About the CRDC UK Network

The CRDC UK Network leads a coordinated initiative to strengthen the UK’s offer for commercial clinical research.

It brings together Commercial Research Delivery Centres (CRDCs) across the UK to provide a more coherent, visible and accessible system for industry.

Through this collaboration, the Network offers a single, streamlined interface to support the efficient set up and delivery of commercial research, enhancing capacity, consistency and performance across the UK.

The Network is embedded within the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Industry Hub, supporting a coordinated approach to commercial research management across UK research infrastructure.

A coordinated UK approach

The Network connects CRDCs across primary, secondary, specialist and community care, improving visibility of capability and delivering a consistent approach to commercial research delivery.

Through coordination, the Network supports:

Alignment across nations, settings and Centres

Improved visibility of delivery capability

Integration of capacity building

Access to a broad range of care settings and patient populations

Supporting a competitive UK offer

The UK has a strong track record in clinical research, supported by established regulation, data infrastructure and healthcare service integration.

The CRDC UK Network strengthens coordination across delivery centres, making it easier for industry to understand and access UK capability.

This supports a more coherent and competitive offer for commercial research.

Funding and government commitment

The CRDC UK Network is supported through industry investment aligned to the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG).

This funding supports the development and expansion of CRDCs and the wider Network, including:

Dedicated research delivery infrastructure
Workforce capacity across pharmacy, nursing and specialist roles
Standardisation of commercial study delivery

This reflects a long-term commitment to strengthening the UK’s commercial research environment.

Working as part of the wider UK research infrastructure

The Network operates within the broader UK research system and works alongside national infrastructure and delivery partners across the four nations.

As part of the Industry Hub, the Network provides:

Signposting to other relevant parts of the system
Routing of enquiries to the most appropriate infrastructure
Coordination and support for CRDC hosted studies

This supports industry to navigate the UK research systems and get the right support through a coordinated approach.

Senior leadership of the CRDC UK Network

The Network’s leadership reflects its UK-wide, collaborative approach, combining clinical expertise, devolved nation representation and operational coordination.

Network Director

Professor Melanie Davies DBE

Professor of Diabetes Medicine, University of Leicester, and Honorary Consultant Diabetologist at UHL.

Provides strategic leadership for the Network, drawing on over 30 years’ experience leading major UK and international research collaborations.

Network Co-Director, Devolved Nations

Chloe Cowan

Senior Research Manager for NHS Research Scotland within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Ensures representation across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and works with government and VPAG partners to support commercial trial delivery across devolved systems.

Network Co-Director and Clinical Lead

Professor Lorraine Harper

Professor of Nephrology at the University of Birmingham and Honorary Consultant at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.

Leads clinical input to the Network, capacity building and supports innovation in trial set-up and delivery models.

Network Operations Director

Jenny Crooks MBA

Jenny has held a wide range of roles across the research ecosystem, from Commercial Research Officer to Director of Research Operations within an NHS organisation. She brings a wealth of expertise in industry partnerships, alongside extensive operational and strategic research experience.

In her current role, Jenny provides both operational and strategic leadership for the network, with a strong focus on meeting sponsor and industry needs. She is responsible for ensuring that the network and Clinical Research Delivery Centres (CRDCs) consistently deliver against key performance indicators (KPIs), supporting the successful delivery of high quality research.

Network structure

The CRDC UK Network operates as a federated model, bringing together Centres across the UK under a coordinated national structure.

Network host: University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

The CRDC UK Network is hosted by University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL), one of the UK’s largest and most research-active NHS trusts.

UHL provides the infrastructure and expertise to coordinate the federated CRDC UK Network on behalf of all four nations, supporting collaboration and consistent delivery across Centres.

Established national leadership

UHL has extensive experience leading large-scale research collaborations, including:

National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Translational Research Collaborations
The Midlands Health Alliance

This provides a strong foundation for coordinating a UK-wide Network.

Strong track record of working with industry

UHL has collaborated with more than 100 companies in 2023/24 and holds preferred partner status with major Contract Research Organisations (CROs).

This reflects established and trusted relationships in delivering commercial clinical research.

Proven delivery performance

As one of the five pilot Patient Recruitment Centres (PRCs), the forerunner to the CRDCs, UHL has demonstrated:

Rapid study set-up

Strong recruitment performance

Delivery in line with, or exceeding, national benchmarks

Inclusive reach and community engagement

Serving one of the most ethnically diverse populations in the UK, UHL brings experience in:

Engaging underserved communities
Delivering research in community settings
Broadening access to participation

Ready to work with the CRDC UK Network?

Find out how we support commercial research delivery or explore Centres across the UK.