Science and research: proposals for long-term capital investment

Transcription

1 Wellcme Trust CONSULTATION RESPONSE Science and research: prpsals fr lng-term capital investment Respnse by the Wellcme Trust July 2014 Key pints We welcme the Gvernment s lng-term cmmitment t capital t 2021.Wrld-class infrastructure underpins ur excellence in science, and will help attract scientists, industry and funding t the UK. This investment must be supprted by a lng-term strategy fr science that includes apprpriate resurce and prvisins t supprt a highly skilled wrkfrce f researchers and technical staff. Wrld class infrastructure must be maintained as such, and needs peratinal funding as well as capital. There must be mix f supprt at the prject, institutinal, natinal and internatinal level t ensure that the UK s well fund labratries and large-scale facilities are sustainably perated, upgraded where necessary and have access t cutting-edge technlgies and equipment. We are pleased t see that big data has been identified as a pririty fr research infrastructure. Fr the UK t maintain its cmpetitive advantage in this area, we must cnsider the critical underlying platfrms and enablers that will drive it frward. The cnsultatin als identifies a number f ther imprtant prjects including enhanced synchrtrn capability, next generatin imaging, and supprt fr Science and Discvery Centres that play a key rle in stimulating infrmal science learning. Intrductin 1. The Wellcme Trust is a glbal charitable fundatin dedicated t achieving extrardinary imprvements in health. This year, we are planning t invest 750 millin in bimedical research and the medical humanities. The majrity f this will be spent in the UK as a direct result f bth the excellence f the research base and the Gvernment s cmmitment t science. Our breadth f supprt includes public engagement, educatin, and the applicatin f research t imprve health. 2. We are pleased t respnd t the Department fr Business, Innvatin and Skills (BIS) cnsultatin n capital investment. Wrld-class research requires state-f-theart facilities and cutting-edge equipment. Sustainable investment in capital is at the heart f scientific excellence, and will help ensure that the UK is the lcatin f chice fr internatinal scientists, industry and investrs. 3. In recent years, ecnmic pressures have led t a piecemeal apprach t capital, impacting n the UK s ability t make strategic decisins and supprt existing facilities. We welcme mves t address this with a cmmitment until Hwever, while we are pleased t see a visin fr investment in this area, the Huse f Lrds Science and Technlgy Select Cmmittee recently called fr a plan cvering 10 t 15 years in its Scientific Infrastructure reprt 1. Science is a lng game and Gvernment supprt must reflect this. 1 Huse f Lrds Science and Technlgy Select Cmmittee: Scientific Infrastructure (2013) Wellcme Trust respnse t the Department fr Business, Innvatin and Skills cnsultatin n lngterm capital investment fr science and research July 2014

