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Manchester Biomedical Research Centre awarded £59.1m

14 Oct 2022

The award will help tackle health inequalities and improve patients' lives across Greater Manchester and beyond

Manchester Biomedical Research Centre

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) has received a £59.1million award - the largest single research award given by the NIHR to the city region - to translate its scientific discoveries into new treatments, diagnostic tests, and medical technologies to improve patients’ lives in Greater Manchester, and beyond, over the next five years.

Professor Ian Bruce, Director of NIHR Manchester BRC, said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this award from the NIHR – which more than doubles our previous award.

"This is a testament to our achievements over the past five years and also to our vision for the future; expanding both our research themes and our geographical reach.

"This will ensure that communities across our region’s urban, rural and coastal settings will now be able to participate in cutting-edge research. This award also allows us to further build our workforce to develop and deliver research across our region and to involve many more of our citizens and local patients in our research planning.

"We know that our region has high levels of deprivation and was disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which further widened health inequity. It is therefore imperative that Manchester BRC continues to bridge the gaps between new discoveries and personalised care, to ensure that we are levelling up health and care for all.

"I would like to thank everyone involved with our bid over the last two years. It has taken a monumental effort of hard work and dedication from our BRC Faculty and Core Team, and our partners, who were all singularly driven in our vision to drive health improvements and lasting change for all.”

Professor Graham Lord, Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, said: “Over the last five years we have been able to demonstrate that our clinical academic research not only provides excellence, but also value for money.

"Through our leveraged grant income, output of highly citated papers, and strategic collaborations with key industry partners, we have established Manchester BRC as a powerhouse of translational research. When we look back on this award, we will see it as critical upward turn for our entire ecosystem”.

President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nancy Rothwell, added: “This announcement is another example of the strength and depth of Greater Manchester’s provision as a world leading centre for biomedical and health research.

“This funding will further enhance the rightly deserved reputation for the city-region and contribute to improving the health outcomes and inequalities for our residents, and many more people beyond."

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, commented: “This is a truly exciting time for everyone in Greater Manchester, and Manchester BRC is pivotal to creating a better future for all of us.”