Research Strategy, 2005 - 2010
Implementation phase
A sound implementation plan will be developed and articulated to the organisation. It is foreseen that full implementation of the MRC Research Strategy 2005-2010 will be completed over a period of some years. As part of the implementation process, focal areas should be driven by the MRC Vice President: Research and his team, which will articulate a visionary perspective for research within each focal area.
The MRC Vice President: Research should conduct frequent and regular strategic meetings to ensure an ongoing coherence in MRC research strategy as well as constitute grants committees for each focal area. To reflect the need for an integrated research strategy, there should be overlap between such committees, but the Population Health awards committee should be drawn predominantly from social scientists and population health scientists; the Disease and Disease Mechanisms awards committee should be drawn predominantly from biomedical scientists as well as research clinicians; whilst the Health Systems, Settings and Policy grants committee should reflect a balance of individuals drawn from the other two committees (including a few policy makers). It may be useful to include a lay member of the community on each committee.
Another utility of the new configuration is that it will offer research entity leaders the option of defining their own preferred focal area within the vision and objectives of which their own research activities will be assessed and monitored. The MRC will also pay specific attention to support its research strategy. |
