UK Medical Research Council CEO Defends Its Support for Basic Research. (August 7, 2008)

A note in the "Correspondence" section of today's Nature comes out in defence of the UK Medical Research Council's (MRC) support for basic research.

Leszek Borysiewicz, the MRC's chief executive officer, in response to concerns of some sections of the UK biomedical community that the MRC is becoming overly focused on translational research at the expense of fundamental science writes that while: "[t]he 30% increase in MRC funding over the current spending-review period includes a specific allocation for translational research... it also features increased funds for more basic studies. The only significant change for basic researchers is that it will be much easier for them to contribute to translational research and to work related to public health if they wish to do so... [and] that giving talented investigators scope to pursue their ideas is one of the best ways to advance medical science. It will shortly be announcing the reintroduction of five-year-programme grants to improve support for longer-term research and risk-taking."

It's to be hoped that Professor Borysiewicz has discussed this supportive utterance with the UK Secretary of State for Health or at least the appropriate minister because comments by Prime Minister Gordon Brown haven't necessarily led to Professor Borysiewicz' conclusion.