Lauren Tough is an accomplished leader in health and care research, serving as the Strategic Development Director for the North
East North Cumbria (NENC) Regional Research Delivery Network, a part of the National Institute for Health and Care research in
England. With a background in NHS R&D, Lauren has held various roles within the NIHR, with a particular focus on fostering
collaboration with the life sciences industry.
One of Lauren’s significant contributions to the field has been the development and national roll out of the National Contract Value
Review (NCVR). This transformative initiative, created in partnership with UK stakeholders, has standardised the process of
commercial research cost negotiation, streamlining operations and enabling more efficient set up of industry-sponsored research
in the UK.