Annex 1
MRC FORWARD INVESTMENT STRATEGY (FIS) PRINCIPLES
2003
The main principles are as follows:
— Importance of appropriate two-way
academic, clinical, and industrial linkages.
— Ease of on-site interdisciplinary
collaboration (adjacent buildings/facilities within walking distance;
shared focal areas positively beneficial).
— Issues of added value/opportunity
cost (ongoing investment must be rigorously assessed against the
possibility that it is a call on resources which could be deployed
to greater effect elsewhere).
— Articulation of an optimal size for
MRC institutes/centres. For example, in order to meet the requirements
of the above template, those not embedded in university settings
may have to be much larger to achieve critical mass. Those embedded
in a multi-disciplinary campus should remain internally cohesive
and well-focused, albeit heavily engaged on a wide range of on-site
collaborations with shared infrastructure.
— Financial flexibility—this
will be a key factor for MRC in future in retaining competitive
edge and ability to move quickly to capitalise on new scientific
opportunities.
— Focus on fewer locations with a view
to providing first rate infrastructure and critical mass for training/career
development. Not a major policy shift—almost 60% of MRC
funding is already focused on only six sites across the UK. However,
MRC would want to retain scope to support high quality research
wherever it can best be done.
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