Health Determinants Research Collaboration

We have been awarded £4.8million from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to set up a centre for research excellence, aimed at increasing the research capacity of Cumberland Council and conducting research with our communities about health inequalities.

NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaborations enable local authorities to become more research-active, embedding a culture of evidence-based decision making in their activities.    

The council bid for the funding as part of its commitment to put improving the health and wellbeing of residents at the heart of its work. It also wants to take a preventative, evidence-based and innovative approach to the issues many of its resident’s face and embed this across the work of all of its teams. 

What will this mean?

The money will go towards the creation of a new research team within the council which will work with partners in the voluntary sector. It will also allow close partnership working with researchers at the University of Cumbria and the University of Central Lancashire. Much of the team's work will focus on some of the more deprived local communities in the area.   

By boosting research the council and its partners will have a better understanding of the health issues and inequalities in the area, allowing it to develop strategies on how best to tackle them to improve the health and wellbeing of its residents.

Find out more about our plans

You can find out more about our ambitions by reading our Business Plan:

You can also hear from Colin Cox – Cumberland Council’s Director of Public Health – as he talks about public health, the project and the opportunities it provides:

• Find out more about the HDRC, funding award and research project
• Find out more about why you should choose a career in public health

You can also hear from Brian Webster Henderson - University of Cumbria Recruitment.

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