About Us

Research and Innovation at MFT improves and saves the lives of people from around the world.

As the largest NHS Trust in the country, we are at the cutting-edge of healthcare research, innovation, and life sciences, and through clinical, commercial, and academic expertise and funding, we create, develop and trial new innovations, treatments, and services for our patients and communities.


About MFT

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) is a leading provider of tertiary and specialist healthcare services treating over one million patients each year. Our Trust brings together the expertise of 20,000 staff spread across ten hospitals and community services.


The MFT Vision

To be recognised internationally as leading healthcare; excelling in quality, safety, patient experience, research, innovation and teaching; dedicated to improving health and well-being for our diverse population.


What Do We Do and How Do We Do It?

Research and Innovation (R&I) is conducted across MFT hospitals and local care organisations, covering general care and hospital specialisms, including; emergency care, respiratory disease, cancer, cardiology care, musculoskeletal disorders, genomics, women’s health and pregnancy, children’s health, eye and dental health.

This work is supported by more than 600 staff, including our integrated Research Office, Clinical and Non-Clinical Research Delivery Teams, and Innovation Team, along with our colleagues from MFT-hosted organisations, one of the largest National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) portfolios in the country, comprised of:


NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)


NIHR Clinical Research Network Greater Manchester (CRN GM)



NIHR Manchester Clinical Research Facility (CRF)


NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Greater Manchester (ARC GM)


We also host Health Innovation Manchester (HInM), Greater Manchester’s academic health science and innovation system, which includes the Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (MAHSC). ARC GM is hosted within Health Innovation Manchester.

Our main research partner is The University of Manchester, but we also work with a host of other public and private clinical research organisations.

Image shows staff outside Research Van