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New scheme will build on Fuse work to embed research culture in local government
Fuse is delighted to be collaborating with local authority partners in the North East who have been awarded £5m to fund the development of research capabilities over the next five years, to help tackle health inequalities.
Gateshead Council and Newcastle City Council are two of 10 local authorities to receive funding as part of a £50m investment by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The funding will enable the councils to develop a Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) with Newcastle University, which will equip them with the skills, expertise and capacity to plan and deliver research that will ultimately help residents to live healthier and more fulfilling lives.
The two local authorities will work together to make sure both research programmes complement each other and maximise the benefits for the wider region.
Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland have also been selected by NIHR as a local authority area that will receive development award funding during 2022/23, with a view to them hosting full HDRCs in 2023/24.
The new partnerships follow a major drive for enabling research to address wider determinants of population health and health inequalities, explicitly responding to the needs of local underserved groups and areas. Examples include facilitating research to better understand and introduce interventions to help with childhood obesity, Covid recovery, mental health and drug use.
"We are thrilled with the news that three local authority areas in the North East have been successful in applying for Health Determinants Research Collaboration funding and look forward to working with the new partnership, and building on the legacy of Fuse."
Professor Ashley Adamson, Director of Fuse
Fuse Director Ashley Adamson is an Associate Partner of the HDRC at Newcastle City Council and hopes that the collaboration will build on the existing work of Fuse to embed a culture of evidence-based decision-making within local government.
Ashley Adamson, Professor of Public Health Nutrition at Newcastle University, said:
"Local government in England is ideally placed to draw on and develop evidence to improve the health of our local people and to reduce inequalities.
"In Fuse we have 14 years of experience in working collaboratively with local authorities, developing strong academic partnerships to support a culture of research in local government.
"We are thrilled with the news that three local authority areas in the North East have been successful in applying for Health Determinants Research Collaboration funding and look forward to working with the new partnership, and building on the legacy of Fuse."
Fuse Deputy Director Eileen Kaner is part of the collaboration at Gateshead Council. The Professor of Public Health and Primary Care Research at Newcastle University and Director of NIHR Applied Research Collaboration for the North East and North Cumbria, said:
"Although evidence-based decision making is not a new concept for local authorities, the HDRCs will provide a more robust foundation of insight on which to build services that truly make a difference to health outcomes.
"By combining the local knowledge and experience of the councils and their community partners with the skills and expertise of specialist research teams, we have a unique opportunity to understand and address health challenges – particularly within our most disadvantaged communities, who are disproportionately affected by issues like obesity, drug use and poor mental health.
"The HDRCs will give a voice to groups who often aren’t heard, enable bold new approaches and ultimately, help people to live healthier, longer and more fulfilling lives in Gateshead, Newcastle and beyond."
Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland councils will be leading the work in co-production with Teesside University. South Tees Joint Director of Public Health Mark Adams is the lead for the councils alongside Professor Dorothy Newbury-Birch, Fuse Associate from Teesside University.
Professor Newbury-Birch, from the university’s School of Social Sciences, Humanities & Law, said: "Teesside University has significant expertise in examining a wide range of issues and topics which can impact and improve health inequalities.
"We have successfully worked with our local authorities on a number of collaborative projects which have had a hugely positive impact on our communities.
"I am delighted that this work gives us the opportunity to carry on and extend the evidence-based research we currently do and am looking forward to working in co-production with the councils, communities and other agencies."
The ten HDRCs will commence formally on 1 October 2022. Three further teams will be given funding to undertake additional developmental work to enable HDRC status by 1 October 2023. The vision is that approximately 30 HDRCs will be created in total through future commissioning rounds.
Find out more about the scheme and the funded HDRCs here.
Photo: Launch of Edberts House, a community project in the centre of High Lanes estate in Gateshead, working to make the community a happier and healthier place.
Last modified: Mon, 17 Oct 2022 10:42:03 BST
