The letter was sent to Lord Patrick Vallance, the science minister, and also shared with prime minister Keir Starmer Magnus Manske / CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons. wikimedia. org/wiki/File: Medical_Research_Council_Centre_Cambridge. jpg
Academics at Cambridge have appealed to both the University and government to save several research units that might shut down because of lost funding.
A total of 153 researchers from Cambridge were among 608 people who signed an open letter urging the government to preserve a number of research units funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC).
The MRC said it had made “focused investments” in these units as part of its goal “to support research and training with the aim of maintaining and improving human health”.
The letter points out that these units “have long and distinguished histories (some going back over 100 years), and have been responsible for many seminal developments in their respective fields.”
However, the MRC has ended the current funding structure that supported these units. Now, those previously backed by the MRC must compete for funding through a new system called “Centres of Research Excellence” (Co REs).
Cambridge hosts six MRC units doing leading work in areas like epidemiology, toxicology, and brain sciences. Most other MRC units are based at universities such as Oxford, Bristol, and Glasgow.
Among those from Cambridge signing the letter is Professor Martin Rees, former Royal Society president and current Astronomer Royal. Rees was also Master of Trinity College between 2004 and 2012. Two Nobel Prize winners also added their names.
The letter was directed to Lord Patrick Vallance and shared with prime minister Keir Starmer. Concerns about these labs’ futures sparked a debate in Parliament last October.
Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union (UCU), which supports the letter, said the decision by MRC to stop unit funding happened “behind closed doors”.
Several researchers at Cambridge have already voiced worries about what lies ahead for these University MRC units.
At an official University meeting last year, a researcher from the biostatistics unit highlighted how important their work was during Covid-19 when they supplied statistical models for Public Health England.
This researcher urged Cambridge to step up with extra funds: “There will be an historical stain on the University if Units with such a rich academic culture close because of institutional inertia.”
Professor Duncan Astle from another Cambridge unit warned that closing these units would affect people’s jobs and careers.
“These are places full of interdisciplinary creativity that have trained generations of world-class scientists,” Astle said. “They provide key research infrastructure essential to this wider University’s success.”
The open letter cautioned that shutting many MRC research units would “have a detrimental effect on the entire medical research sector in this country.”
“It would be a tragedy for medical research in the UK if the MRC units were lost,” stated over 600 researchers.
The University Council responded last year saying it “is not possible” for Cambridge itself to cover costs for running these units given how serious its financial situation is.
A report last year by Varsity revealed that Cambridge expects a £53 million deficit this academic year (2023/24) and is currently operating without clear financial direction.
A spokesperson from Cambridge told Varsity: “The MRC’s move away from Unit funding is a major change for our six Units here. The University has created a project board to help them transition towards Co RE funding or find other sources.”
“We’re working closely with Unit directors on strategy plus ways their activities might fit into existing departments,” they added.
MRC executive chair Professor Patrick Chinnery told Varsity: “After two reviews between 2019-2021, we changed our investment approach in long-term research within Units & Centres so we can better meet evolving health research needs and make public funds go further.”
“We know moving from Units to Co REs will be tough on staff,” he continued. “The MRC remains committed to working closely with Universities-the employers-to support staff during this transition onto new funding schemes including Co REs or programme grants or different employment options.”
If you want to share your thoughts on this story, send us a letter at letters@varsity. co. uk or usethis form.
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