The University of Sheffield has secured more than £2.1 million in funding through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaborations (ARCs) programme for 2026 - 2031.
The funding will support three major research themes as part of the NIHR Yorkshire and Humber ARC, helping to address some of the UK’s most pressing health and social care challenges through high-quality applied research.
The University’s funded projects include:
- £1.2 million for the Delivering Care Closer to Home theme
- £580,504 for the Mental Health theme
- £331,593 for the Health Economics “SysTem Level Economic Evaluation Modelling (STEEM) “ theme
Together, the awards total £2,112,097 over five years.
The investment forms part of the second phase of NIHR ARC funding, building on the success of the first programme and supporting national ambitions outlined in the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan, Life Sciences Sector Plan and Health and Growth Missions.
The University of Sheffield’s projects will focus on improving health outcomes and reducing inequalities across the Yorkshire and Humber region.
The Delivering Care Closer to Home theme will develop an evidence base to support the NHS’s transformational shift in hospital to community based care. This shift aims to ease NHS pressures, reduce inequalities in access to services, and improve community and primary care delivery. This theme is co-led by Professor Fiona Sampson, Professor of Health Services Research and Dr Carl Marincowitz, Senior Clinical Lecturer, University of Sheffield.
The Mental Health theme will advance cost-effective prevention and treatment strategies for severe mental illness, child and adolescent mental health, access to care, and workforce productivity. This theme is co-led by Dr Emily Wood, Senior Research Fellow University of Sheffield and Professor Simon Gilbody, University of York.
Meanwhile, the cross-cutting STEEM theme will develop a Yorkshire and Humber wide system level modelling approach spanning health, social care, education and crime. The research will help policymakers and healthcare leaders understand the long-term health, cost and equity impacts of policy changes and interventions. This theme is co-led by Professor Laura Bojke and Dr Sebastian Hinde, University of York.
A central focus of the programme is impact, ensuring that research delivers meaningful improvements for patients, services and communities. Professor John Wright, Director NIHR ARC Yorkshire and Humber said: “Every decision will be guided by a simple question: does this make a meaningful difference to health, care and wellbeing, across our region? Research shouldn’t just generate knowledge, it should transform practice, shape policy, and improve lives.” The NIHR Yorkshire and Humber ARC will continue to focus on the health priorities that matter most to communities, including healthy childhoods, mental health, urgent care, and ageing.
Researchers will work closely with a wide range of stakeholders, including NHS organisations, social care partners, policymakers, public contributors and patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) representatives, to ensure the research directly informs practice and policy. The funding also represents a significant opportunity for research career development at the University of Sheffield, supporting researchers to collaborate across disciplines and sectors while delivering evidence that can improve lives and strengthen health and care systems.
Dr Carl Marincowitz said: “The University of Sheffield team are incredibly excited about this opportunity to collaborate with policy makers, health and social care professionals, and other researchers across our region, and nationally, to deliver this program of work to improve services and outcomes for people in Yorkshire and Humber.”