New NIHR Rare Diseases Research Collaboration

A new ‘Rare Diseases Translational Research Collaboration’ (RD-TRC) has been set up by the NIHR. 
 
The aim of this partnership, made up of NIHR BRCs, biomedical research units and clinical research facilities, is to provide research infrastructure that harnesses the strength of the NHS to support discoveries and translational research on rare diseases.
 
The RD TRC will bring together centres that have the expertise, facilities and capacities to lead programmes of research into rare diseases. 
 
Objectives include:
 
• establishing generic consent across all participating trusts 
• launching a rare disease patient database
• implementing deep phenotyping studies
• delivering training programmes 
• providing a national resource for translational research in rare diseases. 
 
Eleven specific rare disease themes have been identified and a national process of identifying leads for each area has been initiated.