British medical researchers will benefit from a 30% boost to a key translational medicine fund, the country’s coalition government announced today.

Starting in April 2012, up to £775 million will be awarded over five years via biomedical research units and centres of the UK’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). This is a 30% increase on funding over the previous five years of the programme, says the government, which promised last year to increase healthcare research spending.

The centres and units are partnerships between the National Health Service (NHS) and universities.

“The successful NHS and university partnerships will receive long-term funding to provide the best environment to support cutting edge translational research,” said Sally Davies, Director General of Research and Development at the Department of Health in a statement.

“These centres and units will provide vital support for research funded by NIHR and our public sector, charity and industry partners.”

Health researchers in the UK are still waiting to see how the government takes forward the recent recommendations from the Academy of Medical Sciences, which warned that red tape was stifling the ability of scientists to do their work (see: UK health research to be rehabilitated).

The NIHR has generally been praised by researchers. The AMS report – which had some of its costs paid by the NIHR – noted that “In recent years, steps taken by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) in England – and similar initiatives in the devolved nations – have created the infrastructure and facilities to increase the standing of the NHS as an academic and commercial research partner.”