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1、Annual report and accounts 2016/17Medical Research Council Medical Research Council Annual Report and Accounts 2016/2017Presented to Parliament pursuant to Paragraph 2(2)and 3(3)of Schedule 1 of the Science and Technology Act 1965.Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed on 13 July 2017.HC 174
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4、h Star Avenue,Swindon,SN2 1FL Or corporateheadoffice.mrc.ac.uk This publication is available at https:/www.gov.uk/government/publications Print ISBN 9781474143356 Web ISBN 9781474143363ID 11041701 07/17Printed on paper containing 75%recycled fibre content minimumPrinted in the UK by the Williams Lea
5、 Group on behalf of the Controller of Her Majestys Stationery OfficeAnnual report and accounts 2016/175ContentsPerformance report 8Overview 10Performance analysis 25Accountability report 42Corporate governance report 43Remuneration and staff report 62Parliamentary accountability and audit report 75F
6、inancial statements 826Cover images:Dr Stephanie Trouche and Dr David Dupret,MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit Dr Anna Klingseisen,MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine Franck Pichaud,MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology Natalie Kirkland(Yanlan Mao Lab),MRC Laboratory of Molecular Cell
7、 BiologyAnnual report and accounts 2016/177Foreword from Chair The Government continues to provide excellent support for UK science from the Research and Innovation budget,committing an additional 4.7bn for research and innovation over the next five years,recognising the value of investment in resea
8、rch for human health and society.The ambition to invest in science,research and innovation,and to do more to commercialise our world-class science to spread economic growth right across the UK,is of particular relevance to the research councils and is at the heart of MRC strategy.Following the revie
9、w by Sir Paul Nurse of the research councils,Ensuring a successful UK research endeavour,and Parliamentary approval,a new organisation UK Research and Innovation(UKRI)will be established from 1st April 2018.UKRI will bring together the individual research councils,Innovate UK and Research England,to
10、 optimise our collective expertise in research and innovation.I very much welcome Sir Mark Walports appointment as the chief executive designate of UKRI.Sir Mark will work with all stakeholders to ensure that UKRI becomes the best agency in the world for the public funding of research and innovation
11、.We look forward to working with him to ensure that both UKRI,and the MRC within it,are successful in the future.It is encouraging that within the structure of UKRI,Sir Mark is keen to maintain the autonomy of individual councils.The decision to recruit an executive committee to UKRI is also positiv
12、e,providing an important space for the executive chairs of each council to engage in decision-making.This recognises the central role of the councils,putting them at the core of UKRI.Enshrining the Haldane principle in law is another important step;I am pleased that an amendment to the bill to intro
13、duce this principle into legislation was accepted.This will ensure that all research proposals continue to be scrutinised by independent scientific experts who consider the viability,quality,cost-effectiveness and impact of the science concerned.I am delighted to have been reappointed as Chairman.Th
14、e MRC is an organisation whose work has a direct impact on peoples lives across the globe.This impact is demonstrated by the excellent research undertaken throughout 2016/17,of which highlights are described in this report.Some considerable investments over the past year demonstrate the MRCs commitm
15、ent to supporting world-class science,research and innovation.These include co-founding an institute to lead the UKs dementia research efforts(page 14),opening the largest biomedical institute under one roof in Europe(page 11)and installing a range of revolutionary technologies aimed at identifying
16、the causes of diseases as part of the Clinical Research Infrastructure Initiative(page 18).Over the next year I look forward to helping build on the UKs world-leading research and continuing to play a part in the evolution of the research councils and UKRI in the months ahead.Donald Brydon CBEPerfor
17、mance reportThe fruit fly,Drosophila melanogaster,larval imaginal wing discA confocal image of the wing pouch from the organ precursor.Through complex morphogenesis the imaginal discs of the fruit fly larva form the appendages of the adult fly during pupation.The imaginal discs are pivotal models to
18、 study epithelial tissues and their proliferation,polarity,regeneration and morphogenesis.Here,the wing disc is expressing fluorescence-tagged protein,Fascicilin II(green)in the aristaless domain.It is co-stained with phalloidin dye(blue)to mark the actin cytoskeleton and antibody for endogenous Fas
