http://hdl.handle.net/10147/240751 Sat, 25 May 2013 03:26:31 GMT 2013-05-25T03:26:31Z http://hdl.handle.net/10147/241031 Title: Medical Research Council report for the year ended 31st December 1975 Authors: Medical Research Council of Ireland Description: Some years ago the Medical Research Council examined the trends in research projects it supported. A wide disparity between clinical and laboratory based projects was observed. The Council moved to redress the imbalance and achieved a significant increase in clinical research. Currently the two biomedical approaches are exactly on a par with one another, as assessed by the crude estimate of the number of grants apportioned to each. It is time again to re-examine the distribution of research support within the two areas and to evaluate the effective coverage in each. In clinical research the bulk of the support is channelled into internal medicine and its sub-disciplines. Nearly 40% of the grant budget is so expended; most of the awards go to support cardiovascular, gastroenterologica1, haematological and metabolic studies. The small balance of clinical support remaining is apportioned about equally between surgical and paediatric investigations. Notable gaps are evident. In neuropsychiatry, obstetrics, gynaecology, neurology, neurosurgery, clinical oncology and medical genetics the Council's support is rarely requested. All represent spheres of intense biomedical activity with problems germane to public health and susceptible to solution by appropriately subsidised research. Such subsidy, if required, should correctly be derived from an expansion of the budget. Wed, 31 Dec 1975 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10147/241031 1975-12-31T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10147/241011 Title: Medical Research Council of Ireland annual report for the year ended 31st December 1974 Authors: Medical Research Council of Ireland Description: The considerable support of medical scientists has required the Council to take an interest in their training. In lieu of formal training programmes such as exist in other countries, a quasi-apprentice arrangement has prevailed. Many grants include provision for a graduate assistant who obtains a variable measure of training under supervision of the grant holder. Other young scientists may obtain fellowships at a stage of their career when training is incomplete; informal association with colleagues in their institution replaces supervised training to some extent. Neither suffices as substitute for an essential training program necessary for the proper training of man-power required for effective biomedical research. Both suffer the defect of premature diversion of trainees into whole time research which tends to narrow activity and stultify future adaptability to changes in research. There is a real danger of the young scientist being locked into the machinery of a powerful and limiting research effort. The decision to continue support of scientists in training under research grants requires that the budget should include a training grant in order to assure a sustained level of training and also evidence that an adequate training program is available in the department. Otherwise the cost of the training is at the expense of the on-going research and results in no net saving of grant funds. The Council has been re-evaluating the merits of training grants in the light of such factors, and considering the proportion of assistant grants which properly belong in that category. Tue, 31 Dec 1974 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10147/241011 1974-12-31T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10147/240992 Title: Medical Research Council of Ireland annual report for the year ended 31st December 1978 Authors: Medical Research Council of Ireland Description: The Medical Research Council. is primarily concerned with the excellence and veracity of investigative programmes. The role of medical research is one which is frequently raised by the lay person. It is a commonly stated opinion that medical research is really a function of developed and rich societies in which poorer societies, like our own, should not become involved. Reference, in fact, to our deficiency of research experience was made in the foreword to the last annual report of the Council, with particular reference to the failure of Irish scientists to contribute to our fullest capability and capacity to the solution of European orientated research projects. It is very important to remember that medical research has many roles in addition to the important role of solving specific medical problems. It enables us to foster in our community an enthusiasm for clinical and basic investigation, and also to foster a more critical and analytical approach to current clinical practising procedures. There is no doubt but that the practice of medicine in those areas in which there is an active research orientation has a level of excellence which is an example to the community and an ideal to which young graduates aspire. Promotion of medical research enables us to be associated with scientific investigations going on in other countries and thus very importantly enables us to apply the results of such investigations to our community as soon as such knowledge becomes available. Indeed the needs of the community for medical research are perhaps not adequately appreciated. As mentioned in the foreword of last year's report, the Council hopes to establish special research unit projects which will be particularly related to our local needs, and the selection of criteria for the choice of such research priorities occupied a considerable percentage of the Council's time during the year. The future aspirations of the Medical Research Council involve therefore not only the continued support of research projects as in previous years, but also the promotion of research into areas which the Council consider would be of particular value to the Irish community either in terms of primary health care or of the particular facilities and expertise available. Sun, 31 Dec 1978 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10147/240992 1978-12-31T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10147/240991 Title: Medical Research Council of Ireland annual report for the year ended 31st December 1977 Authors: Medical Research Council of Ireland Description: The Council is fully aware of a considerable medical research potential in our community and of the frustrations aroused by its ineffective expression. As a granting agency it is limited by its slender appropriation in several ways. Most significantly it cannot fruitfully anticipate emerging trends worthy of development or concentrate on objectives with special relevance to the disease patterns in our community (both activities are reliable means for profitable utilisation of available research talent). At best the Council must depend on investigator-initiated projects to achieve its objectives by allowing some measure of priority to such projects. In the context of our terms of reference this is highly unsatisfactory, because it requires displacement of support rather than the appropriate development and expansion needed to meet the contingencies of new research. In several fields of research, including Cancer Research and Cardiovascular Research, voluntary organisations have to some extent ameliorated the difficulty. They too are faced with the identical problems. With these considerations uppermost the Council has sought means by which it could redress the balance and assure more effective contribution from the research potential. In this regard the role of the Medical Research Council was broadly discussed in June by the Council's officers with officials of the Department of Health. An important topic concerned the programme presented to the Minister by the Council in 1974, which referred to establishment of an Institute, setting up of research units and to more comprehensively designed research projects. These might be of national interest and relate to problems which require more than three years of study. While these proposals have been under consideration since 1974 the Council has continued to discharge its responsibilities as best it can under financial stress and within obsolescent guidelines. Pressures on its policies have evolved mainly from mounting demands on its resources by investigator-initiated research projects. Currently the Council cannot financially satisfy all requests submitted to it by many acceptable applicants whom it considers worthy of support. Some, which had been highly recommended by the special Committees, have had to be rejected. This situation is likely to introduce an unhealthy spirit of competition for its finances between scientists (and their institutions), which must be detrimental to research, especially that initiated by competent young investigators. So far the Council has managed to avoid this by a peer review system whereby the special Committees conduct interviews with all new applicants. The solution is obvious, to increase the grant as indicated by the Council to the Minister. This necessary expenditure would comprise a miniscule of our GNP and still leave the support of Medical Research in Ireland the lowest among the nations of the European Community, including those of comparable population. It should be recalled that the Council's grant at present represents 1 part in I ,400 of the GNP (0.07 %). Sat, 31 Dec 1977 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10147/240991 1977-12-31T00:00:00Z