The National Institute of Health and Social Care (NIHR) is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, and aims to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. The NIHR is the largest UK funder of applied health research; its 2022/23 expenditure on research was £1.32bn. The NIHR funds research projects, research facilities and the training of people to undertake research. Pharmacy is the third largest health profession but substantially underrepresented within all NIHR training and research programs. A disproportionate amount of NIHR funding is secured by other health professions. The NIHR is committed to addressing this disparity and has therefore funded an Incubator for Pharmacy Professionals. The Incubator comprises a team of pharmacy professionals who will be working with relevant stakeholders including pharmacy professionals, employers and universities to support the pharmacy profession to engage with research, which is core NHS business.

By the end of this session, attendees will be able to describe the:

• Role of research within the NHS and that of the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence.
• The range of ways in which health professionals may engage with research.
• Potential strategies for pharmacy professionals to increase capacity to engage with research.