19、ciclin II(red).We can probe how protein localisation and expression levels are modified in normal development,as well as observing the effects of mutational perturbations with the extensive genetic tools amenable to the fruit fly.Natalie Kirkland(Yanlan Mao Lab)MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biol
20、ogyPerformance report10Performance report Chief Executives perspective on performance In response to government decisions on very welcome new funding for science and research during 2016,we set out a refreshed delivery plan for the next four years.This was an opportunity to demonstrate how we will p
21、rioritise,discover and transform health research and innovation,to support our strategic aims.I am pleased to report that we have already made considerable headway and established some exciting new initiatives,vital to building on our existing strengths and maintaining the UKs position at the forefr
22、ont of world-leading research.Research into lifelong mental health and dementia is one of our four priority challenges.I am delighted that the MRC is working alongside the Alzheimers Society and Alzheimers Research UK as co-founders of the new 250m UK Dementia Research Institute.Under the leadership
23、 of Professor Bart De Strooper,together we hope to stimulate UK dementia research efforts to search for new ways to prevent,relieve and we hope ultimately cure dementia,as well as to improve the supportive care for people and families affected by dementia.Read more about this on page 14.To capitalis
24、e on the UKs unique research strengths and data assets,the MRC is investing 37.5m to create with seven other funding partners a new 50m institute for health and biomedical informatics research,called Health Data Research UK(HDR UK).Harnessing the power of the NHS and associated health and biomedical
25、 data in the UK,the institute will develop and apply the cutting-edge informatics approaches needed to address the most pressing health research challenges facing patients and the public.You can find out more about HDR UK in the box on page 11.Accelerating the linkage of excellent UK-based research
26、to our global health research will help us transform health research and innovation.From testing an effective new formulation of pneumococcal vaccine,to demonstrating safer protocols for infection control measures within hospitals,MRC-funded research impacts lives.Over the next five years,the resear
27、ch councils,Research England and the National Academies will deliver the Global Challenges Research Fund to ensure the UK research base takes a leading role in addressing the problems faced by low-and middle-income countries,and to build resilience and tackle major world challenges.An increase in gr
28、ant funding for innovation and a new cross-disciplinary fund the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund provides opportunities for researchers to get involved.In 2016 we strengthened our commitment to innovation through 23.2m in new funding,to take pioneering ideas from UK universities into industry and
29、 out into healthcare.This funding is made up of three different MRC initiatives,set up specifically to target different innovation needs:the Discovery Awards mechanism,the Confidence in Concept awards and the Proximity to Discovery scheme.The early outcomes of awards made under these schemes are pro
30、mising,showing that,through devolved decision-making,UK researchers have exploited the flexibility and collaborative potential of these innovative schemes.At the MRC we strive to identify and encourage exciting science,and bring different disciplines and cultures together to form strong collaboratio
31、ns.Interdisciplinary collaboration is at the heart of the new Francis Crick OverviewAnnual report and accounts 2016/1711Institute which opened in 2016 you can read more on page 19.By harnessing the expertise of researchers,in interdisciplinary relationships,we aim to continue supporting discovery sc
32、ience to help improve the social,economic and health outcomes for people in the UK and around the world.Joint working between academics and industry is an important partnership which leads to the creation and sharing of ideas,knowledge and skills.Our stratified medicine consortia is one example of h
33、ow we have brought together biotech and pharma companies with academic expertise from all parts of the UK,including Manchester,Belfast,Newcastle and Glasgow.We aim to support the careers of our researchers so that they can become tomorrows leaders in biomedical science.By making some improvements to
34、 maximise the flexibility of some of our studentships and training programmes,as described on page 19,we hope to continue enhancing the research base for academia,industry and the UK more broadly.Through collaboration we can stimulate innovation and speed up the transfer of the best ideas into new p
