Who We Are

Our Aims Background Collaboration Steering Group

WERC has been established by Wales Office for Research & Development in Health and Social care (WORD) as an Infrastructure Support Service within the new research and development structure: Clinical Research Collaboration Cymru.

The Clinical Research Collaboration Cymru (CRC Cymru) is part of the strategic work programme of the Wales Office of Research and Development (WORD) and was developed to provide an internationally competitive research infrastructure for health and social care in Wales.

CRC Cymru includes ten research networks, six research infrastructure and technical support groups, three trials units and a coordinating centre. The thematic networks include cancer, children and young people; older people and aging; learning disabilities and autism; diabetes; mental health; epilepsy; dementias and neurodegenerative diseases; public health improvement; and emergency and unscheduled treatment.

These are supported by a number of research infrastructure and technical support groups including: health economics; health information; R&D governance and management; equality & diversity; welsh language issues; and an academic research network. The whole research process is underpinned by three trial units who carry out a range of activities from study design, conduct and analysis to publication. The co-ordinating centre supports activities by administering a steering group and providing a research professional network, service user and carer network and a training programme.

The aims of CRC Cymru are to increase research activity in Wales, especially large scale multi-centre trials, and improve the income generating powers of the research community from both commercial and non commercial sources. It will achieve this by:

• Improving the quality and quantity of research in health and social care
• Improving the coordination of research
• Improving the efficiency and speed of research
• Improving the training of researchers in Wales in health and social care
• Improving the involvement of people in the initiation, management and dissemination of research
• Improving the dissemination and implementation of research
• Improving the health of the people in Wales
• Improving the wealth of Wales

CRC Cymru also allows Wales to take advantage of collaborative opportunities offered by the development of its partner organisations in the UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC). Read their Introductory Statement (2006)