The University is part of a major £9.7m investment from the Medical Research Council (MRC) to strengthen clinical research careers across the UK.
The funding will establish ten Regional Accounts for Clinical Researchers (RACR), bringing together more than 50 research organisations and over 60 NHS organisations across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
This is a pilot initiative supporting clinicians at critical stages in their research careers to stay involved in research alongside clinical practice. The programme will support clinical researchers and continue to drive innovation, improve patient outcomes, and support a future‑ready NHS.
The University of Exeter and the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust will join the Great Western Clinical Research Alliance, working with partners such as the University of Bristol, University of Bath, and the University of Cardiff as well as local NHS Trusts and Boards to provide tailored support for clinical academics at key career “pinch points”.
The funding will deliver tailored support for clinicians in the region over the next two years, with scope to extend further.
Professor Helen Quinn from NIHR Exeter Biomedical Research Centre and Research and Development Director at the Royal Devon, said: “We welcome this initiative and the chance to work alongside our regional and national partners to support health research careers. It is widely recognised that research-active hospitals achieve better patient outcomes, adopt innovation more quickly, and are better able to attract and retain talented staff.
“Too often, talented staff reach a point where that becomes difficult to sustain alongside clinical demands. Initiatives like this recognise that challenge and, crucially, start to address it by creating the right support at the right time. At the Royal Devon, we are already seeing the value of investing in our people through our partnership with the University of Exeter, helping staff develop the skills and confidence to contribute to research. Building on this, we want to create more routes for colleagues to get involved and progress, supported by initiatives such as the Royal Devon Research Academy.”
Working with local universities, the NHS and organisations that support research, the RACR will deliver flexible, tailored support to more than 190 clinicians across the UK.
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