Who We Are

3 circles in a triangle with lines connecting the left to the bottom and the right to the bottom.

What We Do

The NIHR Cambridge Clinical Research Facility (CRF) is part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and hosted by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Located on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, we provide a suite of purpose-built, staffed facilities for delivery of experimental medicine and translational research across two sites, at Cambridge University Hospitals and Royal Papworth Hospital. Patients and the public can take part in studies testing the latest developments to transform healthcare. Our dedicated teams work with clinicians, scientists and industry partners, enabling the delivery of commercial and non-commercial experimental medicine studies in a wide range of specialties, with people of all ages.

We are one of 28 NIHR-funded clinical research facilities networked across the UK, enabling collaboration with other sites and access to additional expertise and research infrastructure. Our CRF co-founded, and provides senior leadership to, the UKCRF Network, which develops, shares and implements excellence in CRF operations, workforce development, industry engagement and public involvement to ensure the efficient and effective delivery of studies.

Read more about our facilities and teams here Read more about our people here
Early phase Trial Unit ward with 2 women on beds and 1 nurse standing next to a blood pressure monitor

Areas Of Expertise

We are proud to have been delivering high quality clinical research for over 20 years. We have experience in all health specialties, with particular expertise in cancer, metabolic diseases, neurodegenerative conditions, cardiovascular and respiratory medicine.

Cambridge CRF team photo surrounded by 18 boxes , each naming a research area, for example, Neurological, Respiratory, Blood

We Are Part of the NIHR

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funds, enables and delivers world-leading health and social care research that improves people’s health and wellbeing, and promotes economic growth.

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 28 CRFs across England to support the delivery of experimental medicine.

Man holding samples by a machine
Image of the cambridge clinical research campus taken with a drone

Our Collaborators

We are an intrinsic part of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, one of the largest of its kind in Europe, which combines world-class biomedical research, patient care, education and industry on a single site.

Here we collaborate with a wide range of centres, organisations and people including:

NIHR Infrastructure – Collaborations

We benefit from being part of the UK Clinical Research Facility (UKCRF) Network, which supports CRFs, both NIHR and non-NIHR-funded, to deliver clinical trials of the highest standard and promotes the UK as the place for investment in and economic growth from health research. Over 50 CRFs across the UK and Ireland are supported, working together to deliver networked experimental medicine at pace and driving forward initiatives that improve the quality of the patient experience. Read more about the UKCRF Network.

We work very closely with the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), which funds and supports ground-breaking clinical research in a wide range of clinical conditions. Approximately 85% of our studies are aligned with the Cambridge BRC themes. NIHR Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs) are collaborations between NHS organisations and universities. They bring together academics and clinicians to translate scientific discoveries into potential new treatments, diagnostics and technologies. Read more about NIHR BRCs.

We have a strong track record of delivering clinical studies designed to improve the detection and treatment of cancers, and we collaborate closely with the Cambridge Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC). The ECMC initiative is jointly funded by Cancer Research UK, the NIHR in England and the Departments of Health for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

We are committed to supporting and working with the NIHR BioResource, which brings together researchers and willing volunteers to contribute to leading research.  The NIHR BioResource national coordinating centre is located in Cambridge and is hosted by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with the University of Cambridge.

Read more about our collaborators and partnerships here

Cambridge Clinical Research Facility (CRF) is the largest, single site NIHR CRF. It is located in the heart of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, the largest centre of medical research and health science in Europe.

The NIHR Cambridge Clinical Research Facility (CRF) is part of the NIHR and hosted by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

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Contact Us

NIHR Cambridge Clinical Research Facility
Cambridge Clinical Research Centre
Keith Day Road
Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Cambridge
CB2 0SL

01223 254642

Email: cuh.crfenquiries@nhs.net