The UK Centre for
Medical Research and Innovation (UKCMRI) has received a further
boost following Government approval of the Medical Research
Council’s business case for the institute.
UKCMRI will be one of the most significant developments in UK
biomedical science for a generation. The institute will foster
collaboration with other centres of excellence and bring this
country’s best physical, biomedical and clinical scientists
together. This will help ensure that advances in biomedical
sciences are translated swiftly and effectively into benefits for
patients and the economy.
The Government has also ‘earmarked’ funding to improve facilities
for storing and accessing the rapidly increasing amount of
bio-molecular research data that is expected to be used in the
development of future treatments. By earmarking these funds, the
Government considers the project is ready to progress to detailed appraisal.
The European Life-Science Infrastructure for Biological
Information (ELIXIR) project would significantly increase the
quality and quantity of information readily available to
researchers in genomics and systems biology and ensure it is
catalogued and stored in a standardised format, building on the
UK’s leading international standing. This is subject to approval
of the business case and funding.
Today the Prime Minister is meeting the Council for Science and
Technology (CST) at Downing Street. The CST is the UK Prime
Minister’s top-level advisory body on science and technology
policy issues.
Prime Minister David Cameron said:
“The UK’s science and research sector is world class and one that
we can be very proud of.
“A strong research base is absolutely crucial to help secure long
term economic growth, helping to rebalance the economy and
creating the jobs of the future, which is why despite some tough
spending decisions we have protected its funding.
“We have some of the best scientists, excellent facilities and
cutting edge technology, and it is our determination that we do
all that we can to ensure the UK remains one of the world leaders
in this field for many years to come.”
Business Secretary Vince Cable said:
“The UK life sciences industry is an important growth sector,
employing over 130,000 people and generating a turnover of over
£30 billion last year.
“We need to do everything we can to encourage both companies and
researchers to come and work in the UK on a range of important
projects aimed at improving our quality of life, which will in
turn boost economic growth.”
Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts said:
“Here in UK we have some of the world’s top biomedical
scientists, but to make the most of this we need to ensure we have
the very best facilities.
“I am delighted that we are one step closer to the development of
UKCMRI. This exciting new institute will bring the best scientific
talent together to understand the biology underlying human health
and find ways to prevent and treat the most significant diseases
affecting people today.”
Planning permission for UKCMRI was granted by the London Borough
of Camden in December, and it has received approval from the Mayor
of London. Construction of UKCMRI is expected to start in May once
all processes associated with planning permission are completed.
Notes for editors
UKCMRI
Building on research excellence UKCMRI will
initially build on the complementary skills and research interests
of two of the founders' research institutes, the MRC
National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) and the Cancer
Research UK London Research Institute (LRI), together with UCL
scientists focusing on physics, computing, engineering, imaging
and chemistry.
Government funding It was announced in the
October 2010 Comprehensive Spending Review that £220 million of
capital funding from the Department of Health had been allocated
for UKCMRI, subject to approval of the Medical Research Council’s
final business case. It is this approval which has now been granted.
Key facts:
1500 staff, including 1250 scientistsAnnual budget of over
£100mInitial investment of £600m3.6 acres of land79,000 square
metres of building
Timeline:
December 2010 – planning permission granted by London Borough of
CamdenMay 2011 – Construction expected to start2015 – Construction
ends2015 – Science begins
ELIXIR
ELIXIR is a project of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences
Research Council and is one of the top priority projects which the
Research Councils has recommended for funding under the Large
Facilities Capital Fund (part of the BIS science and research
funding). Ministers have accepted the recommendation and earmarked
funding for ELIXIR. This is subject to Ministerial approval of a
full business case and to the availability of funding. The
facility would be at the European Bioinformatics Institute at the
Wellcome Trust Genome Campus in Hinxton, Cambridge. A team of
highly-skilled staff would be responsible for cataloguing and
filing the data and providing user support, and it is predicted
that the project would create around 100 high tech jobs.
The CST is the UK Prime Minister’s top-level advisory body on
science and technology policy issues. The Government’s Chief
Scientific Advisor Sir John Beddington who co-chairs the Council
with Professor Dame Janet Finch, the Director of the Wellcome
Trust Sir Mark Walport, Venture Capitalist Dr Hermann Hauser and
the Presidents of the Royal Society (Sir Paul Nurse), the Academy
of Medical Sciences (Sir John Bell) and the British Academy
(Professor Sir Adam Roberts) are all part of the Council and will
be present at the meeting. The theme will be science and research
as drivers of economic growth and social benefit.
CST’s remit is to advise the Prime Minister on strategic issues
that cut across the responsibilities of individual government
departments. CST organises its work around five broad themes
(research, science and society, education, science and government,
and technology innovation) and takes a medium to long term
approach.
The nine independent (current) members are senior, highly
respected people active in the worlds of academia and business and
from charitable sponsors and professional bodies. They include
Professor Dame Janet Finch CBE - Professor of Sociology
Manchester University and ex-Vice-Chancellor of Keele University
Dr Hermann Hauser Hon CBE, FREng - Venture Capitalist and
co-Founder of Amadeus Capital Partners
Professor Alan Hughes - Director of the Centre for Business
Research at Cambridge University
Professor Michael Sterling FREng - Chairman of the Science and
Technology Facilities Council and ex-Vice-Chancellor of Birmingham
University
Sir Mark Walport FMedSci - Director of the Wellcome Trust
President of the Royal Society - Sir Paul Nurse
President of the Royal Academy of Engineering - Lord Browne
President of the Academy of Medical Sciences - Sir John Bell
President of the British Academy - Sir Adam Roberts
5. Further background on the Council and its work can be found at
http://www.bis.gov.uk/cst.
Contacts:
BIS Press Office
NDS.BIS@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Sally Catmull
Phone: 020 7215 6577
sally.catmull@bis.gsi.gov.uk