We’ve launched new Quality Standards and Design and Review Principles to improve the information given to people who are invited to take part in research.

The Quality Standards set out the basic criteria that all information for research participants must meet and the Design and Review Principles support Research Ethics Committees to make decisions about that information in a more consistent way.  

We’ll be implementing the new standards and principles from December 2023, so we're publishing them now to help research organisations prepare. 

We’re delighted to share a blog from our Chief Executive, Matt Westmore, to celebrate South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM) on this year’s theme ‘stories to tell.’  

We've published our annual report and accounts, which give an overview of our performance and finances over the past 12 months. 

It highlights all of the great things we have achieved, looks ahead to our priorities for the coming year and outlines some of the challenges we face. 

The report was formally presented to Parliament on Thursday 6 July 2023. 

We’ve launched a new video which sets out our expectations on how everyone who works with and for us is treated.  

The video summarises the high standards we set ourselves for how we treat each other so that everyone involved in our work feels included, respected, and valued for who they are and what they bring to the HRA.   

The video is part of our commitment to make sure health and social care research is done with and for everyone and features our staff and the Chair of one of our Research Ethics Committees.  

If you work with us or think you might in the future, please watch the video to learn more.  

We’ve published new research on what Research Ethics Committee (REC) members think makes a good research ethics review and what parts of the process could be improved. 

The research found that members value good quality discussion among members with diverse experience, along with feedback and the opportunity to reflect on ways of working. 

The research is based on evidence gathered from our REC development days.  

This month we hosted a webinar with the Ethical Medicines Industry Group (EMIG) to discuss our plans for new guidance on public involvement, participant diversity and transparency in research for the new UK clinical trials regulations. 

We shared our priorities and ambitions in these key areas, as part of our commitment to making it easier to do research that everyone can trust. 

If you or your organisation would be interested in hearing from us on these topics, please get in touch. 

Earlier this month we joined hundreds of thousands of people across the UK to celebrate the anniversary of the NHS. 

As part of our NHS 75 celebrations, we shared thank you video messages from our Chief Executive, Matt Westmore, Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department of Health and Social Care, and Lord James O'Shaughnessy, who recently carried out an independent review of commercial clinical trials. 

In their video messages, Lucy and James recognised the key role the HRA plays in the NHS and the invaluable contribution of our staff, volunteers and members of the public who get involved in our work. 

• the number of clinical trials in the UK and the number of people recruited to them are greater than pre-pandemic levels, new National Institute for Health Care Research figures show 

• the Medical Research Council and the National Institute for Health Care Research have launched a UK Rare Disease Research Platform to tackle the most common challenges in rare disease research 

• the Ministry of Defence is recruiting new independent lay and independent expert members to join the Ministry of Defence Research Ethics Committee (MODREC). MODREC ensures that research involving human participants undertaken, funded, or sponsored by the Ministry of Defence meets national and international ethics standards 
  
• the National Institute for Health Care Research has published an evidence collection on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The report looks at how AI could transform the NHS and explores 10 promising interventions

• one-time passcode for IRAS services on the National Institute for Health Care Research Identity Gateway - Changes to how you sign into some of our IRAS services, for added security  
  

• heads up on call for comment - financial appendix to model agreements for commercial contract research   
  

• new National Contract Value Review data - data from the first six months of the National Contract Value Review (NCVR)