Introduction

Oxfordshire and the surrounding region is home to a wealth of healthcare providers, researchers and companies and partnership working is vital to create the research infrastructure and outstanding leaders capable of tackling tomorrow's challenges and to drive economic growth.

Working together for new and improved treatments

OUH hosts a number of research organisations, including some that are part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) infrastructure.

NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)

The NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) is run in partnership with the University of Oxford. Created in 2007 as one of the first five BRCs, it began its fourth round of five-year funding - £89 million - in December 2022.

The Oxford BRC, which supports research across 15 themes, brings together academics and clinicians to translate scientific breakthroughs into potential new treatments, diagnostics and medical technologies that benefit patients, improve the delivery of care by the NHS and support the wider economy.

NIHR Oxford Clinical Research Facility

The NIHR Oxford Clinical Research Facility supports early-phase experimental research and plays an important role in the clinical translational strategy of the Oxford BRC.

NIHR South Central Regional Research Delivery Network (RDN)

Since 1 October 2024 we have been part of the NIHR South Central Regional Research Delivery Network (RDN), which is hosted by Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, and covers Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, West Berkshire, Frimley, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

The RDN supports the delivery of high-quality research that enables the best care for the population. It will support clinical trials and other health and social care research studies, and public health studies that require the recruitment of individuals in an NHS setting, including acute, ambulance, mental health, community or primary care.

Health Innovation Oxford & Thames Valley

Since 2013 the Trust has hosted Health Innovation Oxford & Thames Valley, previously the Oxford Academic Health Science Network (AHSN), which works with partners in the NHS, research and industry in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and Bedfordshire to identify, develop and spread innovation that will benefit patients, services, populations and economies.

Oxford Health and university partners

OUH works closely with the University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.

These two NHS trusts and two universities, along with Health Innovation Oxford & Thames Valley, form the Oxford Academic Health Partners, which has been designated as one of eight Academic Health Science Centres by NHS England, NHS Improvement and NIHR.

In 2011 a formal Joint Working Agreement between the University of Oxford and Oxford University Hospitals was signed, built on years of close working between the University and the NHS.