Clinical trials

We have in-house expertise and strong connections to other University functions and external partners, all of which combine to support the development and management of effective clinical research studies.

Liverpool Clinical Trials Centre

The Liverpool Clinical Trials Centre (LCTC) is a leading UK clinical trials unit and methodological research group.

It is a large multi-disciplined team comprising academics, researchers and methodologists, trial managers, database and information systems developers, data managers, monitors and statisticians. The Centre is able to offer expertise across all areas of clinical trial operations: trial management, data management, statistics, information systems, monitoring and quality assurance.

Visit the LCTC website.

NIHR Research Support Service

The NIHR Research Support Service (RSS) supports researchers in developing applications for national, peer-reviewed research programmes. It covers all NIHR programmes and UK Research Councils, as well as national health and care charities. The RSS supports translational, clinical and applied health, public health, and social care research. It can also support applications for fellowships and other personal awards. The RSS does not provide support to global health research, or research that involves discovery. It also cannot support research involving animals or animal tissues.

Grant applications and grant management

All research grant applications that are to be led by University of Liverpool academics or that involve University academics as collaborators must be appropriately costed. The Research Support Office intranet website (RSO) (staff only) provides advice, guidance and support for financial and contractual considerations throughout the lifecycle of externally funded projects.

The RSO website provides useful advice on:

How to cost your grant application (including explanations on Full Economic Costing)
The approval process as well as
Practical advice on funder submission systems
What happens when a grant application is awarded
How and when the Research Contracts Team gets involved to support the execution of Grant Award agreements and any associated contracts that are needed before a research project can start.

The Research and Partnerships Development team (staff only) provides project management support for large grant applications (often multi-partner) that are of strategic importance to the University. They are also responsible for managing the institutional Peer Review College (staff only), including setting up mock interviews and demand management. University peer review is a requirement for a number of funder-specific grant applications so please check this well in advance.

Liverpool Health Partners Joint Research Office (JRO)

LHP JRO is a joint research service which brings together Liverpool Health Partners’ NHS and Universities research support functions to facilitate and deliver world-class health research. It facilitates engagement between the University and Trust R&D teams to ensure that clinical studies are appropriately costed and effectively resourced.

LHP JRO is driven by a dedicated research team that can provide support and guidance for grant applications and works in close collaboration with LHP member organisations.

Trust Research and Development Offices

More information and contact details for our partner NHS Trust R&D Offices can be found via the links below:

NIHR North West Regional Research Delivery Network

The NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN) supports patients, the public and health and care organisations across England to participate in high-quality research, thereby advancing knowledge and improving care. The RDN is comprised of 12 Regional Research Delivery Networks (RRDNs) and a Coordinating Centre (RDNCC), working together as one organisation with joint leadership. The RDN aims to support the successful delivery of high-quality research, as an active partner in the research system, and it also aims to increase the capacity and capability of the research delivery infrastructure for the future.

Local activities and services are managed through the North West Regional RND.