University to lead new £4.9 million specialist centre to support social care researchers in England
The University of York will lead a new specialist centre to support social care researchers in England as part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s Research Support Service (RSS).
The RSS Hub delivered by the University of York and Partners has been awarded £4.9 million to manage and operate the new specialist centre from February 2025 to September 2028.
This is a significant development for social care research in England and will complement the existing NIHR RSS Specialist Centre for Social Care, delivered by Lancaster University and Partners.
Dr Mark Wilberforce, Director of the NIHR RSS Specialist Centre for Social Care, said: “We're delighted to host this new Specialist Centre. These are such exciting times for social care research, with so many opportunities for investigating innovations, studying new approaches to care, and building capacity for impactful evidence.
"We look forward to working together with the other RSS specialist centres and hubs to deliver an ambitious support and infrastructure programme for social care research teams and their partners in local communities."
Notes to editors:
The new specialist centre will play a pivotal role in strengthening the social care research system by:
- enhancing the RSS’s connections with the social care sector and provide a core of social care methodological expertise, and a focus on suitable training and career development opportunities for centre staff
- deliver equitable support, offering the best advice and assistance to each researcher, regardless of their location
- promote inclusion by directing researchers to the most appropriate methodological expertise across the RSS that supports patient and public involvement, equality, diversity and inclusion
- build research capacity through collaboration with other NIHR infrastructures and the Research Delivery Network (RDN) to develop and grow research and methodological capability across the health and care workforce
The University of York is a world-leading centre for social care research with both the RSS Specialist Centre and the NIHR School for Social Care Research now based at the University of York. This opens up significant opportunities for collaboration to drive forward impactful social care research.