Winners revealed at Greater Manchester Health and Care Research Awards 2022

The winners of the Greater Manchester Health and Care Research Awards 2022, sponsored by Clinerion, were revealed during an evening of celebration.

The local research community gathered for the ceremony hosted by NIHR Clinical Research Network Greater Manchester at The Etihad Stadium on Thursday 29 September 2022. 

There were winners from across Greater Manchester, East Cheshire and East Lancashire during the evening, which recognised the achievements of teams and individuals who delivered, or enabled the delivery of, high quality NIHR CRN Portfolio research during  2021/22.  

The ceremony opened with a keynote speech from Sir Richard Leese, Chairman of Greater Manchester’s new NHS Integrated Care Board. 

Sir Richard ended his address with the promising news that a study published earlier in the day showed that the devolution deal which granted Greater Manchester increased control over a range of public services, including  health and social care, has been linked to a positive impact on life expectancy. 

Winners were then  announced in 12 categories, including the award for Outstanding Achievement by a Team - Ways of Working, sponsored by global pharmaceutical contract research organisation PPD, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, and the award for Inclusive Involvement Excellence, sponsored by global clinical research organisation and biopharmaceutical services company Parexel.

The award for Transforming Research Delivery was sponsored by the event’s headline sponsor Clinerion, a commercial partner which provides real world data solutions. 

Following the presentation of the advertised awards, three Special Awards, linked to CRN Greater Manchester’s values of Inclusive Involvement, Relevant Research and Exceptional Experience, were presented. 

The night finished when Professor Martin Gibson, CRN Greater Manchester’s Co-Clinical Director, was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award following his years of service to the local research community. 

Sarah Fallon, Chief Operating Officer for NIHR Clinical Research Network Greater Manchester, said: “It was a pleasure for CRN Greater Manchester to host this event to recognise the outstanding achievements made across our network over the past year. 

“The standard of all our finalists was exceptionally high and the stories we heard about all of their successes, across such a range of delivery models and settings, highlighted the amazing research community we’re so lucky to have in Greater Manchester, East Cheshire and East Lancashire. 

“Congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone for making it such a special evening.”

The winners 

Best Public Engagement

Mohammed Tariq and Dr Stuart Stewart - Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

Prioritising Wellbeing Award

Paediatric Clinical Research Team - Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Outstanding Achievement by a Team - Ways of Working, Sponsored by PPD, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific

Presented by Steven Burke, PPD Director for Strategic Site Collaborations

East Cheshire Research Team - East Cheshire NHS Trust 

Outstanding Achievement by a Team - Study Delivery

Presented by Ali Austin, Deputy Director of Research in the Innovation, Research and Life Sciences Group at NHS England 

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Team - Bolton NHS Foundation Trust

Primary Care or Community Research Contribution

Peterloo Medical Centre 

Exceptional Research Delivery Leadership

Miriam Avery - Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

Inclusive Involvement Excellence, Sponsored by Parexel 

Nicky Lidbetter - CEO of Anxiety UK and Director of Mental Health at the Big Life Group

Collaborative Working Accomplishment

Presented by Emma Lowe, Head of Research Policy: Clinical Research and Growth, at the Department of Health and Social Care

End-of-life advance care planning project - North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, and Lancaster University

Early Career Researcher Achievement 

Dr Emma Searle - The Christie NHS Foundation Trust

Best Contribution to Research Delivery outside of the NHS

Siddiq Diwan - Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Transforming Research Delivery, Sponsored by Clinerion

Presented by Luis Magalhaes, Clinerion Head of Site Network Development, and Jackie Dowell, Clinerion Director for Site and Patient Networks. 

GBS3 trial team - East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust

Putting Participants First

Presented by Professor Jane Eddleston, Joint Group Medical Director of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Christie Lymphoma Research Team - The Christie NHS Foundation Trust

Special Awards

Special Award for Inclusive Involvement

Presented by Roger Spencer, chief executive of The Christie NHS Foundation Trust and Chairman of our CRN Greater Manchester Partnership Board. 

Sarah Penkett - Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

Special Award for Relevant Research

Presented by Professor Phil Kalra, CRN Greater Manchester Theme Lead for Relevant Research. 

Bill Greenwood OBE - accepted by Ann and Richard, wife and son of the late Bill

Special Award for Exceptional Experience

Presented by Dr Abdul Ashish, CRN Greater Manchester Theme Lead for Exceptional Experience

Dr Adrian Parry-Jones - Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, accepted by Vikki O’Loughlin, and Jean Crompton and Jane Jackson, wife and daughter of the late John Crompton

Lifetime Achievement Award

Presented by Roger Spencer, chief executive of The Christie NHS Foundation Trust and Chairman of our CRN Greater Manchester Partnership Board

Professor Martin Gibson - CRN Greater Manchester