2 Wellcme Trust CONSULTATION RESPONSE 4. Capital prjects must be carefully planned s they are delivered effectively and efficiently, and a clearly defined radmap is essential. This will als ensure cntinued partnerships and pprtunities t leverage funding frm universities, industry and medical research charities. Hwever, there must be a degree f flexibility and agility. Science is unpredictable and technlgy mves quickly we must be able t invest in future innvatins r technical advances as they arise, and take the decisin t stp prjects as they becme utdated. 5. Capital investment shuld be underpinned by an verarching, lng-term science strategy with strategic versight f the UK s capabilities and areas f strength. Critically, this shuld include the fllwing cmpnents: A resurce investment plan spanning at least 10 years. Investment in infrastructure, equipment and enabling technlgies can nly realise its full ptential with apprpriate peratinal funding. There is n pint building new facilities if they cannt be perated effectively. Prvisins t supprt educatin, training, develpment and retentin f a highly skilled, multidisciplinary wrkfrce. Any capital strategy is useless withut investment in researchers and technical staff. UK facilities must als be able t pay salaries that are internatinally cmpetitive and attract and retain the very best peple. Cnsultatin questins What balance shuld we strike between meeting capital requirements at the individual research prject and institutin level, relative t the need fr large-scale investments at the natinal and internatinal levels? 6. We welcme the cnsideratin that BIS is giving t ensuring an apprpriate mix f capital supprt at the prject level via Research Cuncils, the institutinal level via Funding Cuncils, and the natinal and internatinal level. Such diversity ensures that universities can act strategically and flexibly, and researchers can access the best technlgies and facilities. The Gvernment has an imprtant rle in deciding strategic areas f imprtance, identifying grand challenges fr research, and setting brad pririties fr funding. Hwever, it shuld be infrmed by expert advice, bth frm Research Cuncils and institutins including the Cuncil fr Science and Technlgy and the Learned Academies. Ultimately, funding decisins shuld be based n excellence and nt pliticised. 7. If the UK is t maintain its standing as an internatinal leader in science, nging underpinning supprt fr research is essential. We must ensure that ur well fund labratries can perate effectively and sustainably, are upgraded and refurbished where necessary, and can access cutting-edge equipment as it becmes available. 8. In the late 90s, ur universities were suffering frm a histric underinvestment in infrastructure. Recgnising this, the Trust partnered with the Gvernment t prvide funding fr new buildings under the Jint Infrastructure Fund and the Science Research Investment Fund. This revitalised the sectr, and researchers can nw draw n a range f excellent buildings and equipment. Hwever, we have seen hw rapidly things can deterirate, and rbust plans are needed t mitigate against this. 9. While the cnsultatin cnsiders the split between capital at the prject and institutinal levels versus the natinal and internatinal levels, it als rightly cnsiders hw cllabratin can be incentivised. Universities are increasingly lking t ptimise their resurces by sharing equipment between research grups. There are nw a number f examples f research-intensive universities wrking tgether mre effectively: the N8 partnership, the M5 grup, the GW4 grup, and the SES-5 Wellcme Trust respnse t the Department fr Business, Innvatin and Skills cnsultatin n lngterm capital investment fr science and research July 2014

3 Wellcme Trust CONSULTATION RESPONSE cnsrtium. We have als been pleased t hear f the develpment f asset registers t catalgue equipment and facilitate wider access. This cllabrative apprach t capital enables efficiency and csts savings, increases crss-sectr partnerships, and allws resurces t be pled t buy large pieces f equipment, but it must be supprted by an apprpriate gvernance and management framewrk. The Higher Educatin Funding Cuncil fr England shuld als cnsider hw it can incentivise cllabrative wrking thrugh the Research Excellence Framewrk. 10. The UK Research Partnership Investment Fund has been particularly successful in stimulating cllabrative investment in higher educatin research facilities. Public funding f 300 millin has already leveraged ver 800 millin f private investment. The Trust has been pleased t be part f this initiative, supprting successful bids frm the University f Dundee and Queen s University, Belfast. Hwever, funders must be engaged at an early stage t maximise pprtunities fr partnership. 11. Tday s grand challenges in health will nly be slved with multidisciplinary wrking, and we must ensure that effective netwrks, platfrms and facilities are in place t bring peple frm diverse sectrs tgether. One example is the Medical Engineering Initiative a 41 millin cllabratin between the Wellcme Trust and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Cuncil. The prgramme has funded fur new Centres f Excellence in Medical Engineering since 2009, prviding an envirnment fr mathematics, physical science, engineering and medical research t cme tgether. As f 2012, 121 millin f additinal funding has been leveraged and 29 patents have been filed. 12. Existing capital capability shuld be maximised wherever pssible. This includes ensuring that existing campuses have apprpriate supprting infrastructure. Recently, we have als been pleased t supprt the creatin f the Farr Institute f Health Infrmatics Research. This was funded by a cnsrtium led by the Medical Research Cuncil (MRC) and established t supprt existing centres f excellence in e-health infrmatics acrss the UK. The institute brings 24 institutins and tw MRC units tgether, and will build ur capability t enable linkage and analysis f annymised health and health-related datasets. 13. UK researchers must als have access t wrld-class natinal and internatinal large facilities, and we welcme the Gvernment s cmmitment t develp a radmap t ensure strategic investment and priritisatin. Hwever, wrld-class facilities must be supprted at a wrld-class level. On ccasin, we have been cncerned that lngerterm peratinal csts have nt been fully cnsidered when capital decisins have been made fr large prjects. The Trust has stressed the imprtance f ensuring peratinal funding thrughut ur invlvement with the Diamnd Light Surce ne f ur key infrastructure investments and perated as a jint venture with the Science and Technlgy Facilities Cuncil. When Diamnd s new Dual Imaging and Diffractin beamline (DIAD) was given funding in the 2012 Autumn Statement, the full capital csts were nt cvered and n prvisins were made fr recurrent csts. 14. A majr challenge fr large cmplex prjects is the need fr flexibility in spending plans ver several years. Facilities must be able t carry ver capital funding frm ne year t the next as required, and respnd t external events and unexpected budgetary circumstances. The lss f year-end flexibility is a particular challenge when trying t develp and maintain a wrld-leading, state-f-the-art facility. It is difficult t push the bundaries f technlgy, and access the mst cutting edge equipment, if decisins have t be made n the basis f any single year withut the flexibility t carry ver underspend r amend spend prfiles r budget phasing. Nn- Gvernment funding partners can help mitigate against this. Wellcme Trust respnse t the Department fr Business, Innvatin and Skills cnsultatin n lngterm capital investment fr science and research July 2014

