This page provides a brief summary of the MRC’s submission to the Cooksey review of UK health research. To read the full submission, click on the link below.
The MRC submission proposes changes to the funding system by fully merging the activities of the MRC and NHS R&D into a new arms-length body, which we believe will offer the best benefit for UK health research.
We also suggest a two-part model comprising a pair of ‘councils’ or organisations, one focused on research and one on infrastructure and innovation in service, with a streamlined coordinating mechanism. We believe this model, while not providing as many benefits to UK health research as a single body, would be more easily implemented in the short term.
The UK has an outstanding track record in health research, and has, for its size, one of the world’s strongest non-profit health research programmes. A primary concern of the MRC, shared by many others, is that existing strengths in UK health research should be maintained, and developed with at least the same degree of innovation, commitment, and resource as in the past. This excellence is testament to the effectiveness of the UK’s model of mission-oriented Research Councils, and also reflects the qualities of UK universities and the vigour of health charities.
Accordingly, we believe the measures outlined in our submission will:
- Improve the productivity of health research through better strategic coordination of research, infrastructure and training
- Strengthen high-quality applied research linked to public service needs, and co-operation with industry in clinical research – in part by forming a new ‘Applied Research and Co-operation’ budget of over £100m p.a.
- Improve ‘research side’ support for implementation of research in health services.
- Strengthen outcomes and implementation by forming a monitoring unit to provide funders and policy makers with better, independent feedback on the health and economic benefits.
Other principles our submission covers can be found here on our success criteria page.
The full submission is available to download