The report, Better together: Working towards a dynamic, collaborative, connected health research ecosystem in the North of England, highlights the significant potential of the region’s health and life sciences strengths, whilst identifying barriers that can prevent promising collaborations from getting off the ground.

The report also identifies obstacles to researcher mobility between sectors, including complex HR arrangements, differences between NHS and university terms and conditions, concerns around career progression and job security, and a lack of funding to support staff time and backfill.

These challenges are particularly important in the context of existing regional funding disparities. Analysis from the NHSA found that clinical research funding in 2022 was £25.72 per person in the North, compared with £68.58 per person in the greater South East.

The report proposes a five-stage pipeline for developing collaborations:

1. Awareness and engagement
2. Connection and relationship building
3. Collaboration formation and development
4. Project delivery and attracting investment
5. Impact and sustainability

The report’s findings have been compiled in consultation with NHSA member representatives, survey findings and an online symposium involving more than 70 stakeholders from across the health and life sciences ecosystem.

Respondents identified a need for funding at the earliest stages of collaboration:

• 64% called for seed funding, small grants, and pump priming for collaboration
• 58% support sandpits, challenge-based models, and ideation spaces
• 56% called for networking, matchmaking, and multi organisational models
• 39% identified routes including expertise mapping, skills audits, and needs identification

The report builds on the Academy of Medical Sciences and NHSA’s North of England Cross-Sector Hub, launched in 2026 to bring together expertise from across academia, the NHS, industry, patients and the wider innovation ecosystem. The Hub is focused on areas of northern strength, including prevention, women’s health, and the commercialisation of cell and gene therapies, and joint events are being held to focus on these key areas.

Recommendations in the report include greater investment in existing regional networks, more opportunities for matchmaking and skills development, streamlined processes between NHS and academic organisations, increased support for researcher placements and mobility, and flexible funding to help promising collaborations develop.

Dr Ben Martyn, Executive Lead for Investment and International Partnerships at the Northern Health Science Alliance, said: “The North has extraordinary strengths across health and life sciences, and cross-sector collaboration is vital to turning research and innovation into improvements in health, healthcare and the economy. However, this report finds that the earliest stages of collaboration can be particularly challenging, with difficulties finding the right partners, contracting and approvals, limited staff time and capacity, and gaps in funding all creating friction.

“The report sets out a clear role for the NHSA and its partners in taking this work forward. We will work with our members and wider partners to explore how the recommendations can be developed and implemented, building on the existing networks and activity of the North of England Cross-Sector Hub.”

Dr Rachel Macdonald, Head of Programmes at the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: “Breaking down barriers between sectors is essential if we want research and innovation to translate into real improvements in health. This report provides a valuable evidence base for understanding where those barriers exist in the North of England and, importantly, how we can work together to overcome them. Through our partnership with the NHSA, we can bring people together across sectors and career stages and help turn the North’s exceptional expertise into new collaborations and greater impact.”