35、reventive and therapeutic interventions for improving human health.Our new initiatives and investments,combined with the governments industrial strategy,put us in a strong position to encourage and deliver this innovation in the years ahead.Sir John Savill Health Data Research UK Appointment of the
36、director,Professor Andrew Morris(University of Edinburgh),in March 2017 was a landmark step towards establishing a new UK informatics institute,called Health Data Research UK(HDR UK).Harnessing the power of the NHS and the wealth of health and biomedical data in the UK,HDR UK will develop and apply
37、the cutting-edge informatics approaches needed to address the most pressing health research challenges facing patients and the public.This builds on previous MRC strategic investments in developing informatics capacity and skills,informatics and data science,and infrastructure,that have totalled 100
38、m since 2012 and established the virtual Farr Institute which has laid the groundwork for the new HDR UK through development of a health and biomedical informatics network.HDR UK is a 50m partnership between the MRC and the health research departments of England,Scotland and Wales,along with EPSRC,E
39、SRC,the British Heart Foundation and Wellcome.The partners will work with Professor Morris to refine his strategic vision for the institute and appoint the UK research organisations(which have now submitted statements of interest in participating)that will comprise HDR UK.This will enable the connec
40、tion and coordination of interdisciplinary skills,expertise and national and international partnerships needed to accelerate progress,analysing complex and diverse health-related data at an unprecedented depth and scale.The institute will launch towards the end of 2017,delivering a national informat
41、ics strategy for the benefit of the UK research community.12Performance report Our purpose The MRC is a publicly-funded organisation dedicated to improving human health.We support world-class research across the entire spectrum of medical sciences,from fundamental laboratory-based science to clinica
42、l trials,in all major disease areas.Research funded by the MRC is carried out in universities,hospitals and in our own research units and institutes across the UK and in Africa.Established in 1913 and incorporated by Royal Charter in 1920,the MRCs mission is to:Encourage and support research to impr
43、ove human health.Produce skilled researchers.Advance and disseminate knowledge and technology to improve the quality of life and economic competitiveness of the UK.Promote dialogue with the public about medical research.The MRCs Council directs and oversees corporate policy and scientific strategy,e
44、nsures the organisation is managed effectively and makes major policy and spending decisions.Council members share collective responsibility for its actions and performance.Responsibility for implementing the Councils strategy and decisions is delegated to the Chief Executive.The Governance Statemen
45、t in the accountability report(page 47)provides information about Councils membership and performance and that of its subcommittees.The MRCs strategy Research Changes Lives 2014-19 was refreshed in 2014 and has four strategic aims:Picking research that delivers:setting research priorities which are
46、most likely to deliver improved health outcomes Research to people:bringing the benefits of excellent research to all sections of society Going global:accelerating progress in international health research Supporting scientists:sustaining a robust and flourishing environment for world-class medical
47、research In 2016,the MRCs new delivery plan identified areas of priority focus which would combine with our continuing support of outstanding underpinning research to address the strategic aims.Going forward we will:Prioritise research into the most pressing health challenges worldwide:infections an
48、d antimicrobial resistance;lifelong mental health and dementia;prevention;regeneration of damaged tissues.Discover exploring new scientific principles and setting new paradigms:through MRC and partnership institutes;experimental medicine approaches;therapeutic target discovery and validation;and new
49、 interdisciplinary science.Transform health research and innovation:embed informatics and computation in health research;further consortia-based approaches to stratify disease and tailor treatment;broaden innovative academic industry relationships;and promote public health in the UK and globally thr
50、ough precision interventions.Annual report and accounts 2016/1713Building on our existing strengths we are delivering:New products,interventions,and policies that will change lives in the UK and globally Research that tackles complex problems and achieves the quality and visibility needed to attract
51、 inward R&D investment and global partners New research technologies,methods,and structures that maximise productivity Research capacity and leadership securing the UKs place at the forefront of medical research.Scientists apply to the MRC for funding for their research,and applications are reviewed
