GOSH secures £1.4m in NIHR capital equipment funding to boost research capability

11 Mar 2026, 12:23 p.m.

Four researchers wearing lab coats in a line, with the staff member at the front holding a pipette

Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) is delighted to announce that we have been awarded £1.4 million through this year’s National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Capital Equipment Funding competition. This investment will significantly strengthen our research infrastructure and enhance our ability to deliver world‑leading paediatric research across the whole hospital.

The NIHR’s mission is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. Over the past three years, GOSH has secured NIHR capital funding across all submitted applications, totalling approximately £6.5 million to enhance state‑of‑the‑art research equipment and facilities.

Supporting innovation across the hospital

This latest award will enable GOSH to purchase a wide range of specialist and cross‑cutting equipment, helping teams accelerate discovery and improve outcomes for children with rare and complex conditions.

The funding will support cutting‑edge technologies including:

  • Organ perfusion equipment for research into improving donor organ quality and longevity
  • Digital camera system for the mortuary team, facilitating research into rapid analysis during autopsy and increasing our national capacity
  • Equipment to facilitate next phase of the deep brain stimulation epilepsy research
  • Robotics to automate cell processing and biobanking to increase our capacity for biobanking.
  • New multiple breath washout equipment allowing further development of a technique originally created at GOSH
  • New MRI equipment which will further establish GOSH as the UK's leading paediatric cardiac-hepatology research centre
  • Ophthalmic equipment to expand retinal imaging capacity
  • New centrifugation and safety equipment to boost our work into antimicrobial resistance
  • New environmental monitoring system for our drug manufacturing facility
  • Increased server capacity to enable real-time data analysis of genetic sequencing

Collectively, these investments will help researchers across GOSH deliver studies more efficiently, reduce bottlenecks, attract high‑value commercial partnerships, and continue to position us at the forefront of paediatric research globally.

Grant Nicholson, Head of Clinical Research Operations said: “This success reflects the exceptional collaboration of clinical teams, scientists, support services and research operations across GOSH. By strengthening our research infrastructure, this funding will help ensure more children have access to innovative treatments and clinical trials - bringing cutting‑edge science one step closer to the bedside.”

From complex science to clear communication

Across multiple projects at GOSH, patients, families and young people are playing a vital role in transforming how research is communicated

Building the next generation of paediatric research leaders

From early career clinicians to emerging scientists, the NIHR GOSH Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)’s Academic Training Weekend is shaping the future of paediatric research - bringing together talent, expertise and ambition from across the UK.

A catalyst to unlock the next generation of research leaders

The NIHR GOSH Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) Fellowships are transforming early-career researchers into independent leaders - driving innovation, attracting millions in funding and shaping the future of paediatric science.

Gene therapy successfully treats deadly childhood liver disease in mice

Researchers at GOSH and UCL have used a new gene therapy to successfully treat a deadly childhood liver disease in mice.