Background The authors were members of a large, interorganisational research project conducted by a university and an English NHS trust. The project’s success relied on building positive partnerships and networks over three years. Recognising the challenges of working across different organisations, the authors created a new role for a nurse: the ‘in-place research coordinator’ (IPRC).

Aim To introduce and explain the new role and provide examples of how the authors devised and applied it during their research.

Discussion The IPRC was a member of the NHS trust, so brought valuable organisational insights to the research team while gaining research experience through applying her professional knowledge and connections.

Conclusion The IPRC enabled this inter-organisational research to take place, and had measurable efficacy and impact.

Implications for practice The authors recommend that future collaborative inter-organisational research projects include an IPRC, with specific budgeting for the role and recruitment from practice.