52、 by panels of independent experts.The MRC awards funding in both response mode and managed mode:Response mode funding opportunities are regular,scheduled opportunities assessed by boards and panels.They are available for any area of science relevant to the MRC,to eligible groups and individuals,offe
53、ring funding on a range of scales,across career stages,from fundamental to translational research.Managed or strategic mode funding opportunities are in a specific scientific area defined by the MRC usually for a one-off call or a time-limited period.Proposals may have special application and review
54、 mechanisms.Additionally,to address important scientific opportunities and health needs,and when stand-alone grant support alone is insufficient,the MRCs three main support mechanisms are:1.Institutes very long-term flexible multidisciplinary investments2.Units more focused investments established f
55、or as long as needed to support a scientific need and/or deliver a research vision3.Centres build on existing MRC,and other,support to add value and help establish a centre of excellence.As of 31 March 2017,the MRCs large investments encompassed three research institutes(including one in partnership
56、 with other funders:the Francis Crick Institute(see box on page 19)with two institutes under development(the UK Dementia Research Institute and Health Data Research UK see box on page 11),26 units(including two research units in Africa)and 21 centres.These include partnerships with the Alzheimers So
57、ciety;Alzheimers Research UK;Arthritis Research UK;Asthma UK;British Heart Foundation;Cancer Research UK;Chief Scientist Office,Scotland;Public Health England,Wellcome and the Welsh Government.The MRC also has an additional portfolio of strategic partnerships and hubs including five UK Clinical Rese
58、arch Collaboration(UKCRC)Public Health Research Centres,the Scottish Collaboration for Public Health Research and Policy,the Research Complex at Harwell,the MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine,the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine,five methodology hubs,three high-throughput
59、 genomic sequencing hubs and the Farr Institute for Health Informatics Research.14Performance report Performance summaryThis summary provides an overview of MRC activities during the financial year 2016/17 which address the objectives set out in the MRC strategic and delivery plans.Included are repr
60、esentative examples of two types of significant MRC impact:1)The realisation of initiatives designed to meet identified opportunities for development of health insight,research expertise or infrastructure;and 2)Impacts on knowledge or methodology contributing to improvements in health and well-being
61、 arising from MRC funding.The MRC collects information on the outputs from our funding directly from our researchers via researchfish.For more information on this system and how data are collected,please see our annual Outputs and Outcomes and Economic Impact reports.Neurodegeneration and mental hea
62、lth The MRC recognises the burden that both neurodegenerative disease and mental illness place on individuals,their families,the economy and society more widely.Neurodegenerative diseases are strongly linked with age and the UK and other European countries have increasingly ageing populations.This r
63、aises concerns about the increasing burden these diseases will place on society in future,unless research can provide new approaches for their prevention or treatment.At present,mental health issues affect nearly one in four people in the UK.Mental illness is estimated to cost the UK economy 70-100b
64、n per year,while among neurodegenerative conditions dementia alone currently costs the economy 17bn a year.Initiatives/impacts The UK Dementia Research Institute(DRI)is a new joint 250m investment led by the MRC alongside founding charity partners the Alzheimers Society and Alzheimers Research UK.Th
65、e DRI will bring together world-leading expertise in biomedical,care,public health and translational dementia research to understand dementia.Momentum awards were launched in 2016 to rapidly boost existing high quality UK dementias research in readiness for establishment of the DRI.Successful awards
66、,totalling 3.9m across five universities,were announced in October 2016.It was confirmed in December 2016 that the DRI hub will be established at University College London(UCL)and the institute will be led by Professor Bart De Strooper.The landmark Deep and Frequent Phenotyping Study was announced i
67、n August 2016.The study,embedded in the MRC Dementias Platform UK,is designed to identify measurable characteristics of Alzheimers disease in the earliest stages.The project is carrying out the most thorough and rigorous series of tests ever performed on volunteers to detect Alzheimers disease.The M
68、RC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Kings College London was opened in November 2016 to identify the biological mechanisms underlying developmental brain disorders.Integrating approaches from basic to clinical research,the centre is examining the genetic associations shared between autism,
