The Health Research Authority and Health and Care Research Wales (HRA & HCRW) are a joint oversight and management body for health and social care research conducted in England and Wales. They also manage research projects with sites in Scotland and Northern Ireland, where the primary site is in England or Wales (as will be the case for most, if not all, UoB research).
The HRA & HCRW are partly an administrative body; overseeing the application process, via the Integrated Research Application System (IRAS), for NHS Research Ethics Committees (REC) and many other approving bodies – but they are also a reviewing body in their own right.
Research that involves access to NHS facilities or requires NHS resource, including staff time, will need approval from the HRA & HCRW.
The majority of research requiring HRA & HCRW approval will also require NHS REC approval. You will apply for both simultaneously, via IRAS. However, they will respond separately. Following review, you will need to have favourable opinions from both bodies before you can progress to Sponsorship.
A very small number of studies will not require NHS REC review. They will, however, need HRA & HCRW review if they involve NHS facilities or staff time but not patients or service users. In this case, you will need to apply for University REC approval via OREMS and to the HRA via IRAS.
