Careers in Medical Research MRC Council – Newcastle 10th July 2014 Dr Anne-Marie Coriat Director Capacity Skills and Infrastructure

Training and Careers Supported through multiple routes Personal fellowships Intramural & MRC University Centres Block PhD Training Partnerships (DTPs) to universities Training & development with industry Concordat for research

MRC Fellowships Non-Clinical, Clinical and Strategic Skills fellowships Updated (added by Julia Dickinson)

2014 priorities – Supporting key stages Medical Careers review : Why? delivering clarity on career pathways develop better signposting, complemented by case studies Assess success/ gather feedback: Review of fellows’, students’ and grant holders’ next destinations & challenges faced in pursuing a research career – headline messages in July Right stage: Use outcomes to inform how we support flexible careers and identify areas where more targeted support is needed e.g. key transitions Route finder Will provide clarity on career options Range of career options which are equally valued and recognised (non –heirarchical). Complemented with case studies, skills and experience and signposting to further information Working with AMS, RS, RC’s Wellcome trust, Industry partners (AZ & Pfizer) Next destinations Discussions with stakeholders and anecdotal evidence suggests transitions are particularly difficult Carrying out a survey to provide evidence, assess the impact of funding and better understand the blockers Identify barriers and ways in which they can be reduced Right stage Review / align existing funding mechanisms against each career stage and type to ensure right support at right time Support flexible careers, provide support for transitions within career paths, e.g. PhD to post-doc and between career paths, e.g. academic to industry

2014 priorities – Supporting key skills Skills review: Why now?: Skills to complement recent capital initiatives Need to refresh – last reviewed in 2011 Approach: Evaluation of past investment, with particular focus on informatics/data analytics Open call for evidence for “vulnerable skills” (current and emerging) Working with partners (other Research Councils, BIS, ABPI) Aiming to review skills priorities: Number of large capital investments made recently in e-health, informatics and clinical infrastructure Need to ensure that these investments are sustainable and that we have the people capacity to complement the capital We haven’t reviewed our skills priorities for a number of years These things combined means to we need to check that we are investing in the right skills for UK science needs   Refining review with partners (BIS, ABPI, other RCs). Considering: evaluation against past priorities (particularly in vivo, biomedical imaging and informatics/data analytics) – including mapping of our skills investments nationally open call for evidence in areas of current shortage and vulnerability in future – will be asking for input Will use resulting evidence to consider what MRC’s role should be.

Themes: Ensuring equalities and diversity is embedded in all we do reducing barriers , facilitating transitions & partnerships ensuring MRC investments in strategic skills are aligned to emerging needs partnership and multi-disciplinarity

MRC Research career highlights: Dr Mark Humphries: Systems Neurophysiology , Manchester Dr Amy Reeve: Centre for Brain Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle MRC Webpages