The new Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) for Wessex began in April 2026, with a £16.3 million award from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

This new ARC running from 2026-2031 has an innovative new approach to put public inclusion at the heart of its work, make sure that research can used not just locally, but scaled up nationally, and create research evidence based in the places where people most need support.

The new approach identified five flagship programmes which will target obesity, dementia care, multiple long-term conditions, addiction, and using data from communities to improve care.

These large-scale programmes aim to collaborate with communities in Wessex, but also nationally where similar challenges exist.

The new ARC Wessex is led by Professors Catherine Bowen and Michael Boniface, both based at the University of Southampton. But the ARC works with five others based at University of Bath, University of Portsmouth, Bournemouth University, University of Winchester and Health Sciences University in Dorset, as well as the NHS trusts in the region, the local authorities and voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise organisations. It is a true collaboration across sectors to work on the health and care challenges facing our region.

As well as the larger flagship programmes, the new ARC has five key research areas or themes that act as sources of expertise in mental health, healthy communities and prevention, data and technology, long-term conditions and integrated health and social care. These areas of expertise all work collaboratively to tackle the larger health and care issues in both Wessex, and nationally.

This work is made possible by a central Collaboration Hub, which makes sure the main values and principles of our health and care research carry through each research programme. It has expertise in knowledge mobilisation and implementation to make sure research evidence can be translated into real world impact, research inclusion and engagement to make sure all communities are represented in our work, public and patient involvement which puts a people’s council in place to scrutinise research proposals. There is also funding to train and grow the research workforce and support for research methods, analytics and health economics.

It was this innovative model of working (Scalable Flagships supported by a Collaboration Hub) that the National Institute for Health and Care Research complimented when awarding its funding.

Now the new ARC is developing its programmes of work, and mapping communities and systems that should be the target of research. The early few months of development have been very intense and successful.

In the coming months, look out for a new co-designed website, designed with accessibility at the heart of its design.  Using local community events to launch our work in inclusion and engagement and many more exciting developments.

You can reach the new ARC Wessex at arcwessex@soton.ac.uk and at our temporary website where you can read our summary document on our themes, ambition and journey ahead on the new ARC.

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