Research Councils UK (RCUK), the strategic partnership of the eight Research Councils, has today published its response to Sir David Cooksey’s review of the Government’s proposals to create single health research fund.
The collective response of RCUK has been made alongside individual responses from the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
The main points of the RCUK response are:
- The Research Councils support the principle of closer strategic coordination and rationalisation of funding across public sector health research.
- The UK research system works well at present, One reason for this is that funding decisions and strategy development are devolved to the Research Councils, organisations at arms length from government. It is important that any new funding system builds on existing strengths supports close links across the Research Councils.
- The new funding should be part of the RCUK partnership to help maximise the benefits from a coordinated approach to research, training, innovation, and science in society activities. The new arrangements should continue the MRC’s embedded role within RCUK’s efficiency savings agenda.
The Research Councils UK response to the Cooksey Review of UK Health Research is available here 
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Contact
Research Councils UK Press Office
Matt Goode, Research Councils UK
Tel: 01793 413299
Notes to Editors
In the March 2006 Budget, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, announced a single, ring-fenced budget to support the health research funded by the Medical Research Council and the NHS R&D Programme. The fund is to be jointly-held by the Secretaries of State for Health and Trade and Industry and worth at least £1 billion per annum.
Sir David Cooksey was appointed by the Chancellor to lead a review to build agreement on the best institutional arrangements for the new single fund.
About Research Councils UK
The eight Research Councils are independent non-departmental public bodies, funded by the Science Budget through the Office of Science and Innovation. They are incorporated by Royal Charter and together manage a research budget of over £2.5 billion a year.
Research Councils UK (RCUK) is the partnership between the Research Councils. Through RCUK, the Research Councils work together to champion the research, training and innovation they support.
RCUK was created to increase the collective visibility, leadership and policy influence of the Research Councils; to stimulate multi-disciplinary research that encourages collaboration; to provide a single focus for collective dialogue with stakeholders and to encourage greater harmonisation of internal operations.
The partnership is led by the RCUK Executive Group, which meets monthly and comprises the chief executives of the eight Research Councils. The Group is currently chaired by Professor Ian Diamond, Chief Executive of the Economic and Social Research Council.
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).