Transcript The importance of global linkages

The Wellcome Trust
Imperial College London
July 2010
An Introduction
The Wellcome Trust
• an independent researchfunding charity.
• established 1936.
• funded from private
endowment.
• interests range from
science to history of
medicine to public
engagement.
• Grant spend 2008/09:
c£550m
Our Strategy
Strategic Plan 2010-20
• One vision
• Three focus areas
• Five challenges
Our new vision and mission
Our vision is to achieve
extraordinary improvements in
human and animal health
Our mission is to support the
brightest minds in biomedical
research and the medical
humanities
Our breadth of support includes
public engagement, education and
the application of research to
improve health
Three focus areas…
• Supporting outstanding
researchers
supporting the best researchers at all
stages of their careers; creating the best
research environments; influencing the
policy landscape
• Accelerating the application of
research
stimulating Technology Transfer, clinical
research and uptake to policy & practice
• Exploring medicine in historical
and cultural contexts
fostering medical humanities, education
& public engagement
Five major challenges…
• Maximising the health benefits
of genetics and genomics
• Understanding the brain
• Combating infectious diseases
• Investigating development,
ageing & chronic disease
• Connecting environment,
nutrition and health
How we work:
The best people
“….simply put, the best way to administer a
creative research environment is to find
people of great talent and reasonable
ambition – whatever their specific
disciplines – and leave them to their own
devices”
Joshua Lederberg, The Scientist, 1991
Grant Funding
• Investigator Awards
(from October 2010, replacing project,
programme and equipment grants)
• Fellowships:
• Clinical, Basic & ‘Tropical’
• Training, Intermediate & Senior
• Strategic Awards:
• Strategic Awards
• Themed Initiatives
• Translational Awards
• Medical Humanities & Public
Engagement
Investigator Awards
Investigator Awards:
Long-term support for world-class researchers
with the vision to innovate, take risks and
explore the most challenging questions in their
field of study.
Long term funding:
 greater impact
Well resourced:
 enable researchers to realise their vision.
Flexible spend:
 follow research where it leads: innovate and
take risks
People focus
 Interview stage; developing a community of
researchers
Investigator Awards
• New Investigator Awards:
To support world-class researchers who are
no more than five years from appointment
to their first established academic position
and are currently forging an international
reputation for excellence in their field
• Senior Investigator Awards:
To support world-class researchers in an
established academic position who are
working at the forefront of their field and
already possess an outstanding track
record.
What can you ask for on
Investigator Awards?
• £100k - £425k per year for up to 7
years
• direct costs of research
• not own salary costs
• no proportion of FECs ie: no change
to policy
Costs awarded to be finalised after the
decision is made and will depend on
scientific needs of proposed research
I
Issues
• Funding young researchers.
• The short-term funding treadmill.
• The time taken to undertake the
application review process.
• The burden of the Peer Review
system.
• The size of the Application Form.
• The influence of ‘grantsmanship’.
• The role of detailed experimental
design.
• Interaction between grant-holders and
their funders.
Features & Innovations
• Generous, flexible and long-term
support.
• Funding for the best young researchers.
• A more rapid decision-making process.
• Review conducted by experts who
understand the specific requirements of
the scheme.
• A shorter Application Form, with
administrative details / detailed costs only
sought at the award stage.
• Assessment by interview.
• Development of an Investigator Award
community.
Application Process
CV
details
check
Main
application
submission
Expert
Review
Group
Scientific
review &
short-listing
External
peer
review
Selection
Panel
Interviews
Application Form
Assessment Criteria
- Candidate track record
-Research vision, approach & importance.
- Total funding sought
- Letter Institutional commitment
- Candidate track record and standing
- Research question and approach.
- Suitability of research environment
- Relevance to Strategic Challenges
Investigator Awards - Timetable
30 July 2010:
Final closing date for full project and
programme grant applications.
1 October 2010:
Applications for Investigator Awards can
be submitted.
22 November 2010: Closing date for the first round of
Investigator Award applications.
March 2011:
Final Funding Round for project and
programme grant applications.
May 2011:
First Investigator Awards made.
Other Funding
Biomedical Fellowships
Strategic Awards
& Themed Initiatives
• Flexible support to fund ambitious
initiatives in biomedical sciences,
translational research, public engagement
and the medical humanities.
• Normally provide support for 5 years.
• Preliminary applications for Strategic
Awards may be submitted at any time and
are assessed on a rolling basis.
• Contact the Trust to discuss.
Other Funding
• International Funding
• Technology Transfer
• Medical Humanities
• Public Engagement
And finally, some useful
sources of further information
about the Trust….
• 2010 – 2020 Strategic Plan
• Annual Review 2009
• Wellcome Trust Website
• Wellcome News
• Grantholders eNewsletter
The End