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Home > Researchers > I need help to deliver my research > Outputs and branding

Outputs and branding

Find out when you need to notify us of research outputs and get guidance on acknowledging NIHR and branding guidelines.

There is separate advice for researchers for NIHR Global Health Research funding or a career award funding from the NIHR Academy

What is a research output?

A research output is any item arising from research we have funded that enters the public domain. Outputs can include:

  • publications, for example research papers and abstracts,  conference papers, research reports, books or book chapters
  • engagement activity based outputs, for example talks or presentations, magazine or newsletter pieces (print or online), media interviews or press releases
  • policy, practice, patients and the public outputs, such as policy documents and participant materials
  • research databases and models
  • intellectual property

More about different types of research output in our research outputs and publications guidance

Research papers

NIHR-funded researchers are expected to publish their main study findings in a peer-reviewed, open access journal. Read our open access policy.

Five of our research programmes also require researchers to publish research outputs in the NIHR Journals Library.

Find out more about our requirements around research papers in our research outputs and publications guidance.

Clinical trials

Findings from clinical trials should be published in a peer reviewed journal within 24 months from study completion. Read the NIHR policy on clinical trial registration and disclosure of results.

Press releases, media briefings and interviews

You need to tell us about any media activity as soon as possible.  The minimum is  three working days before any journalist outreach.

The type of media activity you need to tell us about includes:

  • press releases issued through the researchers’ host or partner institution
  • press releases issued by the journal, funder or partner in the research
  • researchers taking part in interviews for press or broadcast
  • media exclusives or journalist briefings

For more information, please see the press releases section of our research outputs and publications guidance.

Notification requirements

You need to tell us about any media activity as soon as possible.  The minimum is  three working days before any journalist outreach.

See NIHR research outputs and publications guidance for more information.

Acknowledging the NIHR

All written and oral research outputs should:

  • acknowledge the NIHR funding in full
  • include the NIHR unique award identifier
  • include the NIHR disclaimer.

Standard wording

Most research programmes use the following wording:

"This study/project is funded by the NIHR [name of NIHR programme (NIHR unique award identifier)/name of part of the NIHR]. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care."

Please also acknowledge any other NIHR support your project may have received. For example, from our Clinical Research Network or an NIHR Clinical Research Facility or Biomedical Research Centre.

Read more about our acknowledgement and disclaimer in our research outputs and publications guidance.

Branding

Please use the 'Funded by NIHR' logo on visual and digital outputs. You should also acknowledge NIHR and use our disclaimer.  Funded researchers should not use the corporate NIHR logo.

Research teams can create logos for their NIHR-funded studies, but should not use the NIHR visual identity to do so. The NIHR acknowledgement,  unique award identifier and disclaimer must also be in place.

How to use the Funded by NIHR logo and disclaimer

Websites - Add the logo and disclaimer so that it is visible without scrolling down the page on a desktop.

Print - On research posters and patient leaflets, add the logo and disclaimer below the fold or the bottom half of the page.

For research posters, you can use your institution’s templates. You can also use an NIHR poster template and add your host institution logo.

Slides - Add the logo on the first slide and the acknowledgement and disclaimer on the final slide.

You can use your institution’s templates for slide decks. You can use an NIHR poster template and add your host institution logo.

Videos - Add the 'Funded by NIHR' logo on the final frame with the acknowledgement and disclaimer.

When not to use the Funded by NIHR logo

The 'Funded by NIHR' logo should not be used on:

  • Original research papers
  • Press releases


Funded by the EME programme

A separate logo is available for researchers funded by the Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) programme, to acknowledge that the programme is a partnership between the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the NIHR.

If your project is part of the MRC Clinical Trials portfolio, special arrangements apply (please contact EME to find out more).

Digital

Award holders are permitted to create digital channels for their NIHR-funded research project, such as websites and social media accounts.

Websites

Websites should display the 'Funded by NIHR' logo. It should be used above the fold but not in the header, i.e. so that it is visible without scrolling down the page.

Websites should also use the NIHR acknowledgement and disclaimer.

Social media accounts

Award holders are permitted to create social media accounts for their research project, such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

Social media accounts should acknowledge the NIHR funding in their bio. For example, by tagging the NIHR Research twitter account (@NIHRresearch) in a twitter bio. We also recommend that you tag your host organisation in any social media bios.

The NIHR has a number of audience-focused social media channels that you can follow, supplemented by topic specific streams. We encourage you to engage with and re-share NIHR content on your own channels to help amplify the work of the NIHR, as well as creating unique posts publicising your funded research. Tag us in your posts about your research and we may be able to re-share and amplify too.

Videos

Videos about NIHR research should show the 'Funded by NIHR' logo on the final frame with the acknowledgement and disclaimer.