4 Wellcme Trust CONSULTATION RESPONSE What shuld be the UK's pririties fr large scale capital investments in the natinal interest, including where apprpriate cllabrating in internatinal prjects? Big Data in the Exabyte Age 15. We are pleased t see that big data has been identified as a pririty in the capital cnsultatin. It is becming increasingly imprtant t plan fr the infrastructure and technlgy needed t supprt the strage and analysis f very large quantities f data. This issue cuts acrss almst all research disciplines and requires us t think abut capital in a new way instead f fcussing n bricks, mrtar and equipment, we must instead cnsider hardware, sftware, data curatin and efficient netwrks. A highly skilled wrkfrce will be essential t underpin this, bringing tgether biinfrmaticians, mathematicians and cmputer scientists. A high degree f crdinatin in funding, jint initiatives and plicy frmulatin will be essential t ensure the UK maintains its cmpetitive advantage. 16. We have highlighted sme prjects that we feel are particularly critical belw. These underlying platfrms and enablers will underpin a wide-range f research, but must be carefully planned s they are used effectively. It is als imprtant t nte that nging peratinal supprt is essential in this area. Natinal e-infrastructure. The vlume f research data is dubling every three years, putting increasing pressure n the infrastructure available fr strage and analysis. It is crucial t ensure rbust platfrms fr data strage and netwrking, with a fcus n interperability and standardisatin. Bridging the Gentype t Phentype Gap. It is incredibly imprtant t understand hw mlecules in the bdy are influenced by genetics and lifestyle, including diet, envirnment and stress levels. This can affect a persn s disease susceptibility and respnse t therapeutics, and plays an imprtant rle in the stratificatin f treatments. Phenme analysis will als have applicatins in a wide range f areas including agriculture and micrbilgy. Frm Big Data t Medical Insight and Impact. Bimedicine nw generates an increasingly cmplex array f data. The UK is well placed t build n the uniqueness f the NHS, with its cradle-t-grave recrds f the entire ppulatin, t maximise the ptential health impact f big data analytics. The Farr Institute and the Clinical Practice Research Datalink are essential fundatins, but further investment will be needed t facilitate the brad uses f bimedical data, and t develp and disseminate analytical methds and sftware. High-thrughput Medical Research. This is a hugely exciting and grwing area, and further cmmitment will enable the full ptential f previus investment in chrts, tissue and mdel rganism cllectins t be realised. Integrating these resurces with a sustainable data infrastructure and rbust netwrks will help ensure inward investment int the UK. Lngitudinal Studies. Lngitudinal studies are a significant cmpnent f the Trust s prtfli f research in ppulatins and public health. Since 1996, we have cntributed apprximately 90 millin in funding t 16 majr natinal and internatinal studies. We must ensure that there is a jined-up and sustainable apprach t chrts in the UK and glbally, linking them wherever pssible t enable pling f datasets. Chrts must als adapt t emerging technlgies ver time t maintain their scientific value. Wellcme Trust respnse t the Department fr Business, Innvatin and Skills cnsultatin n lngterm capital investment fr science and research July 2014

