The Department is not the only funder of health and social care research in the UK. Whilst it is the largest single contributor in the public sector, the funding councils, research councils, research charities, and industry all play significant roles. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) provides research infrastructure funding for the science base in Universities via the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), and funding for basic research allocated via the Research Councils. The Health Departments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also support health and social care R&D.
Research Councils provide project or programme funding to higher education institutions, fund research in their own research facilities, and provide access to large facilities for UK researchers.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is responsible for the development, funding and performance management of the science and research base across the UK. The other Health Departments in the UK also fund health and social care research.
The Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) was founded to further medical research in the United Kingdom, and develop the effectiveness of those charities for which medical research is a major activity. There are currently over 120 charities including the world's largest charity, the Wellcome Trust, within the Association of Medical Research Charities, covering a wide range of diseases. Their combined expenditure on medical research is over £1 billion per annum.
The Research Framework Programme is the European Union's main mechanism for funding research in Europe and offers substantial funding opportunities for the UK health research community.
