Professor Nick Manning, Director of the Institute of Mental Health and Professor of Social Policy and Sociology at the University, said: “The Institute was only formed in 2006 and we can now be considered as the UK’s prime location for inter-disciplinary research in the mental health field. This planned move to purpose-built accommodation signifies the huge progress we have made during this time and will have many benefits going forwards based on bringing colleagues together who are currently located on several sites.”
The Institute of Mental Health is a partnership between The University of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust. It seeks to help transform our understanding and treatment of mental illness through innovative research and pioneering educational activities.
Also moving into the new building will be the CLAHRC (Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care) for Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire, Mental Health Research Network East Midlands Hub plus South Yorkshire, and the NHS East Midlands Leadership Academy.
The ground-breaking ceremony takes place on site on Wednesday May 25 and will be attended by representatives of the Institute, the University and Nottinghamshire Healthcare, partner organisations, and those involved in the new build.
Architects for the building, Benoy, have created a bold and sleek design which aims to harmonise with its nearest neighbours on the campus and reflect the colour palette of the striking red terracotta tile-clad exteriors of Make Architects’ Amenities Building and International House.
The Building contractors are G F Tomlinson Building Limited, who last year completed work on the University’s new Vaughan Parry Williams Sports Pavilion at Highfields Park in Nottingham.
Structural engineers on the project are Waldeck, while DH Squire will be acting as services engineers.
Professor Saul Tendler, University of Nottingham Pro-Vice Chancellor for Teaching and Learning, said: “It’s incredibly exciting to see construction beginning on the Institute of Mental Health’s new home on our Jubilee Campus. During our lifetime, one in four of us will face a mental health problem yet despite their prevalence illnesses of the mind are not as widely or openly discussed in our society as physical disease. The Institute has a vital role to play in transforming our understanding and treatment of mental illness and has found its natural home at the University, which is at the forefront of biomedical translational research, bringing more effective therapies to patients more quickly. The University of Nottingham is extremely proud to be continuing to support the Institute through our partnership with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.”
Professor Mike Cooke, CBE, Chief Executive of Nottinghamshire Healthcare, said: “The Institute is leading mental health research both in this country and in Europe. We are delighted to have helped create this major success story for Nottinghamshire. This new building will bring all staff groups together and allow for future expansion; crucially PhD and post-doctoral staff. The Institute of Mental Health, CLAHRC-NDL, the MHRN and the NHS East Midlands Leadership Academy will all benefit from this co-location.”
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Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 as ‘the embodiment of the modern international university’, has award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings. It was named ‘Europe’s greenest university’ in the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking, a league table of the world’s most environmentally-friendly higher education institutions, which ranked Nottingham second in the world overall.
The University is committed to providing a truly international education for its 40,000 students, producing world-leading research and benefiting the communities around its campuses in the UK and Asia.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, with almost 60 per cent of all research defined as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. Research Fortnight analysis of RAE 2008 ranked the University 7th in the UK by research power. The University’s vision is to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health.