Purpose

Our purpose is to provide a focus for leadership and coordination in health research and healthcare across The University of Manchester and the six most research-active NHS organisations in Greater Manchester. It is expected that this 'whole' will add substantially greater value than the 'sum of its parts' and deliver:

• A shared vision and strategy for health research in Greater Manchester, including agreement to research programme priorities and a framework to achieve sustained excellence
• A collective brand and image for that research
• Establishment (through investment and streamlining) of an internationally competitive platform of research infrastructure, coordinated and shared between the members of Manchester AHSC (Academic Health Science Centre)
• Agreement to the shared obligations of members regarding research
• A strong shared mechanism for intelligence gathering
• Increased success in securing major research funding
• A pipeline for rapid dissemination and translation of research findings into routine healthcare and public health practice
• Development of the next generation of health researchers
• Support for bid preparation
• Harmonisation of research governance support arrangements [with UK Clinical Research Network (UKCRN)]
• Simplification and streamlining of decision-making and reduction in the administrative burden for researchers (through speed and clarity in strategic and senior level decision-making, standardisation of administrative operating procedures and systems, etc.)