£11m boost for mental health research at university
A new unit at University of Lincoln will research mental health after being awarded almost £11m.
The £10.96m will come from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to establish an NIHR Mental Health Research Group (MHRG) and create the Lincolnshire Unit for Mental Health Research.
The university has heralded the cash injection as another landmark investment that further strengthens its role in a major national initiative to boost mental health research in under-served areas, which reflects the meaningful difference it is making through place-based research and innovation.
The award forms part of a £55 million national NIHR investment creating five new Mental Health Research Groups across England, focused on strengthening mental health research in areas with high levels of need and historically limited research capacity.
Led by Professor David Dawson and Professor Nima Moghaddam in the School of Psychology, Sport Science and Wellbeing, the new unit will be delivered in partnership with people with lived experience, NHS partners, local authorities, and voluntary and community organisations, alongside colleagues from across the University and academic partners.
Together, these partners will establish Lincolnshire as a centre of excellence for applied, place-based mental health research, with a particular focus on rural, coastal and small urban-deprived communities.
Lincolnshire faces significant mental health challenges linked to isolation, poor transport, digital exclusion and unequal access to services, alongside some of the highest suicide rates in England. The Lincolnshire Unit for Mental Health Research will work closely with local communities and health and care partners to develop and test practical solutions that improve access to support, prevent mental health difficulties and strengthen responses to crisis.
Commenting on the award, Professors Dawson and Moghaddam said: “This investment allows us to work with local communities, practitioners, and people with lived experience to address some of the most pressing mental health challenges facing our county, and builds on the university’s long-standing commitment to place-based research in rural and coastal communities, as well as the partnerships and insight we have already developed to help tackle deep-rooted health inequalities.
“By focusing on prevention, access to support and long-term wellbeing, we aim to generate evidence that reflects the realities of life in Lincolnshire, drives meaningful and sustainable improvements in mental health provision and community support, and offers learning and insights of real value to national and international regions facing similar challenges.”
Professor Karl Dayson, Provost and Deputy Vice Chancellor, added: “This is a landmark award for the university and a powerful recognition of the quality, ambition and relevance of our research to our region, as well as the strength of the partnerships we have built at Lincoln.
“I want to congratulate Professor Dawson, Professor Moghaddam and colleagues from across the university who contributed to this outstanding achievement. This funding builds on our long-term commitment to improving health and wellbeing in our rural and coastal communities and will enable work that is rooted in lived experience, delivers real-world impact and contributes learning of national and international value.”
The Lincolnshire Unit for Mental Health Research will formally launch in May 2026.