The
Medical Research Council’s Work
The Medical
Research Council (MRC) is a government-funded national organisation
that is one of the UK’s leading biomedical research
funders. It promotes and supports research and postgraduate
training in all areas of biomedical science, with the aims
of maintaining and improving human health, and of contributing
to national wealth and quality of life.
The MRC is the
oldest of the seven UK Research Councils. It was founded
in 1913 to tackle tuberculosis, and since supported work
that led to some of the most significant discoveries and
achievements of 20th century biomedical research. Highlights
include discovering that influenza is a virus (1933), deciphering
the structure of DNA (1953) and proving the link between
smoking and cancer (1956). More recently, MRC scientists
have pioneered the production of monoclonal antibodies (1975),
identified the gene defect that causes Huntington’s
disease (1993) and, together with US scientists, described
the first complete genetic details of a multicellular organism,
the nematode worm (1998). During the 20th century, eighteen
Nobel laureates have worked for, been supported by, or had
associations with the MRC. 20th century medicine showed
that health is influenced by a complex interplay between
many contributing factors including; genetic inheritance
and development, infection, diet and lifestyle, physical
and chemical hazards, the cultural and socio-economic environment,
and public healthcare provision. Today the MRC supports
a broad research portfolio, ranging from basic biology to
practical medicine, that covers all of these areas. It gives
particularly high priority to translating data from genetic
information revolution into new medical advances, and to
improving public health through a better understanding of
factors that contribute both to good health, and to disease.
About half of
the MRC’s research budget supports MRC Institutes and
Units, where it employs its own staff. The remaining half
goes in the form of grant support and training awards to
individuals and teams in universities and medical schools.
A key aspect of MRC’s work is ensuring the supply of
suitably qualified researchers to maintain the momentum
of progress in biomedical science, public health and health
services research. MRC trains the next generation of scientists
and provides opportunities for established researchers,
through a comprehensive personal award career structure
that covers every stage of clinical and non-clinical research
careers. The MRC currently supports approximately 1,200
postgraduate students in universities, medical schools,
MRC research establishments, industry and other eligible
bodies, through its postgraduate studentship schemes.
MRC
Studentships
Masters Studentships
MRC Masters Studentships
provide graduates with a year of early research training
that may lead to further research at PhD level, or to research
work in academia or industry. The MRC tailors a proportion
of masters studentships to boost training in priority areas
not well served by existing undergraduate courses and where
there are good career opportunities that don’t require
a PhD. For example, courses in epidemiology, medical statistics,
and health services research are aimed at meeting a particular
need for public health research.
Research Studentships
The MRC awards
three-year Research Studentships to graduates with good
honours degrees to fund further training leading to a PhD.
PhD students undertake specific research projects under
the guidance of a named supervisor and receive training
in research methods and techniques, as well as wider employment-related
skills. MRC provides linked masters and PhD studentships
in some institutions offering four-year training programmes.
Each year studentships are awarded in selected areas, where
there is an urgent need to develop research capacity. Bioinformatics
training is a current priority, and MRC is offering increased
stipends to stimulate recruitment to the field.
Collaborative
Studentships
Collaborative
Studentships and Industrial Collaborative Studentships are
intended to enhance academic/industrial links in research
training provision. Students are jointly supervised by scientists
in MRC establishments or universities and from UK industrial
companies or public sector organisations such as the National
Health Service. Industrial companies are the primary applicants
for Industrial Collaborative Studentships. In either case,
students spend at least three months with the industrial
or public sector sponsor, and benefit from financial contributions
to the studentship made by the industrial company.
Predoctoral
Fellowships
The MRC introduced
Predoctoral Fellowships in 2000/01 to attract the most talented
young researchers and launch their careers in MRC Institutes
and Units. Unlike other PhD research studentships, the Fellows
will work as salaried employees. They will be paid around
£17k and tuition fees (plus location allowance if
based in London), depending on their age and experience.
The scheme will fund fifteen Fellowships a year for the
next three years, in addition to MRC establishments’
usual annual intake of a hundred or so PhD students. The
Fellowships are available through a single competition,
open to applicants of any nationality, who must be nominated
by an MRC Director.
How to apply
for funding
MRC studentships
are awarded to university departments, MRC establishments
and industrial partners, on the basis of quality criteria
for training provision. Students interested in research
training at Masters or PhD level should therefore contact
the relevant Department or course organiser directly to
discuss MRC studentship availability. MRC studentships pay
a maintenance stipend (plus special allowances and overseas
fieldwork expenses where applicable) directly to the student,
and university fees, Research Training Support Grant (RSTG)
and a conference allowance to the host institution. The
MRC recently increased its postgraduate student stipend
to a flat rate of £10,000 (£12,500 in London)
with effect from October 2001.
Key eligibility
criteria
Qualifications:
Candidates for Research Masters, Research and Collaborative
studentships must hold a good UK honours degree (first or
upper second ), or its foreign equivalent, in a relevant
subject. However MRC will also consider qualifications,
or a combination of qualifications and experience, which
show equivalent ability and attainment.
Residence/nationality:
Candidates are eligible for a ‘full’ studentship,
which includes the maintenance grant, if they:
a) have been
resident in the UK for at least three years before their
application for purposes other than receiving full-time
education, and
b) are not subject
to restrictions on the length of time they can stay under
UK immigration laws;
OR
c) are migrant
workers employed in the UK at the time of their application
provided they are nationals of European Union (EU) countries,
or European Economic Area (EAA) member states.
EU nationals who have lived in the EAA for at three years
before applying for a studentship but do not have ‘migrant
worker’ status in the UK, are eligible for a ‘fees
only’ studentship which has no maintenance grant.
Candidates from
the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man are not normally
eligible for MRC studentships and should apply to their
respective education authorities for support. Anyone seeking
advice on residence eligibility should contact the University
Registrar’s Office in the first instance. Where there
is doubt about an individual’s eligibility for an MRC
Studentship, the Registrar should contact the Studentships
Section at the MRC for a ruling.
Further details
about MRC Postgraduate Studentships and an MRC Studentship
Handbook ‘Postgraduate Studentships 2000-2001: A guide
for Students and Supervisors’ are available in the
Research Career opportunities pages of the MRC website @
www.mrc.ac.uk.
