The Research Councils have welcomed today’s publication of the report and action plan of the Foresight Programme on the Detection and Identification of Infectious Diseases. The Research Councils are committed to considering its implications in the formulation of future strategies and policies.
The Research Councils have been represented on the high-level stakeholder group throughout the programme and together are one of the largest funders of basic research into infectious diseases in the UK.
Professor Julia Goodfellow, Chief Executive of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, represented all the Research Councils at Foresight meetings. She said: "The Research Councils have already funded many studies into infectious diseases, for example we have researchers who are looking at MRSA and ways to improve methods of fighting it. We are also funding scientists who are studying the new infectious animal diseases that may reach the UK with global warming. Researchers are also looking at whether differences in culture and religion affect the transmission of infections. We will be taking the recommendations of the action plan and report into account as the Research Councils consider a range of future policies. This may include looking at detection technology through the cross-council Basic Technology Programme and how the Councils can work together and with other funders in the area of infectious disease research."
Examples of Research Council funded research relevant to the detection and identification of infectious diseases include furthering our understanding of human pandemics, research to improve vaccination and treatment against TB and furthering our knowledge of disease transmission between plants.
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Contact
Matt Goode, Research Councils UK
Tel: 01793 413299
Notes to Editors
The Foresight Detection and Identification of Infectious Diseases project delivered its report at a meeting today (26 April 2006). More information about Foresight and the project are available here.
About Research Councils UK
Research Councils UK (RCUK) is the partnership between the UK's eight Research Councils. Through RCUK, the Research Councils work together to champion the research, training and innovation they support. The Research Councils are independent non-departmental public bodies, funded by the Science Budget through the Office of Science and Innovation.
Together the Research Councils invest around £3 billion a year in research and training in universities, facilities and Research Councils Institutes.
For more information please visit: http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/
The eight UK Research Councils are:
- Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC);
- Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC);
- Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils (CCLRC);
- Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC);
- Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC);
- Medical Research Council (MRC);
- Natural Environment Research Council (NERC);
- Particle Physics & Astronomy Research Council (PPARC).