MRC is failing to turn basic research into commercial success, report  says

doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7555.1412-c

BMJ 2006;332:1412 (17 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7555.1412-c

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MRC is failing to turn basic research into commercial success, report says

London Michael Day

The performance of the Medical Research Council (MRC) has been transformed in the past few years, but serious failings remain, a parliamentary investigation into the United Kingdom’s research councils has found.

Mounting concern over the management of the council culminated in a scathing attack on its finances and strategic planning by the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee in March 2003 (BMJ 2003;326:732).

Phil Willis, the committee’s current chairman, said much progress had since been made. “It now has a clarity of vision and focus. That wasn’t the case three or four years ago,” he said.

Nevertheless, the third part of his committee’s latest report says that none of the UK’s research councils is doing an adequate job of turning strong basic research into commercial success. It expresses concern over the research community’s perception that the research councils “are not interested in the requirements of . . . [Full text of this article]

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