5 Wellcme Trust CONSULTATION RESPONSE Understanding Hw Materials Behave Synchrtrn capability. The Diamnd Light Surce is the UK s natinal synchrtrn and requires cntinued investment t maintain its current capability thrugh planned replacements and efficiency imprvements, and upgrades t add new capabilities. This will ensure that it can ffer its users wrld-class instruments and expertise that are in keeping with glbal advances in synchrtrn technlgy. Pririties include beamline upgrades r replacements; enhancements t the surce and strage ring; cmpletin f phase III beamlines; implementatin f enabling technlgies including autmatin and data cllectin, curatin and analysis; and installatin f a helium recvery system. UK Free Electrn Laser. The Trust is supprtive f this indicative prject and its ptential applicatins in structural bilgy. We have recently annunced funding twards the Eurpean X-ray Free Electrn Lasers (XFEL) prject in Germany and the establishment f a UK hub t train scientists wh wish t use serial femtsecnd crystallgraphy at the facility. Public Engagement Capabilities in next generatin imaging technlgies. The UK has traditinally been strng in the develpment f new imaging technlgies, and there is a need fr cntinued investment in rder t maintain this. Imaging fr biphysics and neurscience is a key pririty, and cntinued investment in high-end imaging facilities and equipment, particularly nuclear magnetic resnance and magnetic resnance imaging, is crucial. 17. Public engagement is a key pririty fr the Trust and we supprt activities that enable peple f all ages and frm all walks f life t enjy, understand, challenge and shape bimedical science. This includes grant-funded public engagement prgrammes; exhibitins and events at Wellcme Cllectin; film, televisin and games; and a grwing scial media and digital presence. 18. In 2012, the Trust published a Review f Infrmal Learning 2 which examined the infrmal science learning sectr in the UK and its value t science educatin. We believe that infrmal learning stimulates interest in science, as well as an appreciatin f its scial, cultural and histrical cntext. Infrmal learning experiences can als imprve attainment levels and build learners knwledge and skills. We are therefre supprtive f the indicative public engagement prjects utlined in the cnsultatin dcument: Inspiring Science Capital Investment Fund. We are very supprtive f a capital fund that wuld enhance UK-wide hands-n science prgrammes. Science and Discvery Centres have an imprtant rle t play in educating, stimulating and inspiring peple. After significant investment at the Millennium, the Trust has cntinued t fund the creatin r renewal f exhibitin and engagement spaces within museums and Science Centres. Hwever Gvernment funding has nt been maintained. A number f centres nw need refreshing and additinal investment is essential. The Trust has significant experience in this area and wuld be interested in explring the ptential fr wrking in a jined up way. 2 GHK Cnsulting: Review f Infrmal Science Learning (2012) and Stanfrd and Oregn State Universities: Analysing the UK Science Educatin Cmmunity: The cntributin f infrmal prviders (2012) Wellcme Trust respnse t the Department fr Business, Innvatin and Skills cnsultatin n lngterm capital investment fr science and research July 2014

6 Wellcme Trust CONSULTATION RESPONSE Cnnecting Research and Cmmunities. This is an interesting grassrts initiative which sees researchers cllabrating with lcal cmmunities, and culd be a particularly gd way f engaging disadvantaged grups wh typically have less access t infrmal science experiences. 19. We wuld be happy t discuss any f the pints made in this respnse in mre detail if it wuld be helpful. The Wellcme Trust is a glbal charitable fundatin dedicated t achieving extrardinary imprvements in human and animal health. We supprt the brightest minds in bimedical research and the medical humanities. Our breadth f supprt includes public engagement, educatin and the applicatin f research t imprve health. We are independent f bth plitical and cmmercial interests. Wellcme Trust respnse t the Department fr Business, Innvatin and Skills cnsultatin n lngterm capital investment fr science and research July 2014