Research

Research strengths

ScHARR’s research portfolio corresponds closely to the A2 panel for REF 2014 with particular strengths in Health Services Research (especially Health Economics and Decision Modelling) and Public Health.

In addition ScHARR’s overarching theme of Evaluation is mirrored by strong research teams in Emergency and Immediate Care, Rehabilitation, Mental Health and a growing Clinical Research Trials Unit.

Read more here about the impact of our work. 

Breadth of research activities

ScHARR engages in the broadest possible range of research activities from priority-setting, modelling and pre-protocol work through to large clinical trials. ScHARR provides both decision support and policy evaluation.

Evidence synthesis is a major area of activity with ScHARR staff contributing to over 200 systematic reviews for clients that include the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Collaboration and Centres

ScHARR's own multidisciplinary strengths extend through research partnerships with other University departments including Economics, Management, Information Studies, Statistics and Work Psychology.

SCHARR is one of 31 partners in the NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care Yorkshire and Humber (NIHR CLAHRC YH) delivering innovative research through effective partnerships. The collaboration is focused on improving patient outcomes through the conduct and application of applied health research and evidence-based implementation.

World leading research

ScHARR conducts world-leading research in measuring and valuing health and well-being, emergency and immediate Care, workforce and extended roles, cancer (mainly reviewing and cost effectiveness modelling of screening, prevention and treatment) and public health evaluation. It has earned an international reputation in systematic reviews and health technology assessment.

More recently ScHARR has achieved prominence through its Medical Research Council (MRC) funded Alcohol Policy Research programme.

Methodology

Methodological expertise is evidenced by development of quality of life measures (including QALYs), whole disease modelling, mixed methods research, ​trials analysis ​and innovative trial methods​​ such as the 'Trials within Cohorts' pragmatic randomised controlled trial design.

ScHARR enhances the impact of its research through extensive knowledge translation activities including briefings, evidence products, specialist events and partnerships with the local NHS and industry.

Funding

ScHARR is funded by the Department of Health Policy Research Programme to provide a Policy Research Unit in Economic Evaluation of Health and Care Interventions and by NICE to deliver a programme of technology appraisals and assessments (ScHARR Technology Assessment Group, ScHARR-TAG). ScHARR is involved in the University's MRC Skills Development Fellowship Programme in Population Health Systems Science and Decision Modelling.

ScHARR co-hosts the Centre for Health and Wellbeing in Public Policy (CwiPP) and the Centre for Bayesian Statistics in Health Economics (CHEBS).