About Us

We support the delivery of early translational and experimental medicine research, from studies testing new treatments in patients for the very first time through to early safety and efficacy clinical trials.

NIHR Clinical Research Facilities (CRFs) support the delivery of early-phase and complex studies in purpose-built facilities in NHS hospitals. The NIHR has awarded £161 million over five years to CRFs across England. 

The NIHR Bristol Clinical Research Facility (CRF) is hosted by University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) and is one of 28 NIHR clinical research facilities networked across England, sharing expertise, training and research infrastructure. The NIHR funds, enables and delivers world-leading health and social care research that improves people’s health and wellbeing and promotes economic growth. 

Our facility is also part of the wider UKCRF Network, which links around 54 Clinical Research Facilities across the UK and Ireland. The network supports CRFs to deliver clinical trials of the highest standard and promotes the UK as the place for investment in and economic growth from health research. It gives us access to a huge amount of expertise and resources and support with important aspects of our work, such as Patient and Public Involvement and Training. 

We work closely with the NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, also based at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston, and we collaborate with other local NHS trusts and universities through CRN West of England.