection Diagnostics theme in the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre.
The NIHR recently announced £80 million of funding for a series of five-year initiatives, called Health Protection Research Units (HPRUs). Each HPRU focusses on a specific important health problem and works closely with UKHSA to carry out research and implement recommendations to improve patient outcomes in the UK.
In collaboration with both UKHSA and a number of other UK universities we have been awarded nearly £11 million to come up with new ways to reduce healthcare associated infections and antimicrobial resistance, in particular in hospitals and other healthcare settings. The HPRU will be led by Professor Sarah Walker who is experienced at managing large research projects, having, amongst other things, led the Office for National Statistics Covid-19 Infection Survey during the pandemic.
