Foreword
Welcome to this update in which we summarise some of the NIHR Academy’s key impact and outcomes from April 2023 to March 2024.
There has been a significant increase in applications to and awards by NIHR Academy over 2023/24. This was driven primarily by the new schemes we launched.
The increase in applications included professional groups we are targeting such as nurses, allied health professionals and non-health and care practitioners. However, there is still more to do to further drive up applications from professions currently under-represented in the research community.
Who are our members?
We have more than 6,000 active members as of April 2024.
We are broadening the breadth of our membership in terms of geography.
We’ve seen increases in awards in the North West of England and the East of England, but this isn’t a uniform trend across all regions.
Our Global Health portfolio has a spread across all continents and a wide range of professions.
Our impact and outputs
Our members are having a quantifiable impact on research. This is shown in the upward trend in the volume of outputs from our members through Researchfish.
Research professorships
Publications and policy impact
Our research professorships contributed:
- 137 unique publications that were cited in 871 national and international policy documents
- 48 reports of influences of impact
Outcomes
65% of respondents on Researchfish secured an average £20.8m of further funding research
Integrated Clinical Academic (ICA) Programme
Publications and policy impact
- contributed 57 unique publications that were cited in 164 national and international policy documents
- contributed 130 reports of influences of impact
Careers impact
- 96% of respondents are research active (either reported research as a proportion of their current role or reported research activities)
- 65% of respondents are in an academic or clinical academic role (either their current role or an additional role)
- 71% of HEE/NIHR Senior Clinical Lectureship respondents went on to a chair position
Outcomes
- 22% of predoctoral respondents* secured an average £57,248 of further funding for research
- 44% of doctoral respondents* secured an average £1,532,363,290 of further funding for research
- 63% of postdoctoral respondents* secured an average £1,016,976 of further funding for research
NIHR Fellowships
Publications and policy impact
- contributed 1,547 unique publications that were cited in 8,077 national and international policy documents, this included Senior Investigators
- contributed 347 reports of influences of impact
Careers impact
- 96% of Fellowship respondents are research active (either reported research as a proportion of their current role or reported research activities)
- 83% of Fellowship respondents are in an academic or clinical academic role (either their current role or an additional role)
- 89% of Career Development Fellowship respondents went on to a Chair position
- 100% of Senior Research Fellowship respondents went on to a Chair position
Outcomes
- 18% of predoctoral respondents* secured an average £38,217 of further funding for research
- 31% of doctoral respondents* secured an average £374,274 of further funding for research
- 46% of postdoctoral respondents* secured an average £3,711,494 of further funding for research
Case studies
Professor Louise Howard
The first UK study to shed light on the prevalence of mental illness in pregnancy - affecting one in four women in the study, rising to two-thirds of those under 25. The research findings were cited in the Chief Medical Officer’s annual report on women’s health which led to the government allocation of new funds to perinatal mental health in The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health and beyond.
Professor Jim Wild
Research methods developed by his team have been effectively translated into clinical practice in the NHS with MHRA licensing, a world first for hyperpolarised xenon MRI. This research supported children with cystic fibrosis through uncovering ventilation difficulties that were detected by CT scans, and without exposure to radiation.
Dr Brendon Stubbs - Clinical Lectureship
Research throughout his awards has considered how mental health can be affected by exercise, physical activity and physiotherapy. His research informed international and national guidelines on the clinical care of people with mental illness. Dr Stubbs was recognised between 2020-22 as being in the top 1% of most highly cited researchers in the field of psychiatry and psychology.
Dr Simon Hackett - Clinical Lectureship
Dr Hackett’s research focuses on improving mental health outcomes and reducing health inequalities in a region historically underserved by mental health research relative to the clearly identified population need. Dr Hackett has secured over £3M in research funding over his career, and demonstrates the rapid career progression possible through NIHR funding.
Dr Susan Walker - Doctoral Fellowship
NIHR commissioned research led to updating of current knowledge regarding the risk factors for involuntary psychiatric admission in the UK and internationally as part of an Independent Review of the Mental Health Act.
The issue of involuntary readmissions, highlighted by Dr Walker, is now being further investigated in the FINCH study that is funded by the NIHR Policy Research Programme.
Dr Hannah Christensen - Career Development
Fellowship NIHR funded research showed the benefits of a vaccine against MenB bacteria, supporting the introduction of immunisations that have reduced cases by 75%. The research also analysed dose procurement cost, showing potential cost savings of £136 million a year.