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Health and Care Research Wales announces major £49m investment in research infrastructure

The National Centre for Mental Health is pleased to confirm that it will receive £2,999,894 of sustainability funding in a major announcement by Health and Care Research Wales.

Health and Care Research Wales has announced Research Development Infrastructure funding for 17 research centres across Wales, including five new organisations.

The funding has been awarded across two categories – sustainability awards, for currently funded groups to maintain effective models of practice and support a trajectory towards self-sustainability, and catalytic awards, to boost capacity and capability in areas of health and care need and emerging Welsh research strength.

Professor Ian Jones, director at the National Centre for Mental Health said: “We are delighted to secure significant funding from Health and Care Research Wales for our flagship research centre to continue our vital work in mental health research.

Mental health challenges impact millions of lives every day—affecting individuals, families, and communities. The need for better understanding, effective treatments, and reduced stigma has never been greater.

“This investment represents a powerful acknowledgment of the critical importance of mental health and the innovative strides our centre has made in understanding and addressing the complex challenges individuals face.

“We’re incredibly grateful to Health and Care Research Wales and everyone who believes in our mission. This support enables us to continue to tackle these urgent challenges head-on and deliver meaningful, lasting change. Together, we can make a difference for mental health.”

The full list of centres that will receive funding are:

Sustainability funding 

  • Wales Cancer Research Centre (£4,866,172)
  • Secure Anonymised Information Linkage Databank (SAIL) (£4,551,338)
  • Wales Centre for Primary and Emergency Care Research (£2,996,483)
  • Wales Cancer Biobank (£2,363,320)
  • Health and Care Economics Cymru (£1,865,815)
  • Children’s Social Care Research and Development Centre Partnership (CASCADE-Partnership) (£2,999,636)
  • Centre for the Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions for Public Health Improvement (DECIPHer) (£2,886,936)
  • The Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics (BRAIN) Unit, which from April 2025 will become the Advanced Neurotherapies Centre (£2,856,309)
  • Wales Kidney Research Unit  (£2,984,527)
  • Centre for Trials Research (£4,742, 424)
  • National Cardiovascular Research Network (£2,073,161)

Catalytic funding

  • Wales Applied Virology Unit (£3,000,000)
  • National Centre for Suicide and Self-harm Prevention (£2,085,939)
  • Centre for Social Care and Artificial intelligence LEarning (£1,815,416)
  • Women’s Health Research Wales  (£3,013,936)
  • Centre for Vision Services Research (£1,746,729)

Jeremy Miles, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, said: “Research has a critical role to play in helping us to achieve our aim of A Healthier Wales. This is an important investment in new and exciting areas of research, including women’s health; preventing suicide and self-harm and AI – I hope it provides real evidence over the next five years, which will help shape services and care for people across Wales.”

Michael Bowdery, Joint Interim Director at Health and Care Research Wales and Head of Programmes, Research and Development Division at Welsh Government, said: “This announcement represents a significant investment in our funded infrastructure in Wales over the next five years, and reflects our ambition to advance research capability aligned with unmet health and social need in key policy areas.

“Our approach to providing this funding is based on two criteria – firstly, where there is a clear and compelling research and evidence need in the area for Welsh Government, the NHS and social care system in Wales; and secondly, where there is demonstrably strong or emerging research capacity and capability in the area.

“These centres embody the principle of research having the power to make a difference to people’s health and wellbeing, and we are pleased to be able to support their activity in this field.”

Read more about the funding announcement on Health and Care Research Wales’s website.

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Address:

National Centre for Mental Health, Cardiff University, Hadyn Ellis Building, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ

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+44 (0)29 2068 8401
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