69、epilepsy and schizophrenia.The child and young adult mental health strategic initiative was launched in 2016.In partnership with the Medical Research Foundation,the funding is designed to initiate innovative networks in mental health research.Annual report and accounts 2016/1715Global health,antimic
70、robial resistance(AMR)and infectionsThe MRC has a track record of excellence in global health research.Disease outbreaks anywhere are increasingly a concern for people everywhere,and health is closely linked with economic and social development.Specifically the potential threat from AMR to human hea
71、lth in an interdependent world is now recognised as one of the most serious faced in the 21st century.A review from Public Health England published in 2014 estimated that by 2050,unless new effective antimicrobial approaches are found,the global cost of AMR could be up to$100 trillion and it could a
72、ccount for 10 million extra deaths a year.Initiatives/impacts MRC-funded scientists working to combat antibiotic resistance through reduction of antibiotic use identified a new pathway affording protective resistance to the antibiotic of last-resort,colistin.By working closely with the Chinese gover
73、nment,in 2016 the team instigated an unprecedented policy change to ban use of colistin in animal feed.This will result in an 8,000 tons/yr.reduction in colistin use(www.mrc.ac.uk/news/browse/uk-china-collaboration-informs-animal-feed-antibiotic-ban/).In early 2016 the MRC launched a rapid research
74、response to understand the risks posed by the Zika virus1.Twenty-six projects were agreed within three months of the international call for collaboration and went live during 2016/17.Additional international Zika partnerships with research institutes in Brazil were supported through the Newton Fund(
75、in partnership with the Wellcome Trust)2.The MRC through the Newton Fund continues to strengthen research and innovation partnerships between the UK and emerging knowledge economies.42.1m in total has been committed under the Newton Fund umbrella since its launch.The MRC joined leading global health
76、 bodies including academic journals,NGOs,research funders and institutes,in committing to sharing data and results relevant to the Zika crisis and future public health emergencies as rapidly and openly as possible3.At any point in time more than 1.4 million patients around the world experience healt
77、hcare-associated infections.In 2016/17,MRC-funded researchers made significant breakthroughs in understanding the root causes of antibiotic resistance and bacterial spread in healthcare settings.Researchers from Oxford developed new methods to evaluate the spread of infection and effectiveness of co
78、ntrol measures in hospitals which is helping to implement safer protocols4.Concurrently,a separate,major UK study also funded by the MRC has shown that it is the inappropriate use of antibiotics by widespread over-prescribing that has allowed the antibiotic-resistant Clostridium difficile bugs to th
79、rive in hospitals(The Lancet 2017).1.https:/www.mrc.ac.uk/funding/browse/zika-rapid-response-initiative-parent/zika-rapid-response-initiative/2.https:/www.mrc.ac.uk/news/browse/research-funders-join-forces-to-tackle-zika-virus-with-3-2m/3.https:/www.mrc.ac.uk/news/browse/global-scientific-community-
80、commits-to-sharing-data-on-zika/4.http:/gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/projects?ref=MR%2FK006924%2F116Performance report Prevention researchAchieving substantial improvements in chronic disease prevention through research into behaviour and behaviour change has been,and remains,challenging.The MRC has pursued inter
81、disciplinary research through extensive partnership working aimed at producing large and sustained changes in the real world.Initiatives/impacts The National Prevention Research Initiative(NPRI),managed by the MRC on behalf of 18 funding partners,committed 34m over 10 years in targeted funding for p
82、revention research.Insights gained from the NPRI summary report in 20155 have been developed,through 2016/17,into a new initiative,the UK Prevention Research Partnership,which will be launched later this year.Prevention research in the study of HIV infections,the PROUD trial(HIV prophylaxis),has bee
83、n adopted and expanded by the NHS into a 10,000 person UK-wide implementation study.Each case of HIV infection prevented avoids an estimated 280k to 360k treatment cost to the NHS over the patients lifetime.Regenerative medicine Regenerative medicine promises to transform human health but the field
84、faces many technical and scientific hurdles.These include understanding how to turn stem cells into the type of cell needed,how to manufacture stem cells safely,how to target treatments to the part of the body that needs repairing and how to find ways of stopping the body from rejecting transplants.
