Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is a member of the Trent Comprehensive Local Research Network (Trent CLRN).

Trent CLRN is one of 25 CLRNs that make up the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Comprehensive Clinical Research Network (CCRN).

The CLRNs are the primary route for providing infrastructure support such as:

• Appropriate staff costs
• Appropriate infrastructure in the primary care setting
• Appropriate diagnostic test or clinical services costs
• Essential running costs
• Essential training and education.

Infrastructure support is provided for studies that have been adopted onto the NIHR Portfolio. The main criteria for adoption are that the research is funded through an NIHR funding stream or a partner organisation(s), and is assessed via peer review as being of benefit to the NHS. Investigators are strongly advised to complete the Portfolio Adoption Form (PAF) in IRAS to have their study considered for adoption at the earliest stage such as the time of confirmation of funding.

Studies that are eligible or have been adopted onto the portfolio can use the NIHR Co-ordinated System for obtaining NHS Permission (CSP). This is a single point of access through which NHS permission can be obtained for single and multi-site studies. 

Researchers who have no contractual arrangements with an NHS Trust can use the Research Passport Scheme to obtain either an Honorary Contract or a Letter of Access to undertake their research at this Trust. Please see the Researcher Guidance and the Research Passport Application Form. Researchers should note that an Honorary Research Contract or a Letter of Access is not permission to undertake research without Trust Permission in writing, or to access patient records without the consent of the patient.

If you would like further information on this section, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Research Governance Administrator.

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