The Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC) is a statutory and autonomous body established in 1991, responsible for promoting and coordinating health research in Nepal while maintaining high ethical standards. It collaborates with various stakeholders to provide consultation and support for health research initiatives, conducts ethical reviews, and offers training and grants to researchers. The NHRC focuses on key health research priorities, including healthcare delivery, communicable diseases, and reproductive health among others.

1. Adv Suman Dhungana 1
Nepal Health Research
Council

2. Adv Suman Dhungana 2
Introduction
• The Nepal Health Research Council is a national apical body
responsible for providing scientific study and quality health research
in the country with the highest level of ethical standards.
• It started as a Nepal Health Research Committee under the Ministry
of Health, chaired by the Secretary of Health in 1982 AD (BS 2039).
• On 11 April 1991 (29 Chaitra 2047 BS), the committee was developed
as the Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC), a statutory and
autonomous body as promulgated by the Nepal Health Research
Council Act No. 129 of the year 1991 of Government of Nepal

3. Adv Suman Dhungana 3
• The primary responsibility of the NHRC is to promote and
coordinate health research with the objective of bringing about
improvement in health status of people of Nepal.
• NHRC cooperates with the Ministry of Health (MoH),
nongovernment agencies, private sectors and other relevant
ministries to provide consultation, assistance, and advice in all
matter related to health research, policies and health care services.
• NHRC also acts as a national regulatory body for maintaining
technical and ethical standards of health research within the
country.
• The Council thus conducts an ethical review of research protocols
submitted by researchers, national authorities, non-government
agencies and academic institutions

4. Adv Suman Dhungana 4
Organizational Structure

5. Adv Suman Dhungana 5
Major Activities Of NHRC
• Screening, reviewing and approval of research proposals.
• Providing technical guidance and possible support including services for
scientists, researchers.
• Conducting training workshops in Health Systems Research Methodology,
Research Management and other fields of research.
• Providing e-mail, photocopying and Med-line search facilities and other
information for researchers for a free.
• Monitoring and evaluation of all the researchers conducted at the field level.
• Providing various kind of Research Grants to the most deserving
researchers.
• Compiling research related books, research reports, national and
international scientific journals and Bulletins.

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• Publishing and archiving research related materials including publication
of Research Journals, Bulletins and Reports.
• Networking of health researchers and research institutions / agencies /
organizations involved in health research Serving as a repository for
research related information and resources.
• Disseminating activities for research based information.
• Development of research proposals on health related sciences.
• Developing and conducting collaborative research with research
institutions / agencies / organizations within and outside Nepal.
• Making collaborative work with WHO, bilateral, multilateral and other
funding agencies / organizations.
• Developing the research units in the five development regions of Nepal
and coordinating the overall aspects of health research in these regions.

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• Research priority areas (National Health Research Priority areas)
• Priority Area 1: Health Care Delivery System
• Priority Area 2: Communicable/Infectious Diseases
• Priority Area 3: Non Communicable Diseases
• Priority Area 4: Neonatal and Child Health
• Priority Area 5: Reproductive Health
• Priority Area 6: Mental Health and Substance Abuse
• Priority Area 7: Injuries, Accidents and Violence
• Priority Area 8: Nutrition and Food Safety
• Priority Area 9: Environmental and Occupational Health
• Priority Area 10: Traditional Medicine
• Priority Area 11: Geriatric Health
• Priority Area 12: Miscellaneous