Health and Healthcare Technologies Event University of Bath Katie Finch Medical Research Council Katie.Finch@headoffice.

1. Health and Healthcare Technologies Event University of Bath Katie Finch Medical Research Council Katie.Finch@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk 12th May 2011

2. MRC mission • Encourage and support research to improve human health • Produce skilled researchers • Advance and disseminate knowledge and technology to improve the quality of life and economic competitiveness of the UK and worldwide • Promote dialogue with the public about medical research

3. Recent achievements • New therapies • MRC contribution to over 10% of global pipeline of therapeutic antibodies, including Humira®. • Clinical practice • Compression stockings have no effect preventing DVT in stroke patients: saves NHS £7m and 320,000 nursing hours a year; • Use of CBT in social recovery of schizophrenia patients with psychosis; review of evidence of increased risk of cardiovascular disease. • Diagnostics • New cancer diagnostics based on test for minichromosome maintenance (MCM) proteins. • Screening programmes • Flexi-Scope bowel cancer screening to be rolled out over next four years. • Vaccines • MenAfriVac: 40¢ meningococcal meningitis vaccine received WHO prequalification in June 2010.

4. MRC funding MRC gross research expenditure - £758.2m in 2009/10. • 279 new grants to researchers. • £366 million on grants and training awards in universities and medical schools. • £375 million for over 500 programmes in our research units and institutes. • Over 4,500 publications in peer-reviewed journals in 2009. • Licensing income receipts of £66.2 million: • over £500 million total cash generated since 1998. People • 4,000 people employed in our units, institutes and centres. • Over 5,700 research active staff supported by the MRC. • £78.2 million on training and career development: • around 350 fellows and 1,500 postgraduate students.

5. Partnership working UK Government DepartmentsOSCHR Research community Patients and carers MRCMRCT NIHR UK Clinical Research Collaboration NHS International Public Universities Regulatory bodies Research councils Learned societies Medical charities Industry ParliamentariansPolicy-makers

6. Coordinated public sectorhealth research strategy HM Treasury DH BIS OSCHR Devolved Administrations NIHR MRC Research Funding flow Policy input

7. MRC - basic research to early clinical trials Underpinning and aetiological Prevention Detection and Diagnosis Treatment development and evaluation Phase 1 & 2 trials MRC remit and partners Basic research Discovery Preclinical Early Clinical Late Clinical HTA MRC EME BBSRC NIHR Medical Charities TSB

8. Strategy update

9. Research Changes Lives MRC Strategic Plan 2009-2014 Over the next five years the MRC aims to support medical research which increases the pace of the transition to better health. We will achieve this through: • Strategic Aim One: Picking research that delivers • Strategic Aim Two: Research to people • Strategic Aim Three: Going global • Strategic Aim Four: Supporting scientists

10. Research Changes Lives 1. Picking research that delivers: Setting research priorities which are most likely to deliver improved health outcomes • Research priority theme one: Resilience, repair and replacement • Natural protection • Tissue disease and degeneration • Mental health and wellbeing • Repair and replacement • Research priority theme two: Living a long and healthy life • Genetics and disease • Life course perspective • Lifestyles affecting health • Environment and health

11. Research Changes Lives 2. Research to people: Bringing the benefits of excellent research to all sections of society • Translation of research • Regulation, ethics, governance and working with decision-makers • Communication 3. Going global: Accelerating progress in international health research • Partnerships and shaping the agenda • Global health 4. Supporting scientists: Sustaining a robust and flourishing environment for world-class medical research • Capacity • Use of population-based data • Research environment

12. Spending Review–key messages • Overall Science and Research resource budget maintained at 2010/11 levels in cash terms • MRC resource expenditure will be maintained at 2010/11 level in real terms (~10% cash increase by 2014/15) • £220m capital to MRC from DH budget for UKCMRI construction costs • MRC capital budget reduced by 57%

13. Reform, Research Concentration, Economic Impact, Working in Partnership are all important themes on which we are expected to deliver All ROs are expected to manage demand Efficiency savings target for MRC: £53.3m by 2014/15, to be achieved in part by implementing Wakeham recommendations and pay restraint Both targets will be very challenging All MRC savings to be recycled into our science programmes Spending Review–Impact

