Work has begun on NUI Galway’s €20m Clinical Research Facility and Translational Research Facility (CRF-TRF ). The contract to construct the four-storey building (gross floor area 5,345m? ) has been awarded to BAM Building Ltd. The construction period is anticipated to be 16 months and will create 125 construction jobs at its peak.
The CRF-TRF aims to facilitate cutting-edge medical research side-by-side with patient care in University Hospital Galway. This sharing of medical expertise and accommodation including HSE in-patient facilities will help inform new strands of clinical research. The Clinical Research aspect of the facility is being largely funded by the Health Research Board (HRB ).
The CRF-TRF building is located on the grounds of University Hospital Galway and is directly adjacent to the University’s Clinical Science Institute, UHG’s Critical Care Facilities, Ward Accommodation Block and the Maternity Wards.
NUI Galway President Dr Jim Browne said “this development captures the essence of our work in biomedicine at NUI Galway, allowing clinicians that work with patients the scope to undertake research at the highest level, and inform that research with the daily reality of patient needs. I welcome the support of the HRB which has allowed us to locate the CRF-TRF facility adjacent to Galway University Hospital in partnership with the Health Services Executive.”
He added “The benefits of this facility include the ability to provide access to cutting-edge clinical trials and access to novel therapies for patients in the West of Ireland. Clinical care provided in a research-intensive environment has been proven internationally to result in the best patient outcomes. As a result, patient care will improve, and the ability of our hospital to attract and retain the very best medical and allied health staff will be improved.”
The Translational Research Facility will be on the second and third floor of the building and will accommodate open and flexible lab spaces. It will have direct links to the Clinical Science Institute where many of the University’s medical students are located, at both ground and second floor levels. The TRF will be fully owned and operated by the National University of Ireland Galway.
The HRB Clinical Research Facility occupies the ground and first floors. This facility will form part of an Irish Network of Clinical Research Facilities which will allow patients access to state of the art clinical research in stem cells, gene therapy, biomaterials and immunology. It will also have a space specially designed for clinical research in regenerative medicine. The CRF will have direct links to the existing hospital at both ground and first floor levels. The CRF will be fully owned and operated by the Health Services Executive and University Hospital Galway.
