Programmes

Research participants join the NIHR BioResource through one of several national programmes or 'cohorts', each based on a specific health condition or demographic criteria such as age or ethnicity.

Not all programmes are actively recruiting new participants. All are open for research applications.

Recruiting at scale

Age and ethnicity criteria but recruiting large numbers nationally

  • D-CYPHR

    D-CYPHR

    DNA, Children + Young People's Health Resource (D-CYPHR) is open to all children ages 0-15. 

    Find out more
  • IBHO

    IBHO

    Improving Black Health Outcomes (IBHO) BioResource is open to people from Black ethnic backgrounds and those with a Sickle Cell or Thalassaemia diagnosis. 

    Find out more

Common diseases

Limited recruitment - please check each page for eligibility criteria.

  • IBD

    IBD

    The Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) BioResource is a national platform that supports research into Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis to increase understanding of IBD.

    IBD BioResource
  • IMID

    IMID

    The Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases BioResource is a recallable group of participants with conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and psoriasis.

    IMID BioResource
  • MASLD

    MASLD

    The Metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) BioResource supports research into the causes and progression  of the condition.

    MASLD BioResource
Silhouette group of people, some orange, some different colours on white background

Rare Diseases

We identify genetic causes of rare diseases to improve diagnosis and to support work to develop and validate treatments.

Rare Diseases BioResource

Specialist projects

  • Long Read Sequencing (LRS)

    LRS is a new method that will help us provide a diagnosis for patients in cases where previous methods were unable to. Our team now have the foremost Long Read Sequencing expertise in the UK.

    Long Read Sequencing

  • RNA Phenotyping

    Building on our rare diseases Whole Genome Sequencing work published in 2020, the RNA Phenotyping project aims to deepen our understanding of how and why rare diseases develop.

    RNA Phenotyping

Mental health

  • GLAD

    GLAD

    The Genetic Links to Anxiety and Depression (GLAD) Study is a project set up to support studies exploring risk factors for depression and/or anxiety.
    GLAD study
  • EDGI

    EDGI

    The Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative UK (EDGI UK) aims to better understand the role that genes and environment play in the development of eating disorders.

    EDGI UK
  • SMILE

    SMILE

    The SMILE BioResource is a collaboration with the University of Oxford (Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre) to investigate the causes of severe mental illness (SMI).

    SMILE BiOResource

Completed recruitment

Whilst recruitment has been completed for new participants from the general population or with COVID-19, the existing participants and their data are available to support research.

  • General population

    General population

    Participants who do not have a specific health condition play a crucial role in research by acting as ‘controls’, allowing researchers to compare them with participants who have a particular condition or characteristic.

    General Population BioResource
  • COVID-19

    COVID-19

    Working with committed participants and partners, we created the COVID-19 BioResource to help drive national and international scientific progress.

    COVID-19 BioResource