Strategy formulation
The MRC's mission relates to a single aim – to improve and maintain human health. This page describes the key principles that underpin our strategy for achieving that goal and summarises our overall corporate and research objectives, the strategy development process, and our aims at an international level.
- Key Principles
- High-level objectives
- How we develop our scientific strategy
- External stakeholders
- MRC international strategy
Key Principles
Medical research as an integrated whole
Our strategy is based on the principle of medical research as an integrated whole, because health is determined by the interplay between many factors: genetic inheritance, development, infection, diet, lifestyle and physical and chemical hazards; the cultural and socio-economic environment; and the public health and healthcare systems available.
Supporting the spectrum of medical research
We invest in high-quality research and training across the spectrum of basic and applied medical research and across a wide range of diseases and disciplines. Most of our investment is in response to research proposals from clinical and non-clinical scientists, which compete for the funds available. The main factors in funding decisions are research excellence – i.e. the likelihood of major advances in knowledge – and the importance of the topic.
A broadly balanced yet responsive portfolio
Our strategy is to maintain a broadly balanced portfolio of research, and at the same time to shape our portfolio in order to:
- Ensure research reflects changing health needs – such as the UK’s ageing population, or the global challenge from new forms of ‘flu.
- Ensure co-operation or concentration of effort to maximise the national and international impact of research.
- Reflect the needs of others who use our research - in public services and in industry – and respond to international research trends.
- Accelerate the development of promising new research opportunities – for example, investing in the UK Biobank to provide better ways of exploring how genetics, environment and lifestyle interact.
- Improve the productivity of the medical research base by investing in infrastructure and training.
High-level objectives
The MRC’s high-level corporate objectives are to:
- Invest in high-quality research to improve human health.
- Attract and train first-rate researchers.
- Promote the translation of basic research discoveries into new and improved healthcare policy and practice.
- Fund research partnerships.
- Encourage commercial exploitation of our scientists’ discoveries, for the benefit of the UK’s health and economy.
- Provide leadership in the governance of medical research.
- Promote good practice in our organisation and strive for ongoing improvements, including evaluation of all aspects of performance.
These high-level objectives are achieved through implementation of the more detailed strategy outlined in the MRC Strategic Plan and current MRC Delivery Plan. The Strategic Plan sets out our research priorities and other corporate objectives and polices from 2004-2007, while the current MRC Delivery Plan and Delivery Plan Report contain detailed information about our strategic targets and our progress with meeting them. We are currently developing our Strategic Plan for the next five to seven years.
Information about how we are implementing MRC scientific strategy is also available in Our Research
How we develop our scientific strategy
Our science strategy and policies are determined by the MRC’s Council, MRC's Strategy Board, four MRC Research Boards, four MRC Overview Groups and the new joint MRC/NIHR Boards, with input from the external stakeholders shown below. During the strategy development process each board and overview group provides the Strategy Board and MRC’s Council with expert advice about their scientific area, including:
- Ways of developing the area further, following horizon-scanning and gap analysis.
- Opportunities for new research partnerships.
- Research policy and business planning, including maintaining a balance between funding for the MRC’s own research units and for medical research in universities.
- How to evaluate the research outputs and the eventual benefits for the public’s health.
External stakeholders
Our strategy is informed by input from a range of external stakeholders, including MRC-funded scientists, the NHS, government departments, medical charities, industry, other research councils and the general public.
MRC international strategy
International collaboration between scientists, and between funding organisations, is becoming increasingly important. Rapid globalisation has greatly reduced the protection that national boundaries offer against infectious disease. And ‘western’ health problems, including diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease, are becoming increasingly common in developing countries.
The MRC’s international strategy is to maximise the value of the research we fund in the UK and overseas, by promoting international collaboration and providing scientific and political leadership. We carry out a wide range of activities to influence and shape the international research agenda, to encourage international scientific collaboration, and to develop research capacity in developing countries.
For example, the MRC hosts meetings with overseas funding organisations and policymakers, and with the heads of major research organisations worldwide. We are also the UK’s representative in the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, which brings together European and African countries to tackle poverty-related infectious diseases by developing new clinical interventions and integrating European and African research.