LSE researcher to co-lead knowledge mobilisation for the NIHR London Applied Research Collaboration

Dr Sarah Jasim, Research Fellow in Social Care in the Care Policy and Evaluation Centre (CPEC), will co-lead knowledge mobilisation as part of a new London-wide partnership to deliver health and social care transformation through research.

The NIHR London Applied Research Collaboration (ARC), backed by £22 million of government funding, brings together NHS trusts, universities, and other expertise from across the capital to tackle some of the UK’s most pressing health and social care research priorities.

ARC London will provide high-quality health and social care research and support the translation of evidence into practice, playing a critical role in making sure research delivers real-world improvements in health and care for patients, communities and the public. The partnership will be hosted by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.

The ARC leadership team is based at University College London, King’s College London and Imperial College London, with partners spanning 20 organisations.

ARC London will focus on four research themes:

• Neighbourhood health and social care: supporting independent living, reducing emergency hospital visits, and better helping people with multiple health and care needs throughout their lives
• Prevention and early intervention in people with major conditions, such as cardiovascular, renal and metabolic disease and mental ill health
• Productivity and economic growth, to support the highest quality health and care services at an affordable cost
• Data sciences for healthcare, to help understand people’s health and care needs earlier to prevent illness and improve care

These themes will generate research that answers the biggest challenges in the health and social care sectors, supporting the government’s ambitions for the transformation of NHS, public health and social care services.

Dr Sarah Jasim commented: “I'm excited for the opportunity to co-lead knowledge mobilisation within the NIHR London ARC's Knowledge Mobilisation and Implementation function, and help shape how social care and health research, policy and practice connect across London.

“Building on my previous role as an embedded Greater London Authority Policy Fellow with the London Research and Policy Partnership, where I helped to pioneer knowledge brokerage systems between London's research community, policy professionals, voluntary and community sector organisations and industry members, it's great to see knowledge mobilisation and implementation as such a central part of the NIHR London ARC infrastructure.

“So much of this work often happens in the ad-hoc spaces between organisations, in corridor conversations, chance meetings, and deep relationships - so having an infrastructure to support can make a real difference to the wider ecosystem of how social care and health research evidence actually gets used, and how the research process can be shaped and better informed. I'm looking forward to collaborating with partners across London's health and social care ecosystem, using knowledge mobilisation as a way to bridge and close gaps in capacity and career pathways.”

Professor Laura Shallcross from University College London and Director of ARC London added: “By partnering with patients, communities and people working across the health, public health and social care systems, the London ARC has a major opportunity to address some of the most important health challenges that are facing society. We are excited about what we might be able to achieve together and want Londoners and health and care practitioners to work with us to shape the ARC and its priorities.”

Find out more about the NIHR London Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) here.