Why has the UKCHRC been formed?
Research is essential to advance the science of paediatrics and improve the health and wellbeing of children. A healthy childhood is the key to life-long health as many of the determinants of poor adult health have their origins in early life.
The UKCHRC has been established to enable organisations to collaborate to deliver research, support research training, provide research infrastructure, and grow child health research capacity. It is hosted by the RCPCH and supported by the Wellcome Trust and Medical Research Council.
What are the UKCHRC aims?
Collaborative solutions
- Work towards collaborative solutions to generic problems in child health research
- Increase co-ordination across the research cycle to enable smaller charities to seed-fund pilot projects to inform larger grant applications to larger charities or Research Councils
- Facilitate partnership funding of larger projects
Increase research capacity
- Support long-term investment in growing research capacity
- Train the next generation of child health researchers
- Advocate for dedicated time for NHS staff to support research
- Advocate for changes to higher specialist training to provide improved opportunity for research experience
Strengthen research infrastructure
- Create awareness amongst charities/funders of infrastructure gaps
- Share best practice in peer review of grant applications and wider funding cycles
- Contribute to prioritisation of child health research
Improve parent involvement and public awareness of children's research relevance and importance
- Help researchers and charities improve communication of their research
- Support campaigns that will improve public awareness of children’s research and what it means to participate
- Support shared-learning between UKCHRC partners to ensure children and young people are central to research design and delivery
What has the UKCHRC achieved?
The UKCHRC has been an excellent vehicle for networking and developing a shared understanding of the generic problems of research involving infants, children and young people.
To find out more, you can read our article in Archives of Disease in Childhood.
Get involved
It's not too late for your organisation to get involved. To join and influence our future direction, please contact the Research and Evaluation Team.
- Email: research@rcpch.ac.uk
- Tel: 020 7092 6081
You can also browse our research funding opportunities.