Blood and Transplant Research Units


World leading research in partnership with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Units (BTRUs) are partnerships between universities and NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT).

There are five BTRUs in the latest round of funding, co-funded by the NIHR and NHSBT. These are aimed at providing new technologies, techniques or insights that will benefit donation, transfusion, and transplantation. Their work will run from 2022 to 2027.

Many of the work strands involved could result in new technologies and practices that can then be delivered at scale by NHSBT, helping to save and improve even more lives. Much of the work will also be aimed at reducing health disparities and improving access to new treatments.

The BTRUs are funded by £16m from the NIHR and £4m from NHSBT, with research goals set to meet NHSBT’s requirements, to be delivered between 2022 and 2027.