CCRN National Meetings

CCRN Open National Meetings

The NIHR CRN CC hosts a series of open national meetings to update on the development of the Comprehensive Clinical Research Network. The meetings are open to anyone with an interest in CCRN development from across the NHS or research community.

Details of previous meetings are available below.

Joint CCRN Open National Meeting and UKCRC Registered CTU Directors Meeting
19 March 2009, National Exhibition Centre Birmingham

This meeting brought together members from across the Comprehensive Local Research Networks, a wide spectrum of Registered CTU staff, as well as other key stakeholders from across the R&D community, providing an opportunity to discuss CCRN progress and future developments and also to give delegates the chance to meet with colleagues from outside their own areas. The event was well attended by around 250 delegates.

Peter Selby, Joint Director of the NIHR Clinical Research Network Coordinating Centre (NIHR CRN CC), opened the event by highlighting the valuable opportunity the event presented and the importance of the interface between the CTUs and the Networks.

Professor Stephen Smye, CCRN Director of the NIHR CRN CC, presented an update on the NIHR Clinical Research Network and acknowledged the achievements of the Topic-specific Research Networks in the recent Department of Health reviews. This was followed by the keynote speech from Professor Dame Sally Davies, Director General of Research Development for the Department of Health, who explained the importance and benefits of creating a research intensive NHS before going on to summarise exactly how this is being achieved through the different programmes of work of the NIHR. John Sitzia, Chief Operating Officer of the NIHR CRN CC, concluded the morning session with an update on NIHR CSP which presented promising evidence suggesting that NIHR CSP will make a significant impact on NHS R&D approvals processes.

The afternoon consisted of a series of parallel sessions some focussing specifically on CTUs or CCRN and some which provided a forum for discussion by both groups. A CCRN open question session provided a valuable opportunity to raise issues with an expert panel comprising Catherine Johns (Deputy Director of NHS Research Infrastructure) from the Department of Health, and the following people from the NIHR CRN CC: Peter Selby (Joint Director), John Sitzia (Chief Operating Officer); Stephen Smye (Director – CCRN), Jonathan Gower (Assistant Director – CCRN).


The agenda from the meeting is available to download below.

If you have any questions regarding this event please contact Alex Dolata (Email: crncc.comprehensive@nihr.ac.uk -Tel: 0113 343 30309).

CCRN National Meetings
National meetings have been arranged for Clinical Directors, Senior Managers, Host Organisations, Board Chairs and Lead RM&G Managers. Dates for 2009 are below.

Clinical Director Group Meetings
3 March 2010

Board Chair Group Meetings
Dates to be confirmed.

Senior Manager Group Meetings
9 February 2010

RM&G Lead Manager Group Meetings
25 February 2010
25 March 2010

Last updated: 18 January 2010