85、These are problems that are being addressed by discovery science.The MRC is the largest funder of regenerative medicine research in the UK,and has supported the field since it first emerged.Initiatives/impacts In September 2016,the inaugural UK Regenerative Medicine Conference showcased the UKs worl
86、d-leading research in regenerative medicine.The conference highlighted the new tools,protocols and resources generated by the five interdisciplinary hubs funded by the cross-Council UK Regenerative Medicine Platform(UKRMP,funded by MRC,BBSRC and EPSRC),launched in 2013.Research at the Edinburgh UKRM
87、P Hub has used liver cells produced from stem cells to model human biology in a dish.This work revealed novel microRNA that reduced drug-induced liver toxicity6.The world-leading joint Wellcome/MRC Stem Cell Institute in Cambridge was recognised for its ground breaking stem cell research by being aw
88、arded funding for a further five years.5.https:/www.mrc.ac.uk/research/initiatives/national-prevention-research-initiative-npri/npri-report-2015/6.http:/www.crm.ed.ac.uk/research/group/pluripotent-stem-cell-hepatocyte-development Annual report and accounts 2016/1717Research to peopleResearch that ta
89、ckles complex problems and achieves the quality and visibility needed to attract inward R&D investment and global partners will lead to new products,interventions,and policies that will change lives in the UK and globally.Bringing academics and industry together facilitates translation of research i
90、nto the clinic.Initiatives/impacts The MRC,through HEIs,facilitates progress of research discovery through the translational pipeline via Confidence in Concept(CiC)and its companion initiative,Proximity to Delivery:Industry Engagement Fund.The CiC scheme aims to accelerate the transition from discov
91、ery science to the early stages of therapeutic/biomarker development by providing locally-administered,responsive and flexible funding to support preliminary translational work.CiC funding has contributed to the creation of 26 spin-out companies and established 699 new relationships with industry ov
92、er the last four years.MRC translational initiatives(including the Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme(DPFS),CiC,Stratified Medicine,and others)continued to facilitate spin-out creation from MRC research in 2016:The spin-out company Vaccitech was launched with 10m seed funding to develop intellectu
93、al outputs of DPFS-funded research into a universal flu vaccine.The vaccine is already showing promise in clinical trials.In November 2016,Orchid Therapeutics,arising from DPFS-funded research,received an additional$20m to fund a large clinical trial of a gene therapy intervention for Severe Combine
94、d Immunodeficiency(ADA-SCID)(developed by Professor Gaspar,UCL)and formed a strategic alliance with a world-leading company in gene and cell therapy,Oxford BioMedica PLC.The launch of Oxstem oncology,a spinout company to develop a novel approach to cancer therapy,resulted from a project funded in th
95、e CiC initiative.Up to 5m was made available in 2016/17,for projects under the unique MRC-Industry Asset Sharing Initiative which makes available de-prioritised compounds from six global drug companies to academic researchers.The US FDA approved a treatment for the liver disease Primary Biliary Cirr
96、hosis(PBC),Ocaliva that was developed through the MRC co-ordinated academic/industry consortium,UK-PBC.FDA validation was followed quickly by EU Marketing Authorisation in January 2017.NICE approved the treatment in March 2017 following UK-PBC evidence given at the review panel.The NHS is expected t
97、o make Ocaliva available to patients in the next few months to benefit the 50,000 people in the UK who suffer from PBC.Research from the University of Manchester and the Farr Institute launched the first smartphone-based study to investigate the association between arthritic or chronic pain and the
98、weather.The App cloudy with a chance of pain was developed with digital company uMotif( FDA approved a treatment for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy arising from many years of MRC-funded research carried out by Professor Francesco Muntoni,UCL.This treatment is the first approved genetic therapy using ol
99、igonucleotides,opening the door to the application of this new methodology to treat a variety of other genetic conditions.UK Biobank established a world-leading research resource of genetic information associated with health and other biological and sociological data from half a million people.In 20
