Revolutionising research: Inside the NCVR evolution in the UK

On 1st October, the roll-out of the National Contract Value Review (NCVR) process marked a pivotal moment in the trajectory of clinical research in the UK, introducing a standardised, national approach to costing for commercial contract research.

The NCVR mission is clear – to expedite the set-up of clinical trials, fortify the UK’s global position in attracting cutting-edge studies, and ensure that patients benefit from access to innovative treatments. But what does this mean for organisations looking to conduct commercial research in the UK?

In an upcoming webinar developed by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR), a panel of industry experts will discuss how the NCVR is transforming study set-up timelines in the UK.

Join us on Wednesday 6th December 14:00 GMT / 15:00 CET / 09:00 EST as experts from the NIHR, Health Research Authority (HRA), and AstraZeneca delve beneath the surface to discuss the drivers behind the new NCVR process and its implications for commercial research sponsors. Plus, discover more about the defining factors that enable the UK to foster such system-wide changes and what other countries can learn from the nation’s approach to the evolution of costing and contracting.

Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the conversation. Register now to find out more about the emerging impact of the NCVR process, as well as its benefits and implications for health research in the UK. Together, we can shape the path towards faster, more transparent, and equitable clinical trials.

About the panel

Laura Faithfull

Senior clinical trials agreements associate, King’s Health Partners

Laura manages a team of people who negotiate the contracts and budgets for commercial clinical trials on behalf of three NHS partner organisations – Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. Laura is leading the implementation of the NCVR process across all three partner organisations.

Combined, the partners have a very diverse portfolio of around 900 commercial trials at any given time, with a further 100-200 in set-up. Consequently, Laura has a wealth of experience of collaborating with commercial study sponsors and contract research organisations to efficiently execute study resource reviews as lead site for multi-centre studies.



Laura Bousfield

NIHR head of feasibility and start-up

Laura brings her extensive knowledge and experience of NCVR and other tools and services that have been designed to support better distribution of new research opportunities across the UK, while optimising study set-up and performance.



Rowena Sharpe

Director for Site Management and Monitoring (Oncology) | Astra Zeneca UK

Rowena joined AstraZeneca as Director for Site Management and Monitoring (Oncology) in May this year. Prior to that she held two roles in parallel: Director of Precision Medicine trials for the University of Birmingham, and Head of Precision Medicine for Cancer Research UK. Rowena has extensive trial management experience, having also worked at the Biomedical Research Centre in the The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and an Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit earlier in her career.



Alastair Nicholson

Head of coordination and standardisation, Health Research Authority

Before joining the HRA in 2014 as policy development lead for HRA approval, Alastair was lead research management and governance manager and industry manager for North Thames LCRN and, prior to that, Central and East London CLRN. Alastair joined the NHS in 2001 as R&D coordinator at his local secondary care NHS Trust, before joining the Cancer Research Network as a research facilitator in 2006 and moving to the CLRN in 2008.