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The NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) North East and North Cumbria (NENC) has appointed a new Chief Operating Officer.

Oonagh McGee will lead the strategic management and delivery of the ARC NENC programme and joins the Collaboration at a key time as it approaches its mid-funding point.

Oonagh has experience leading large-scale collaborations at several institutions including the NIHR Policy Research Unit (PRU) in Behavioural Science, the Alan Turing Institute, and managing an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Centre for Doctoral Training in the area of data science. Her academic background is in Health and Human Sciences, and Human Resource Management and she is studying towards a Doctorate in Education at Newcastle University.

She said: “It’s a really exciting time to be joining the ARC North East and North Cumbria, as we begin to deliver on key projects and demonstrate the impact of our work. As an Applied Research Collaboration, we have the potential to make a real difference to society and I’m particularly looking forward to meeting and working with all of our fantastic partners across the region.”

Oonagh’s early priorities are to build and strengthen relationships with partners across the North East and North Cumbria, as well as measuring and articulating the impact of the ARC NENC programme so far. She is passionate about public involvement and community engagement in research, and this will be a particular area of focus, alongside identifying and communicating success.

Professor Eileen Kaner, Director of the ARC North East and North Cumbria added: “We are very pleased have Oonagh in place as our Chief Operating Officer. She has an extremely strong track record of successfully managing significant research projects, a wealth of experience, and is highly regarded within NIHR in our region and beyond.

“She joins us at a pivotal point in our programme, as we’re really starting to pick up pace when it comes to the delivery and impact of our research. The strategic management of our ARC is in excellent hands and we’re looking forward to the next phase of work.”

Oonagh will also lead and manage the ARC’s core team, and will be based at the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear (CNTW) NHS Foundation Trust headquarters at St Nicholas’ Hospital in Newcastle.