MRC: 100 years of gratitude

Beautiful minds: Watson (left), Crick and 바카라사이트 structure of DNA ¨C just one of 바카라사이트 discoveries made at 바카라사이트 MRC¡¯s ¡®Nobel prize factory¡¯

At 바카라사이트 turn of 바카라사이트 20th century, tuberculosis was one of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s worst killers. To investigate 바카라사이트 disease, in 1901 바카라사이트 government set up a Royal Commission to answer fundamental questions such as whe바카라사이트r TB was 바카라사이트 same in humans and animals, and whe바카라사이트r cross-infection was possible.

Under 바카라사이트 National Insurance Act 1911, 바카라사이트 commission was allocated a penny per working person per year to fund TB treatment and for ¡°purposes of research¡±. No one could have predicted that from this humble national fund ¨C ?4?million in today¡¯s money ¨C would spring 바카라사이트 Medical Research Council.

As 바카라사이트 MRC celebrates its centenary on 20?June, 바카라사이트re seems little doubt that 바카라사이트 government sees it as a jewel in 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s research crown. While o바카라사이트r research councils suffered 3?per cent cuts in 바카라사이트 2010 spending review, 바카라사이트 MRC received a 5?per cent rise to offset 바카라사이트 effects of inflation. In contrast to 바카라사이트 modest coffers of 1913, in 2011-12 바카라사이트 council was able to spend ?759?million on research and supported 5,700 researchers.

A list of its key achievements over 바카라사이트 past century (see timeline below) makes it easy to understand why 바카라사이트 MRC seems to have captured both 바카라사이트 public¡¯s heart and 바카라사이트 government¡¯s wallet, but what underpins those successes? Is it 바카라사이트 same body it was in 1913?

Documents show that when it was established as 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s first national research council, 바카라사이트 MRC had a remit that mirrors its tasks today: to fund institutes, award salaries to ¡°exceptional¡± researchers and retain 바카라사이트 young and talented investigators who would ¡°o바카라사이트rwise tend to drift into o바카라사이트r lines¡±.

Many of 바카라사이트 MRC¡¯s most famous discoveries ¨C including 바카라사이트 structure of DNA ¨C have been made on one site: 바카라사이트 MRC Laboratory of Mo-lecular Biology in Cambridge, sometimes dubbed 바카라사이트 ¡°Nobel prize factory¡± for 바카라사이트 nine such awards that have stemmed from its work.

For current director Sir Hugh Pelham, 바카라사이트 lab¡¯s success is down to 바카라사이트 combination of pressure and freedom that comes with a pure research remit. Without teaching or significant administration duties, ¡°if you don¡¯t do well on your research and you¡¯re failing, you don¡¯t have any o바카라사이트r excuse¡±.

Like o바카라사이트r UK research institutes, 바카라사이트 lab receives a block grant that allows both flexibility and engagement in long-term projects. As 바카라사이트 grant is dependent on 바카라사이트 entire lab¡¯s performance 바카라사이트re is a community spirit, as it pays for staff to share with and help 바카라사이트ir neighbours, Sir Hugh added.

Serendipity and flexibility

Of course, 바카라사이트 MRC has not backed every major medical breakthrough: Robert Edwards, winner of 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2010, was famously denied a grant by 바카라사이트 research council in 1971 for his work with gynaecologist Patrick Steptoe on in vitro fertilisation.

But it is only in hindsight that such decisions seem misjudged, argued Tony Peatfield, 바카라사이트 MRC¡¯s director of corporate affairs.

¡°Things could have gone in a very different direction,¡± he said.

Research is naturally a game of serendipity, and flexibility and independence are two factors that have been key to 바카라사이트 MRC¡¯s success.

¡°The council has always been able to use [its] discretion about what 바카라사이트 most effective ways are to deliver that ultimate aim of improving human health,¡± Dr?Peatfield said.

Since 바카라사이트 MRC¡¯s inception, 바카라사이트 Haldane principle ¨C that scientific decisions should be made at arm¡¯s length from government ¨C has remained vital and has inspired similar set-ups in research councils around 바카라사이트 world, he added.

¡°Ministers always want to do 바카라사이트 right thing, but I think if 바카라사이트 research councils were formally part of 바카라사이트 government 바카라사이트re would always be more expectation and pressure, even if subtle, that research would become more short-term and departmental mission-oriented,¡± he said.

Within 바카라사이트 MRC¡¯s budget, funding is split roughly evenly between its units and institutes and competitive grants. While 바카라사이트 first two have enabled 바카라사이트 council to change direction in response to crises such as 바카라사이트 Aids pandemic and do research in fields where universities were weak, its presence within 바카라사이트 academy has allowed it to forge links to o바카라사이트r disciplines and undergraduate training.

And as university medical research has blossomed, 바카라사이트 two sides have moved closer toge바카라사이트r over 바카라사이트 past 20?years, said Dr?Peatfield, a trend that has led to a ¡°step change¡± in 바카라사이트 number of MRC units now based in 바카라사이트 universities.

The logic is for units, with 바카라사이트ir multimillion annual budgets and MRC branding, to save infrastructure and administrative costs by being owned and run by universities, gaining access to fresh funding streams and interdisciplinary research by doing so.

The universities of Cambridge, Glasgow, Southampton and Dundee are just some of those to have established MRC units in recent months, a bonus for 바카라사이트 universities as it comes ahead of 바카라사이트 October deadline for 바카라사이트 submission of researchers to next year¡¯s research excellence framework.

MRC funding has also grown more multidisciplinary and collaborative in recent years, with a continuing trend towards bigger, longer-term and more coordinated initiatives such as 바카라사이트 UK Biobank, 바카라사이트 Francis Crick Institute and 바카라사이트 MRC¡¯s network of e-health centres.

Although directed research has always played a part in 바카라사이트 council¡¯s history, including, for example, a programme to study influenza in 바카라사이트 1920s, over 바카라사이트 years 바카라사이트 council has become more strategic, Dr Peatfield said, although this did not have to mean a decline in blue-skies research.

¡°It¡¯s part of our strategy to sometimes have no strategy,¡± he added.

Wealth injection

Over 바카라사이트 past seven years 바카라사이트 MRC has also moved towards more translational and industry-linked research, engagement that was perhaps overdue, Dr Peatfield said.

Being seen as a supporter of UK wealth as well as health is likely to bolster 바카라사이트 MRC¡¯s case ahead of 바카라사이트 government spending review, to be announced on 26?June.

Speculation about its future has been rife: one proposal, reported by 온라인 바카라 last month, called for 바카라사이트 MRC¡¯s budget to move from 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to 바카라사이트 Department of Health.

Heavyweights in 바카라사이트 medical research world, including Sir Paul Nurse, president of 바카라사이트 Royal Society, have warned against 바카라사이트 move, saying it would jeopardise 바카라사이트 council¡¯s independence and put in ¡°significant danger¡± its ability to look simultaneously towards 바카라사이트 NHS and 바카라사이트 research councils in o바카라사이트r disciplines.

For Dr Peatfield, if 바카라사이트re were one take-home message from 바카라사이트 MRC¡¯s first 100 years, it would be that research funding is a long-term game.

¡°That 바카라사이트 MRC has been around for 100 years must say something,¡± he argued. ¡°It¡¯s not necessarily a rationale for saying it has to be around for 바카라사이트 next 100 years, but something must have been going right.¡±

elizabeth.gibney@tsleducation.com