14. MRC Delivery Plan • Strategic programmatic themes • Major activities that will rapidly deliver gains in health and wellbeing, together with increased economic impact. • National capability • Develop and sustain research infrastructure for delivering highest quality biomedical research, driving interdisciplinarity and engaging with partners. • Cross-council and multidisciplinary priorities • Lead on Lifelong Health and Wellbeing and work with other research councils on other priority challenges. • Other government initiatives • Translational medicine, NC3Rs, Stem cells, TSB • Skills base • Strengthen and sustain skilled researchworkforce, support future research leaders andrespond to industry needs for well-trainedresearchers.

15. New frontiers in biomedical research Living a long and healthy life Health research is global Population health sciences Stratified medicine Regenerative medicine, stem cells and tissue repair Systems medicine Mental health and wellbeing Lifestyle and behaviour: obesity, addiction Healthy ageing International leadership Global health e-Health research Population-based cohorts Public health infections research Strategic programmatic themes

16. Training and careers • Development of new postdoc collaborative fellowships with industry • Sustain support for MRC early and intermediate fellowships • Improve the attractiveness of MRC Senior Fellowships to the best candidates • Potentially open up MRC studentships to excellent EU students in strategic skills shortages • Survey: signals from students and early researchers

17. Translation • What is it? - turning discoveries into clinical benefits, while maintaining the basic research that drives it. • MRC’s translational strategy is: • building on the MRC’s existing role in pushing forward basic knowledge to improve people’s health and wealth; • strengthening the support and oversight of the translational processes. Prototype discovery and design Basic medical research Late clinical trials Early clinical trials Pre-clinical development

18. Translational research • Overall spend on Managed Programs to Increase to £50 M pa by 2014 (have allocated £47 M since 2008) • Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme • Developmental Clinical Studies • Translational Stem Cell Research Committee • Developing novel ways of supporting translational activities • Enhance support for Experimental Medicine • Maximising best use of resources and infrastructure • Increasing the UK capacity/capability for translational research

19. Working with industry • Widen our engagement and adapt to a changing innovation ecosystem • Pharmaceutical • Biotech • Devices and diagnostics • Research partnerships • Explore and fund innovative models of pre-competitive and collaborative research partnerships • Stratified Medicine and Systems Medicine agendas • Regenerative medicine • Health Sciences Collaborations, partnerships with TSB • Opportunities for MRC to add value and provide leadership • MRC leading for other research councils on engagement at policy level with Pharma companies

20. Funding

21. Roles of Boards and Panels • Primary decision making bodies on MRC funding • Grants, Units and Institutes • Ensure balance of portfolio is right for area of responsibility • Shape strategy in their areas: directly, through Strategy Board and via interaction with Overview Groups • Join up with other bodies to ensure seamless support for science • Consider the impact and value of the research in their areas

22. Boards and Overview Groups Strategy Board Molecular and Cellular Medicine Board Population and Systems Medicine Board Infections and Immunity Board Neurosciences and Mental Health Board Population Health Sciences Group Training programmes Translational programmes Translational Research Group Global Health Group Training and Careers Group

23. Types of Research Support • Question Driven • Research grant • Personal Support Driven • Fellowship • The project / programme • The people • The ‘place (s)’ • The person • The project • The ‘place’

24. Which Scheme? • Standard “response mode” grants • Research grants • New investigator research grants • Programme grants • Strategic initiatives (Calls) • Personal support – variety of fellowships • Eligibility

25. MRC Fellowship Panels Strategy Board Training and Careers Group Clinical Panel Clinical Research Training Fellowship Clinician Scientist Fellowship Senior Clinical Fellowship Non-Clinical Panel Career Development Award Senior Non-Clinical Fellowship Strategic Panels Biomedical Informatics Fellowships Panel Career Development Award inBiostatistics / Methodology Research / Economics of Health / Population Health Scientist Fellowships Panel

