Transcript Document

EXPLORING THE BREADTH OF
P U B L I C H E A LT H R E S E A R C H
FPH ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2012, CARDIFF
THE PHIRE PROJECT
European project
60% co-funding by DG SANCO
(European Commission Directorate
General for Health and Consumers )
Coordinated by EUPHA
30 months ( 2010-2013), 2 phases
BACKGROUND
 Health research and innovation are well funded by the EU and in some
Member States (MS) - mostly biomedical and genomics; spending for
innovation tends to favour industrial partners.
 Insufficient public health and health systems research funding in the EU:
The EU Seventh Framework Programme (2007-2011) has spent less than 5% of all
‘health’ research on public health and health systems research in Europe
Lack of collaboration and coordination – MS do not know what is happening in
research in other countries (inconsistency and duplication)
Lack of transparent and consistent dialogue between the MS and the EU – to shape
European agenda (funding programmes)
 The DG SANCO Public Health Programme (2003-2013) has funded more than 300
projects across a range of fields within its small budget!
GENERAL AIM
 To communicate PH research value & impact
 To enhance two-way communication between the MS and
the EU in PH research (agenda & funding)
 To increase communication (& translation) within MS between PH research, policy and practice
 To promote communication among PH researchers –
nationally & on EU level
PHIRE OBJECTIVES
 To promote PH research on national and EU level
 To map public health research in the UK & place it in a
European context
 To raise awareness about the new European funding
opportunities & possibilities for innovation
 To increase the engagement of the Health Departments &
the National Public Health Associations in PH research
 To consider effective translation of PH research into policy
and practice
 To create a database of the existing European PH research
projects
Phase I
Eight European
“tracer projects” &
Calls for PH research
in 2010
SPHERE
STEPS
PHIRE
(2005 - 2007)
Description of Europeanlevel activities for public
health and national
bibliometrics
(2009 - 2011)
(2010 - 2013)
Descriptions of public
health research
systems for all EU
countries
Map, inform, support and
strengthen public health
research nationally
and in the EU
Phase II
UK PH
Stakeholders Meeting
National report
Final report
UK PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH
UK PHIRE STAKEHOLDER MEETING CONCLUSIONS
 The system for PH research in the UK is a complex multilevel structure
with numerous funding agencies, research providers and collaborations
 Commissioning is methodological and topic-based, as well as
programme based.
 There is generally good communication and coordination among the
four countries and the major PH funders. They consider their strategies
to follow commonly identified visions and priorities.
 A funder/researcher split exists, characterised by lack of dialogue and
feedback and overcomplicated access to funding sources.
 There is insufficient horizontal researcher/researcher communication
and collaboration.
UK PHIRE STAKEHOLDER MEETING CONCLUSIONS
 Despite some government efforts and structural reorganization, there is
unsatisfactory translation and implementation of research findings into
policy and practice.
 PH research has only a small funding share e.g for cross- and multidisciplinary social and organisational research.
 EU policies and agendas have little or no influence on UK and national
PH research, though common priorities are identified.
 There are a number of disincentives for collaboration between the UK
and the EU as well as incentives to improve it in the future.
 The new EU programmes present opportunity for incentivizing PH
funders and researchers for developing future European-level
partnerships.
UK PHIRE PHASE 2 RECOMMENDATIONS
 At national level DH should collaborate with the national PH associations
(FPH & SSM) to promote PH research and EU collaboration.
 A strong concerted action of PH professionals and researchers is needed to
defend the importance of PH research funding in the UK and locally, in
order to increase the total health research funding allocated to PH to a
minimum of 25%
 PH stakeholder dialogue must continue on a wider basis, leading to more
active and structured collaboration to address the major PH challenges
through applied PH research.
 PH funders should initiate and adopt a process of unification and
simplification of PH research commissioning, with common gateways,
making access to £££ and €€€ easier.
UK PHIRE PHASE 2 RECOMMENDATIONS
 A common PH research database and registers should be developed at UK
and EU level, preferably using European funding and collaborative expertise.
 EU evaluations of research quality and the peer review process should
recognize the significance and impact of PH research on populations and
health systems as well as their added value to society and growth.
 Patients and the public should be encouraged to participate in decisionmaking on PH research priorities.
 EU-funded projects and their impact should be better communicated at a
national level.
 The new EU programmes (Horizon 2020, Health for Growth and the
Structural Funds) should be used as an incentive to improve UK/EU
partnership and to boost PH research.
THANK YOU!
QUESTIONS?