About us
The Cumberland Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) will help us better understand the health issues in our area.
We have been awarded £4.8million from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to set up a centre for research excellence. The money will go towards the creation of a new research team within the council which will work with partners in the voluntary sector. Our core aim is to increase research capacity within the council and conducting research with our communities about health inequalities.
Our objectives are:
- develop a culture for research excellence
- expand research communications
- build a sustainable research infrastructure
- build and strengthen research knowledge and skills across the council and communities
- strengthen collaborative partnerships with higher education institutions
- build research active communities
- to facilitate a network of practice with local authorities
Our partners
- Cumbria CVS
- Healthwatch Cumberland
- University of Cumbria
- UCLAN
- NIHR
- North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
Find out more about NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaborations
Find out more about the project by watching the Cumberland health research appeal video
Key areas that will be researched
Our research plan has been developed to help us and our partners to gather information about how to improve everyone's health by understanding what causes good and poor health.
The key areas for research are:
- poverty
- access to housing
- pathways to employment
- mental health
- drug and alcohol use
- obesity and food insecurity
- children who are cared for
Read more about the research plan
Research governance
We have developed a Research Governance Framework to ensure that all evidence gathering undertaken for research is necessary, ethical, well designed and beneficial to all stakeholders involved.
How we are governed:
- our Oversight Board made up of community partners makes sure we are working strategically and delivering our plans on time and to budget
- our Community Advisory Panel makes sure we are appropriately involving communities in the work of the HDRC
- Academic Partnership meetings make sure we maximise the benefits of these partnerships
- Operational Team meetings make sure our work plans are delivered and issues are resolved easily
Community engagement and co-research
One of our objectives as the HDRC is to build research-active communities that will help co-produce priorities for research and co-design and delivery of research projects.
We are aiming to recruit 15 to 20 community co-researchers (paid or voluntary) with lived experience for a duration of two years, from June 2025 to June 2027. They will be supported to conduct and facilitate research in the community. These roles will be key to shaping and designing research that is relevant and meaningful to Cumberland’s communities.
Research activities and news
Our research projects and recruiting for participants will be done later in the year.
How you can get involved
Keep up to date with all the latest developments by signing up to our email newsletter. including how to participate.
You can also follow us on LinkedIn.
Get in contact with us by emailing us at hdrc@cumberland.gov.uk