26. MRC post doctoral fellowships Non Clinical, Clinical and some of Strategic Skillfellowships Senior Non-Clinical Career Development Award Yrs Post PhD CRTF ClinicalLectureship Clinician Scientist Senior ClinicalLectureship Senior Clinical Population Health Science Bioinformatics, Biostats, Economics of Health NIHR ‘Walport’ Lectureships aligned with MRC clinical fellowship schemes Methodology Development Key:

27. Timelines • Note deadlines • Process – is there an outline or pre-sub stage? • Plan ahead – need apply 1 year in advance • Process time for grants i.e. time until a decision • usually 14 weeks (3 months) for applications declined at triage stage • within 23 weeks for a funding decision by a Board/Panel (6 months) • Start date is usually 6 months after funding decision

28. Lifelong Health and Wellbeing:A Strategy for Collaborative Ageing Research in the UK

29. The challenge of an ageing population • The Challenge • The UK’s population is ageing • Life expectancy has increased by 30 years in last century • Overall decrease in fertility rate • Currently one in six people is over 65 this will rise to one in four by 2033 • Over 85s are the fastest growing segment of the population • Inequalities - life expectancy varies between UK regions by 14 years The Drivers Ageing is a major risk factor for disease and disability Increased pressure on public services, welfare, health and social care – current models are unsustainable Social and economic opportunities

30. Lifelong Health and Wellbeing (LLHW) Current major cross-Research Council programme in ageing Strategic coordination of ageing research across the Research Councils Supports research targeting factors throughout life that determine health and wellbeing in older age • LLHW Strategic Aims • Develop interventions that lead to improved health and quality of life in older age • Inform policy and practice including services and technologies to support independent living • Increase capacity and capability in ageing-relevant research

31. LLHW Joint funding initiative Funding partnership between five research councils and four health departments Support for multi-disciplinary research addressing factors that influence health and quality of life in older age Build capacity in multi-disciplinary ageing research community £30m commitment since 2008 to three LLHW phases

32. Strategy for Collaborative Ageing Research in the UK • Developed by Research Councils and UK Health Departments under LLHW programme – published September 2010 Purpose • Identify opportunities for greater impact through cross-sector approaches • Build on existing strengths • Add value to initiatives and activities of individual funders • Create new partnerships, across academic disciplines and stakeholder communities – Government, private and third sector • Set priority areas for LLHW programme over CSR2011

33. Priorities for CSR 2011 • Achieving good cognitive function and mental wellbeing in later life • Promoting physical health in older age • Extending healthy working lives • Enhancing mobility and independence in an ageing population

34. Successful proposals Encompass the remit of more than one Research Council – creative multi-disciplinary approaches Not usually supported by individual funders Research excellence, impact and importance Robust methodology and design Add value to the programme Encourage stakeholder engagement and capacity building

35. ‘If you want to age well, you should start early’

36. www.mrc.ac.uk/llhw

38. Assessment Process (MRC) (short-listed applications only) • All short-listed applications are assessed by the Research Boards/Panels • Applicants can respond to the reviewers comments (Grants) • Discuss reviewers critique at interview (Fellowships) • applications scored (1-10) • feedback will be given on all applications reviewed by the Board/Panel

39. Assessment process (MRC) Referee Assessment (all grant and fellowship applications) • applications refereed – 3 - 5 reviewers • UK and International • applications scored (1-10) Board/Panel Assessment (grants) • Triage (shortlisting) • allows Boards/Panel to focus on those proposals most likely to be funded • decisions are made based on the views of the reviewers & Board/Panel members • unattributed reviewers’ reports fed back to applicant

40. Core Assessment Criteria- Grants • importance • scientific potential • people and Track record • environment • research plans • resources (justification; good value for money) • ethical issues or risks to human participants • appropriate use of animals • Referees • Triage • Board

41. And finally… Review internally • mentors for new applicants Tip: get a second opinion, proof read & spell check MRC is looking for quality not quantity

42. Remember… Your application will only be as strong as its weakest link Design Deliverability Need & Potential for Impact Ethics Resources