** Important notice about the Research and Development Office **
As of the 1st April 2009, the functions of the Research and Development Office transferred to the new Public Health Agency. The details below remain valid during the short transition period.

The Research and Development Office was established to promote, co-ordinate and support R&D within the NIHPSS. Its remit encompasses the research needs of the DHSS&PS and all sectors of Health and Social Care within Northern Ireland.

The implementation of the strategy is supported by the R&D Strategic Advisory Group.

The R&D Office has a dual strategic role and operational role. At a strategic level the Office provides an overall strategic direction for Health and Personal Social Services (HPSS) R&D and liases with national statutory bodies and health-related organisations including the Department of Health. At an operational level the R&D Office supports a wide range of R&D initiatives from education and training to direct commissioning.

The Spring 2009 issue of R&D Today has been published. Please click here to view Issue 11 of the Newsletter.

Sponsors of research and host instituitions need to have appropriate agreements in place before a piece of research can start. Information relating to the following four agreements have been published on this site:
Revised model Clinical Trial Agreement (mCTA)
Contact Research Organisation Model Clinical Trial Agreement (CRO mCTA)
Model Clinical Investigation Agreement (mCIA)
Model agreement for non-commercial research in the Health Service