HRB Clinical Research Facility - University College Cork

What HRB Clinical Research Facility - University College Cork does

HRB Clinical Research Facility – University College Cork (HRB CRF-UCC) is an academic clinical research organisation established in 2011 and co-funded by the Health Research Board (HRB) and the College of Medicine and Health, University College Cork. It operates from its administrative headquarters on the 2nd floor of Mercy University Hospital in Cork and conducts clinical research across two partner hospital sites — Mercy University Hospital and Cork University Hospital — serving as the sole dedicated clinical research infrastructure for the south and south-western regions of the Republic of Ireland, with a population catchment exceeding 1 million. The facility provides infrastructure, multidisciplinary clinical operations staff, research pharmacy, specimen processing laboratory, temperature-controlled IMP storage, and quality and regulatory oversight to academic investigators and commercial sponsors conducting patient-focused clinical research under ICH-GCP guidelines.

The facility delivers a modular service portfolio spanning Academic Services, Commercial Services, Education and Training (including a wholly online part-time MSc Clinical Trials programme), Quality, Regulatory and Pharmacovigilance, Statistics and Data, and Trials Methodology. Its technology stack is anchored by CRF Manager, a proprietary web-based resource management system for study portfolio administration maintained by an in-house Data Manager, supplemented by alarmed -80°C and -20°C freezers, dedicated patient assessment and phlebotomy rooms, and standard research pharmacy infrastructure. Staff of approximately 22 cover Site Management and Operations, Clinical Research Nursing, Trials Physicians, Research Assistants, Feasibility Coordination, Data Management, and Trial Set-up, with Prof. Frances Shiely providing senior academic leadership across trials methodology and the EU-funded SENSITISE diversity project.

Revenue is generated through three streams: HRB and UCC institutional co-funding for core infrastructure, per-trial contracts and budgets with commercial sponsors and Contract Research Organisations, and tuition from the MSc Clinical Trials programme. Pricing is negotiated study-by-study and is not publicly disclosed. As a unit within University College Cork (a registered Irish charity, RCN 20002466), the facility is not a commercially listed or venture-backed entity, and operates as a hybrid public infrastructure asset and contract research service provider within Ireland's national clinical research ecosystem, evidenced by a track record of being the highest or among the top recruiting sites in Ireland and Europe for multiple commercial trials (Nimble, Vitesse, AIRTIVITY, ORIGIN CUH, EPICS, UNEEG, Olympus).

Name

HRB Clinical Research Facility - University College Cork

Legal name

HRB Clinical Research Facility - University College Cork

Website

https://crf.ucc.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HRB Clinical Research Facility – University College Cork is an academic research organisation co-funded by the Health Research Board and UCC, operating dedicated clinical trial infrastructure at two Cork hospitals for academic investigators and commercial sponsors in southern Ireland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Clinical CROs (Phase I–IV) (HLAGAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Central Laboratory & Clinical Trial Testing CROs (HLAGAAAE), Clinical Data Management, Biostatistics & Statistical Programming CROs (HLAGAAAF), Clinical Research Support (CRC/CTA) (EDAOAJAO), Academic Medical Centers & Teaching Hospitals (University-Affiliated) (EDAHAGAA)

Keywords

• Clinical research services
• Academic research organisation
• Clinical trial site
• ICH-GCP research facilities
• Patient-focused research

Headquarters

HQ city

Cork

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government and Institutional Funding: The facility is co-funded by the Health Research Board (HRB) and the College of Medicine and Health, University College Cork. The HRB provides core infrastructure funding while the university contributes operational support.
2. Commercial/Sponsor Clinical Trial Revenue: The HRB CRF-UCC operates as a full-service academic research organisation providing services to commercial sponsors conducting clinical trials. Revenue is generated through study contracts, budgets, and fee-for-service arrangements for regulated clinical research conducted at the facility's partner hospital sites.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The HRB CRF-UCC operates as a full-service academic research organisation providing dedicated clinical research infrastructure, experienced research and specialist support staff, and quality/oversight programmes required to conduct regulated and complex patient-focused clinical research. It delivers academic and commercial clinical trial services, statistics and data services, trials methodology support, quality/regulatory/pharmacovigilance services, and an online MSc Clinical Trials education programme across two partner hospital sites in Cork, Ireland.

Product overview

HRB CRF-UCC operates as a unified clinical research infrastructure offering multiple integrated service modules. The facility provides Academic Services and Commercial Services as its core research delivery offerings, supported by specialised service modules including Statistics & Data Services, Trials Methodology Services, Education & Training Services (including an online MSc Clinical Trials programme), and Quality, Regulatory & Pharmacovigilance Services. The Clinical Operations team delivers these services through experienced research professionals including research nurses, clinical research assistants, data managers, and coordinators. The organisation is co-funded by the Health Research Board and College of Medicine and Health, UCC, serving the south and south-western regions of Ireland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Academic Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Highest recruiting site in Ireland (Nimble trial, December 2023)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SENSITISE Project PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The EU-funded SENSITISE project, spearheaded by Prof. Frances Shiely at CRF-UCC, aims to improve diversity in clinical trials by engaging under-served groups including ethnic minorities, the elderly, LGBTQ+ community, rural dwellers, and those with disabilities or mental health conditions. The project involves several partners working to bridge the gap in clinical trials diversity.
• College of Medicine and Health, University College CorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe College of Medicine and Health at UCC is the co-funder and institutional operator of the HRB CRF-UCC. The facility is operated jointly with the University and its affiliated medical centres. The College provides institutional governance, academic oversight, and co-funding for facility operations.
• Mercy University HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary partner hospital site providing dedicated research spaces including administrative offices, patient assessment rooms, patient waiting rooms, phlebotomy room, research pharmacy (temperature-controlled IMP storage), specimen processing laboratory, alarmed -80°C freezers, -20°C freezers, and fridges. The facility's headquarters is located on the 2nd floor of Mercy University Hospital.
• Cork University HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner hospital site providing administrative offices, alarmed -80°C freezers, -20°C freezers, and fridges. Cork University Hospital is the highest recruiting site in Ireland for several clinical trials (Nimble, Vitesse) and has been listed among top global recruiters and enrollment sites.
• Health Implementation Research Hub (HIRH), School of Public Health, UCCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in the SPH NSRF CRF-UCC Seminar Series, jointly hosting academic seminars on implementation science, health policy research, and reproducible research methods. The HIRH team co-organises seminars with the CRF-UCC research team.
• CRCI National Feasibility Working GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Feasibility Officer at HRB CRF-UCC participates in the CRCI (Clinical Research Coordinating Ireland) National Feasibility Working Group, which manages feasibility assessments and study set-up for clinical trials across Ireland.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hrb-clinical-research-facility-ucc
• Instagraminstagram.com/crf_ucc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HRB Clinical Research Facility - University College Cork