In June, ARC East of England brought together researchers, health and care professionals, public contributors, partner and community organisations to celebrate the launch of the next phase of our collaboration.
Earlier this year, ARC East of England was announced as one of 10 NIHR Applied Research Collaborations to receive funding for a further five years. The launch event, held in Ely and attended by more than 80 people, marked the beginning of this new phase, bringing partners together to explore how applied research can improve lives, reduce health inequalities and strengthen health and care services across the region.
Attendees at the NIHR ARC East of England launch event at the Maltings, Ely.
The launch event showcased ARC East of England's vision and priorities for the next five years
Setting Priorities for the next five years
During the day, attendees heard from ARC East of England's five research themes covering: Mental Health and Wellbeing; Prevention and Early Detection; Social Care, Dementia and Ageing, Palliative and End of Life Care, and Measurement in Health and Social Care.
Presentations highlighted priorities for the next five years and how research will help address some of the most pressing challenges facing health and care services.
The event also introduced four cross-cutting workstreams: Knowledge Mobilisation and Implementation for Impact, Research Capacity Development, Patient and Public Involvement, Engagement and Participation (PPIEP) and Research Inclusion. Together, these will help ensure research is translated into practice, support future research leaders and embed meaningful public involvement and inclusion throughout the research process.
Research theme and workstream leads gathered at the end of the day
This launch marks an exciting new chapter for ARC East of England. By bringing together researchers, health and care organisations, community partners and the public, we can ensure our research addresses the challenges that matter most and delivers meaningful improvements for people and services across our region
Professor Stephen Morris
Director, ARC East of England
Showcasing research and partnerships
Alongside presentations, attendees had the opportunity to explore interactive stalls showcasing research from across ARC East of England and connect with colleagues from health care, academia and community organisations. Topics ranged from young people's mental health and palliative care to care home research and inclusive approaches to involvement and engagement.
Interactive research stalls provided opportunities for networking, discussion and knowledge sharing throughout the day.
An interactive stall showcasing inclusive approaches to involvement and engagement in health and care research
Looking beyond the region
A key feature of the event was a panel discussion chaired by Simon Denegri OBE, Chair of the ARC East of England Expert Advisory Group. We were pleased to hear from Charlotte Cane MP for Ely and East Cambridgeshire; Dr Chetan Shah, Operational Research Lead at Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust; Kirsty Kitchen, Director of The Birth Companions Institute; Marie-Lyse Numuhoza, Co-chair of the NIHR ARC East of England Research Inclusion Forum; and Piers Ricketts, Chief Executive Officer of Health Innovation East. Together, they explored how applied research can contribute to economic growth, strengthen engagement with industry, and maximise national impact.
Panel discussion
Simon Denegri, Chair of the panel, and Charlotte Cane MP, panel member
It was exciting to feel the real sense of community and inclusive collaboration in the room, bringing together researchers, health and social care partners, practitioners and public contributors from across the region. ARC East of England has built something very special, and I am excited to see the impact this next phase will have on health and care locally and nationally
Simon Dengri OBE
Panel Chair
Looking ahead
As ARC East of England begins its next five-year programme of work, collaboration, inclusion and impact remain at the heart of its work. Through our collaboration, we will work with partners across the region to continue to generate and apply research that improves lives across the East of England and beyond.