Research training and academic career development is a critical priority within the West Midlands. We are committed to supporting training, helping to embed research findings, sharing knowledge and offering new qualifications, with the ultimate aim of improving patient outcomes and accelerating access to drugs, devices and diagnostics.
Our primary aim is to facilitate increased opportunities for those within the NHS looking to pursue a career in academic research. Our clinical academic programmes also support the national agenda to increase the capability of non-medical professionals to contribute to the improvement of patient outcomes and innovations in healthcare. More widely, our collective initiatives provide a specific regional focus in support of NIHR’s broader aims, working with the NIHR Academy and a range of stakeholders and partners across health and care to inspire, support and develop new communities of researchers, and bring together new ideas and thinking from diverse disciplines, backgrounds, geographies and settings.