About ACCORD

The Academic and Clinical Central Office for Research and Development (ACCORD) is a joint research office between the University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian. 

We bring together research management expertise from both institutions to support every stage of clinical research - from securing funding and navigating approvals to ensuring compliance with regulations and best practices.

Each year, we support around 1,000 research projects, from student-led studies to large-scale multicentre trials.

By combining NHS Lothian’s internationally recognised clinical research strengths with the University of Edinburgh’s world-leading academic expertise, ACCORD provides streamlined access to expert advice, regulatory support, and state-of-the-art research infrastructure.

Supporting clinical research from start to finish

Our multidisciplinary teams provide specialist support to ensure the highest standards of clinical research across the University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian.

The office has two core functions:

1. Sponsorship and research support

• The Research Governance team provides expert guidance on sponsorship, study setup, and ongoing research management for health and social care studies led from Edinburgh.
• Our Quality Assurance (QA), Monitoring, and Pharmacovigilance teams oversee the full research lifecycle to ensure compliance and participant safety.
• We also collaborate closely with NHS Lothian Contracts and Finance and the University’s Research Funding and Contracts teams to streamline legal and financial processes.

2. NHS Lothian R&D management approval

If your study involves NHS Lothian as a research site, you’ll need R&D Management Approval.

The NHS Lothian R&D team within ACCORD provides this approval for all studies involving NHS Lothian patients, data, tissue, staff, facilities, or carers. Contact the R&D team directly with site-specific questions or for support.

All health and social care-related research must have a Sponsor. 

• ACCORD confirms sponsorship on behalf of the University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian when the Chief Investigator is employed by either organisation.
• Studies may be sponsored by one institution or, more commonly, co-sponsored by both. Sponsorship is confirmed only after ACCORD review and approval.
• If your study involves NHS Lothian resources (patients, data, tissue, staff, facilities, or carers), you will also need R&D management approval, provided by the NHS Lothian R&D team in ACCORD.