The address is the same, but the next time you visit the NIHR BioResource website, you’ll see it has a brand new look, ready for researchers and the public.
The NIHR BioResource is a nationwide platform that supports research in a number of health conditions. We bring together people who have consented to be approached to take part in research with researchers who need volunteers for their studies. Our team has over 150,000 people, healthy volunteers as well as patients with common and rare diseases, all willing to participate in research and has supported more than 200 studies.
Today, 1 July 2020, we launch our new website to encourage more people to get involved, to showcase our research studies and to provide an information platform for researchers, academics, clinicians and industry partners alike.
Our new site has a wealth of information about our research service, and has been streamlined into a simple layout with a modern and a user-friendly look and dedicated sections for the researchers and the public.
For researchers, there is information on how the NIHR BioResource can support their study, whether it involves the recall of participants by a specific genotype and/or phenotype, what services we can provide, including accessing data and/or samples, and how to access them.
For the public, there are details on their nearest centre, summaries of the studies they can be involved in and stories from participants who have taken part in research.
The website was designed with members of the public and researchers to make sure the content and layout were suitable to both audiences.
We hope the new website will be a useful source of information for people who want to taking part in research or help health researchers who need participants for their study.
Dr Nathalie Kingston, Director of the NIHR BioResource said: “The NIHR BioResource is a vital research platform which serves both the research community and the public. We needed to make sure we provided a website that suited the needs of both audiences.
“More and more people want to take part in research or run a clinical trial because they want to help the NHS, especially during these challenging times. Therefore, having a website which people can easily navigate through and find the correct information is essential.
“With that in mind, we worked with members of the public and researchers to create a bespoke website with a dedicate space for the public and researchers that would help signpost the information they need and what the NIHR BioResource can offer.
“Research has never been more important than it is now. We hope more people who come to our new site will be inspired and want to join the NIHR BioResource or use the service to support their own research.”