About Us
The Facility: Advancing research. Improving care. Transforming lives.
The NIHR St George’s Clinical Research Facility is a growing hub of innovation at the heart of St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Established in September 2022 and newly recognised as part of the NIHR’s national CRF network, we are one of just six new facilities added across the UK — and part of a select group of 28 NIHR CRFs nationwide.
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Our purpose is simple: to give patients and volunteers access to the latest research and treatments by providing the space, specialist staff and infrastructure needed to deliver high-quality clinical trials. We focus on early phase and translational research across a range of disease areas, helping to bridge the gap between discovery and improved patient care.
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Alongside running studies, we also invest in people: supporting, educating and strengthening the wider research workforce across the Trust, and driving collaboration between hospital teams, academic partners and industry.
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The CRF is jointly led by Co-Directors Professor Daniel Forton, NHS Hepatology Consultant and Dr Catherine Cosgrove, NHS Infectious Diseases Consultant and Adult Lead for the Vaccine Institute.
What being part of the NIHR means
NIHR Clinical Research Facilities (CRFs) support the delivery of early-phase and complex studies in purpose built facilities in NHS hospitals.
The NIHR has awarded £161 million over five years to 28 CRFs across England.
The NIHR funds, enables and delivers world-leading health and social care research that improves people's health and wellbeing and promotes economic growth.
St George's Hospital Tooting
The Clinical Research Facility is located at the centre of St George's Hospital Tooting, which is a large acute hospital with over 9000 members of staff. We cover a wide range of specialties serving a diverse community of 1.3 million people. As a provider of many tertiary services, such as neurosciences, trauma, cancer and paediatric medicine, we also offer care for significant populations in Surrey and Sussex, totalling around 3.5 million people.
Joint Research and Enterprise Services
Our Joint Research and Enterprise Services (JRES) supports both St George’s Trust and University researchers to set up and manage their research. The CRF works closely with JRES, which helps to facilitate the research collaboration between St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and St George’s University.
TACRI
The Translational and Clinical Research Institute (TACRI) is a joint virtual institute between St. George's University Hospital's NHS Foundation Trust and St George's, University of London. TACRI supports researchers at all levels to plan, design and conduct clinical research by utilising the many clinical specialties and academic expertise championed by both organisations. Support available includes how to get started with research, advice, a statistical consultancy service, dedicated research groups and events to highlight the brilliant clinical research happening at St. George's.
Membership of TACRI is open to all medical, nursing, midwifery, and allied health professionals at either the Trust or the University. For more information and how to join TACRI, please visit the main website here
