Oxford Brookes Secures Prestigious National Research Leadership Award

Professor Benita Olivier, Dr Lucy Speakman and Dr Claire Clews have been awarded a position on the prestigious National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Senior Research Leader (SRL) programme.

Leadership in research is more than an academic pursuit; it is a vital driver of modern healthcare. Studies consistently show that research-active healthcare organisations see significantly lower patient mortality rates and improved "processes of care" compared to those that are not.

The Senior Research Leader Programme will run from 2026-2029 and is designed to empower Nurses, Midwives, and Allied Health Professionals across England to lead the research agenda that directly improves health and social care outcomes.

Professor Benita Olivier, a Professor of Rehabilitation within the School of Sport, Nutrition and Allied Health Professions and Allied Health Professions Research Lead at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, is one of only 15 Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) nationally to receive this recognition. This year marks a historic shift for the programme, as the awards were opened to AHPs for the very first time.

Dr Lucy Speakman, Clinical Lead Nurse for Research Engagement at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, who also has a visiting appointment at Oxford Brookes, is one of the 25 Nurses nationally to receive this award. Dr Claire Clews, Divisional Research Lead for NMAHPs at Oxford University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) and Visiting Midwifery Research Fellow at Oxford Brookes University, is one of only seven Midwives nationally to be awarded a place on the programme.

Professor Olivier said: “From supervising my first postgraduate student in 2008, and over the years coordinating postgraduate research, hosting postdoctoral fellows, mentoring interns, and building research programmes across Oxford Brookes University and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, one thread has run through everything I have done professionally: developing research capacity and capability. In other words, helping others develop the confidence, skills, and systems to do research with impact and building the kind of ecosystem where people can thrive.”

Benita continues: “My NIHR Senior Research Leader award will focus on a number of interconnected objectives: analysing the research training needs, creating structured support for staff wanting to put a research-related objective on their performance development reviews (PDRs), validating and implementing an online tool to measure research capacity and capability development; and securing national funding to investigate how the impact of these initiatives is best measured across the sector.“

Dr Speakman notes: “I am delighted to be part of this dynamic program where not only are we funded to increase research capacity and capability, but we are part of a supportive network where together we can enable each other to create more opportunities for our colleagues.”

Dr Clews adds: “I’m absolutely thrilled to have been given this award by the NIHR. I’m passionate about supporting the development of knowledge, skills and capabilities in research. As a Midwife, researcher and an SRL, I will lead and advocate for the development of research capacity for NMAHPs in OUH and Oxford Brookes. I will also join a national community of SRLs and I’m excited about the opportunity to learn and share knowledge and experiences with colleagues from across the country, and to work with them on developing initiatives related to national research goals."

Oxford Brookes University has a strong track record with the NIHR SRL programme, with previous places being awarded to Professor of Nursing OBU, Cathy Henshall, and Visiting Professor of Nursing, Helen Walthall. Current members of the programme includes Professor Lorraine Dixon and OBU Visiting Research Fellows, Dr Clair Merriman and Dr Louise Strickland.

The awards further strengthen collaborative ties between Oxford Brookes and its local NHS partners to enable development of research in Nursing, Midwifery, and Allied Health Professions.