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The NIHR/ Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility Birmingham (CRF) was established in 2001 and is based across University Hospitals Birmingham and Birmingham Women’s and Children’s hospital. The CRF provides a high-quality clinical environment where volunteers and patients of all ages can take part in experimental and early phase clinical research.

The CRF is multi-speciality and works closely with clinicians and academics from many different specialities.

We provide a high quality clinical environment where patients can take part in early phase, experimental and complex clinical research studies. The facilities are equipped to a high standard allowing research to be carried out in compliance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP).

We provide multi-purpose generic rooms which include outpatient clinic rooms, day-case facilities, inpatient beds and meeting rooms as well as specialist rooms that include a metabolic studies area, endoscopy suite and high specification isolation rooms.

To find out more about the children’s facility at https://bwc.nhs.uk/clinical-research-facilities.

CRF Laboratory (at UHB) in the adult facility provides invaluable services such as specimen processing for researchers as well as a comprehensive education package to students such as those undertaking BMedSci programmes. The laboratories consist of a class II analytical laboratory that can facilitate investigative research, sample processing, storage and analysis and an analytical laboratory with flow cytometry equipment, CO² incubators and hoods. A separate freezer room houses several minus 80 degree celcius, temperature monitored freezers.

The Inflammation Research Facility (IRF) is in close proximity to the University of Birmingham’s Research laboratories and is dedicated to the study of the inflammatory process and related diseases. Specialties currently using the space include rheumatology, respiratory and neurology. CRF nursing and support staff work closely with clinicians and scientists to deliver internationally competitive research and high quality care to research participants.

All research projects running through the CRF must be approved by the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) who review the study for scientific merit. The SAC is a joint meeting between the adult and paediatric CRF and takes place every 4 weeks, and applications are referred for peer review if it is deemed necessary. SAC approval is required to make use of CRF facilities, staff, equipment or laboratories.

Application forms, meeting dates, deadlines and a list of the relevant supporting documentation can be provided. Please contact: CRFSAC@uhb.nhs.uk