About us
At the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) West, we conduct applied health research with our partners and others in the health and care sector, alongside patients and members of the public.
Applied health research aims to address the immediate issues facing the health and social care system. We also help bring research evidence into practice and provide training for the local workforce.
Watch our video to find out more about us.
We are funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR funds, enables and delivers world-leading health and social care research that improves people’s health and wellbeing and promotes economic growth.
NIHR Applied Research Collaborations (ARCs) support applied health and care research that responds to, and meets, the needs of local populations and local health and care systems.
The NIHR ARC West is one of 15 ARCs across England, part of a £135 million investment by the NIHR to improve the health and care of patients and the public.
About ARCs
Each NIHR ARC is made up of local providers of NHS and care services, NHS commissioners, local authorities, universities, private companies and charities. These collaborations work together to conduct high quality, generalisable, applied health and care research that addresses the specific health or care issues in their region.
NIHR ARCs also act to close the “second translational gap” between new evidence and getting it into clinical practice. They aim to increase the rate at which research findings are implemented into practice.
The 15 ARCs work collaboratively to address national research priorities, with individual ARCs providing national leadership in their areas of expertise.
What geographical area does ARC West cover?
ARC West serves the West region, including:
A – Gloucestershire
B – South Gloucestershire
C – Bristol
D – North Somerset
E – Bath and North East Somerset
F – Wiltshire
G – Swindon
Who’s involved?
ARC West is hosted by University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, and the partnership includes local NHS service providers, NHS commissioners, universities, local authorities, the voluntary sector, patients and the public, and Health Innovation West of England. Find out more about our partners.
About the NIHR
NIHR’s mission is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. The NIHR was established in 2006 and is primarily funded by the Department of Health and Social Care.
Working in partnership with the NHS, universities, local government, other research funders, patients and the public, the NIHR delivers and enables world-class research that transforms people’s lives, promotes economic growth and advances science.