Health and Wealth - Delivering research that makes an impact up to 2015
MRC Delivery Plan 2010
20 December 2010
The Medical Research Council (MRC) today sets out how it will deliver innovative research programmes to improve the health and wealth of the UK, alongside plans for reform and increased efficiency for the next Spending Review period (2011/12-2014/15). The MRC Delivery Plan, published today following the Government’s budget allocation announcement, is designed to maintain the strength of UK medical science, both discovery and translation, while increasing its impact on public policy and on the economy.
The MRC’s overall science and research resource budget (the day to day spending on science), has been protected in real terms at 2010/11 levels in the spending review, with the MRC being enabled to re-invest income derived from commercialisation of intellectual property. Resource spend will therefore total £2.2 billion over the 4 year period, but in line with the rest of the public sector, the MRC’s capital budget (investments such as buildings, equipment and IT) has had to be reduced by around 57 per cent in the first year and comparable reductions are expected over the following three years. The £220m committed for UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation (UKCMRI) remains protected, thanks to welcome support from the Department of Health.
The MRC will be set challenging targets for efficiency savings, but all savings will be re-invested into science programmes, so there will be modest growth in MRC-supported research over the period.
Sir John Savill, Chief Executive of the Medical Research Council said:
“By protecting MRC resource expenditure in real terms, it’s clear that the Government has recognised the evidence showing investment in medical research reaps health and wealth rewards. Nevertheless the MRC must now deliver the best possible return on investment, sharpening our focus on quality, strategic partnerships and efficiency, in order to achieve the greatest possible impact. We will not withdraw from funding of areas within our remit, so competition for support will remain fierce, but we will continue to do our best to encourage and support early career researchers.”
The MRC Strategic Plan Research Changes Lives sets out the MRC’s key aims and objectives for the next 4 years. The Delivery Plan highlights some major priorities and commitments that will rapidly deliver gains in health and wellbeing, together with increased economic impact. Understanding more about the body’s mechanisms of resilience, repair and replacement will channel discoveries towards disease prevention and treatment. Addressing the complex interplay between genetics, development and life events or lifestyles will improve the chances of living a longer, healthier and productive life.
Planned strategic commitments over the next four years include:
• Stratified medicine: The MRC aims to commit £60m over the next four years, in close alignment with the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and other partners, to help improve our understanding of how we might work with industry to tailor treatments and interventions to the individual needs of people living with a wide range of diseases and conditions.
• Regenerative medicine: The MRC plans to spend in the region of £130m overall in regenerative medicine during the spending review period. Regenerative medicine investigates medical treatments which aim to repair lost or damaged tissues in the body.
• Addiction: The MRC intends to invest at least £10m to stimulate new initiatives in this area.
• Healthy ageing: The MRC aims to spend a total of £150m in neurodegeneration across the full range of strategic and partnership initiatives and in response to quality applications for funding.
• Translation medicine: The MRC works hard to accelerate the process of turning discoveries made in the laboratory to health treatments for patients. Overall spending in this area is likely to reach £250m over the spending period.
Please click here for the full MRC Delivery Plan
Please click here for the MRC Strategic Plan Research Changes Lives
