National Institute of Academic Anaesthesia
The College is one of the four founding partners of the NIAA
Through the National Institute of Academic Anaesthesia (NIAA), the College engages with our colleagues and partners to fund, develop and deliver world-class research in anaesthesia and perioperative care. The NIAA is unique in academic medicine and an internationally admired model of specialty cooperation in bench-to-bedside research.
The NIAA was established in 2008 by the Royal College of Anaesthetists, the Association of Anaesthetists and the journals Anaesthesia and the British Journal of Anaesthesia. In addition to these four founding partners, the NIAA encompasses numerous anaesthetic specialist societies. The College is responsible for the governance and finances of the National Institute of Academic Anaesthesia.
Aims
The NIAA's vision is to improve the health of patients and the public through research and innovation. Its mission is to promote, support and deliver world-class biomedical and health research in anaesthesia, perioperative and pain medicine. Its strategic aims are:
- to develop high quality collaborative research through the UK Perioperative Medicine Clinical Trials Network (POMCTN)
- to develop and promote trainee involvement in national and regional research, audit and quality improvement
- to award NIAA grant funding to research and researchers of the highest quality based on NIAA vision and mission
- to facilitate increased funding for and strategically invest in national health priority areas as defined by patients, public and the professions.
Through effective partnership working the NIAA has developed a model process for the distribution of research funding across the profession, provides support for trainees and works closely with Military Anaesthesia and Critical Care. See below for the NIAA's Strategy for 2015-2020.
Grants
Along with the other founding partners and the specialist societies, the RCoA provides funding for the biannual NIAA Grant Rounds. The specific grants available can change for each round and are advertised on the NIAA website.
NIAA grants are aimed at assisting researchers at all stages of their careers:
- Undergraduate: John Snow intercalated BSc Award
- Doctoral: PhD Studentships; small education/travel grants
- Established researchers: Project Grants (clinical and non-clinical)
- Senior academic awards: Fellowships (clinical and non-clinical); BOC Chair.
For the most up to date information, visit the Current Funding Opportunities page on the NIAA website.
NIAA publications
The NIAA publishes regular Comprehensive Reviews to report on our development and the progress of NIAA-funded research initiatives.
You can also click below to read the current NIAA Strategy, which runs from 2015-20.
There are further NIAA-related publications, pertaining specifically to training in academic anaesthesia, on the Academic Training page.
NIAA Review 2008-11
The first ever Comprehensive
Review includes a foreword from HRH The Princess Royal
NIAA Review 2012-13
Covering NIAA developments from 2013-14 including the research Priority Setting Partnership
NIAA Review 2016-18
Special 10-year review looking back at the NIAA's first decade as well as more recent initiatives
For our specialty, it is a matter of great pride that NIAA is now uniquely placed nationally and internationally to be the most influential and dynamic organisation of UK academic anaesthesia aiming to make meaningful differences to patients’ lives worldwide by supporting research and quality improvement.
Would you like to know more about the NIAA?
For more information on the activities of the National Institute of Academic Anaesthesia, including details of forthcoming grant opportunities, please visit the NIAA website.
NIAA Founding Partners
Mike is the Professor of Anaesthesia and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Southampton and a consultant in Critical Care Medicine at University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust. Mike is also Vice President of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, leads the Xtreme Everest program of hypoxia research and is head of the Respiratory Critical Care Research Area within the UHS/UoS NIHR Biomedical Research Unit. His research interests include human adaptation to hypoxia, measuring and improving outcome following surgery, exercise physiology and fluid therapy. He was recruited to the role of NIAA Board Chair in May 2018.
