Care Initiative joins NIHR ARC for Thames Valley

The Care Initiative, led by Professor Mary Daly, is part of the new Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) for Thames Valley which will run from April 2026 to March 2031.

The ARCs are funded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) to bring together partnerships of practitioners and leaders in health and social care with academic researchers. Their aim is to support applied health and care research that responds to local health system needs and drives improvement in health and care practice.

The Care Initiative is part of the dedicated research theme on Community, Home and Social Care. This cross-cutting theme will ensure that social care research is a central component of ARC-TV, fostering long-term engagement with Integrated Care System (ICS) partners beyond the NHS and supporting delivery of projects driven by local needs in these under-resourced sectors.

Professor Daly is priority lead for capacity building for research and evaluation. The goal is to create a network to share knowledge and build research and evaluation capacity among those working in social and community care settings. In this the work will engage with and contribute to the Care Initiative’s existing activities and community.