Breadcrumb links

Navigation

Strategic Aim Two - Communication

The MRC is funded by the UK taxpayer. We recognise our responsibility to inform and involve the public, policy-makers and our partners about our work. Through our initiatives, many of which involve MRC-funded scientists, we develop effective relationships with a range of audiences.

Objective

To enhance communication with scientists, the public, policy-makers and partners.

Now

We work to keep the public informed with the progress of our research and policies, in order to address areas of uncertainty, take account of public concerns and ensure that our work reflects public acceptability.

  • We use a wide range of communication channels, including publications, exhibitions, the mass media and face-to-face involvement, to deliver messages about the MRC and its work to our stakeholders.
  • The MRC website is regularly tested and reviewed, and improvements made to functionality, content and structure.

We have improved our capacity to engage effectively with the public and other non-specialist audiences. We have devised and implemented a programme of science communication and media training for our scientists.

  • We set up a public panel – a network of individuals who provide a broad range of public views, experiences and expertise on different aspects of the MRC’s work.
  • We regularly undertake public consultations on societal issues, often jointly with other research councils, on topics such as stem cell research and lifelong health.
  • We are developing an MRC-wide strategy for internal communication to ensure that our scientists and staff know and understand the strategic direction of the MRC.

A key element of our remit is to work closely with parliamentarians, establishing the MRC’s reputation and facilitating an effective route for MRC knowledge and expertise to inform legislation and policy-making.

  • We achieve this primarily through the All Party Parliamentary Group on Medical Research and through ongoing public affairs programmes at Westminster and Holyrood.
  • We regularly participate in parliamentary consultations and inquiries.

Future

The challenge is to show the public that the funding we receive is well spent. We aim to make the MRC’s work more accessible to the public and policy-makers, demonstrating the value of our research and highlighting our achievements both nationally and internationally.

  • We will encourage and support more transparency in MRC decision-making.
  • We will improve MRC accountability by maintaining and enhancing the mechanisms we use for public involvement.
  • We aim to improve understanding of and stimulate support for medical research among the parliamentary and policy-making communities.
  • We will support the continuing need for evidence-based policy and decision-making.
  • We will continue to provide expert advice and information about our research, and to share the results and impacts of our work with the public and other stakeholders.
  • We will also communicate the need for and the results of MRC research to the public in low and middle-income countries and to the UK public, explaining the rationale and outputs of the research in those countries.

How

To enhance our capacity for communication, we will increase our support for our scientists to help them communicate the results of their research. We will improve our effectiveness by working closely with our partner organisations, to share best practice and maximise the use of resources.

  • We will help the public understand our scientific findings, and assess the impact these may have on their own lives, by improving access to our scientists and research findings through more face-to-face interaction, and better provision of information online and in the media.
  • We will continue to inform debate and help shape policy through the timely provision of accurate, up-to-date information on policy-relevant topics.
  • We will encourage our scientists to nurture relationships and share information with policy-makers and parliamentarians, to guide policy and the regulation of research.
  • We will continue to stress the importance of animal models in certain areas of research.
  • We aim to embed a culture of public dialogue and stakeholder engagement in our organisation by providing communication training as an integral part of the skills development programme for our scientists.
  • We will build a community of MRC ambassadors, drawn principally from our own scientists, boards and Council members, to take an active role in disseminating MRC information.