Aim 5: Facilitating research

scientist working closely with equipment to illustrate aim 5

To promote the best conditions for research and the use of knowledge

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Progress 2007/2008

During the third year of the Plan we:

announced a series of Capital Awards to nine universities throughout the UK, providing a total of nearly £30 million to support the development of world-class biomedical research infrastructure
supported research at Wellcome Trust Centres in the UK and Major Overseas Programmes, renewing our core funding for the Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Programme for Research in Tropical Medicine and the Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology at the University of Glasgow
funded key research collections and databases, including through two Strategic Awards to the European Bioinformatics Institute for a trace archive and chemogenomics data resource
developed existing major partnership initiatives to develop research resources and grasped new opportunities to enhance their scientific potential, including:
* funding the Membrane Protein Laboratory at the Diamond synchrotron and Imperial College London
* granting a Strategic Award to the Structural Genomics Consortium to develop a resource providing chemical probes for epigenetic targets
continued to support the Wellcome Library, enhancing access to its collections
took forward policy and advocacy on key issues impacting the research environment; highlights included:
* delivering a range of advocacy and engagement activities around research issues debated in the development of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act
* taking forward discussions with policy makers and general practitioners around the use of electronic patient data in research
* engaging actively in policy discussions on the use of animals in research.

Future plans

During 2008/2009, we intend to:

continue to support and develop major research resources in partnership with other funders, with consideration of scientific enhancement of the UK Biobank a key priority for the year ahead
take forward the development of the Sainsbury-Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour as a new cutting-edge neuroscience research facility, in partnership with the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and University College London
initiate a programme of work to develop the Wellcome Library as a major international resource for history of medicine research and enhance its services for teaching and exploration
continue to promote activities to maximise access to the outcomes of funded research, exploring the scope to develop a European PubMed Central resource and examining how we can work with others to ensure key research data are sustained for the long term
develop the Wellcome Trust Conference Centre at Hinxton as a leading international venue for scientific meetings and conferences
progress advocacy work around key policy issues at the UK and European levels, with priorities including the future of the dual support system and the EU Directive on the use of animals in research
partner with others to support research and advocacy activities on key global health challenges:
* work with the World Health Organization and other partners on policy aspects of pandemic influenza preparedness
* work with organisations to develop the evidence base around the health impacts of climate change in advance of the Copenhagen Climate Conference in December 2009
* take forward work with the Gates Foundation on global nutrition and health in the context of best practice within the food industry.

Indicators of progress

The Wellcome Library attracted over 33 000 user visits over the year ending September 2008.
The Wellcome Trust provides long-term support for world-class research centres, for example:
* the Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Programme for Research in Tropical Medicine [PDF 116KB] - our Major Overseas Programme in Malawi has helped to develop research capacity in one of the world's poorest countries
* the Wellcome Unit for the History of Medicine [PDF 104KB] - this Trust-funded Unit at the University of Manchester undertakes research and training in medical history and has developed a range of outreach activities.
Our funding has helped to develop key research resources, such as the DECIPHER database at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute [PDF 64KB], which enables researchers and clinicians to share information relating to developmental diseases.
We have taken forward advocacy activities in partnership with others to influence key policy developments impacting research, including:
* the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act [PDF 84KB], where the Trust undertook a range of activities to ensure that this new legislation had appropriate provisions to enable stem cell and embryo research to proceed within a robust regulatory framework
* the EU Physical Agents (Electromagnetic Fields) Directive [PDF 68KB], where work undertaken by the Trust and other organisations to highlight the potential negative consequences of the Directive helped to secure a postponement of the Directive to allow the guidelines to be reassessed.