100、16,genome-wide association analyses from these data identified potential targets for drugs and compounds in development for treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease(COPD)and asthma.18Performance report Supporting scientistsResearch capacity and leadership secures the UKs place at the foref
101、ront of medical research.During 2016/17,the MRC was supporting 2,811 researchers(principal investigators,co-investigators and fellows)activities covering all areas of biological and medical research in 113 HEIs across the length and breadth of the UK.Additional activities were funded in research ins
102、titutions of 91 different countries.Initiatives/impacts Announced in April 2016,the Cambridge Pharmaceutical CryoEM Consortium brings five pharma companies together with researchers at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology(LMB),Cambridge Nanoscience Centre,and a leading developer of CryoEM(Electro
103、n Microscopy)machines,FEI.The consortium shares access to the cutting-edge electron microscope in return for expert guidance on the use of cryo-EM technology.This consortium will help create 3D models of viruses and proteins to allow rapid early-stage drug discovery and modelling.The 23 clinical res
104、earch infrastructure installations funded through the Clinical Research Capabilities and Technologies Initiative were activated in 2016.They are spread across the nation(see map),with a total investment of 230m(169m capital with 60m leveraged from HEIs and 2m from charities)in a range of revolutiona
105、ry technologies aimed at identifying the causes of disease.EdinburghLiverpoolNewcastleYorkLeedsMananchesterNottinghamBirminghamOxfordCardiffBelfastSheffieldCambridgeLondonExeter1414141416141497432168451211101320212319181714 1522Theme 1:Innovative technologies for stratified and experimental medicine
106、Theme 2:Dementias researchTheme 3:Single cell genomicsKeyThe numbers(1-23)are the identification numbers for each award.Some awards are in multiple locations and some were awarded to a single HEI.Annual report and accounts 2016/1719 A novel Magnetic Resonance Linac machine,funded through the initiat
107、ive,was installed at the Royal Marsden Hospital.The pioneering scanner was developed to target tumour irradiation in human cancer patients with greater precision.Since introducing a refreshed approach following reviews in 2014 and 2015 to understand skills priorities and career pathways,the MRC has
108、continued to provide flexible support targeted at key transition points in the careers of future research leaders.This includes the Interactive Career Framework (www.mrc.ac.uk/skills-careers/interactive-career-framework/)which helps guide career choices and increased flexibility of funding schemes a
109、vailable to post-doctoral researchers.In 2016/17,the MRC supported 1,398 studentships and awarded 80 new fellowships.Skills Development Fellowships(SDF)have been restructured to more tightly integrate the fellowship into the host institution.SDF is one of a number of programmes developed over the la
110、st five years to ensure the necessary breadth of expertise in the scientist of tomorrow to produce robust innovative research.In response to a skills gap identified in methodology,the MRC instigated an expanding studentship programme.To date,the MRC network of Hubs for Trials Methodology Research ha
111、s awarded 16 PhD studentships.Five are still on-going while 11 students have completed their PhD and are providing their expertise to academia(8),industry(2)and policy(1).The Francis Crick InstituteIn 2016,scientists moved into the new Francis Crick Institute which when fully occupied will employ 1,
112、500 staff,including 1,250 scientists,and have an operating budget of approximately 130m a year.The Crick is the largest biomedical research institute under one roof in Europe.Its distinctive vision for excellence includes commitments to collaboration;to developing emerging talent and exporting it to
113、 the rest of the UK;to public engagement;and to helping turn discoveries into treatments as quickly as possible to improve lives and strengthen the economy.The MRC supports the Crick to deliver world-leading research in areas including infections and immunity,integrative structural biology of diseas
114、e,metabolism and developmental neuroscience;there is also specific MRC support for new models of research translation to secure health and wealth gain.Research Impacts:Research at the Francis Crick Institute became the first to receive permission from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
115、(HFEA)to use the genome editing technique CRISPR-Cas9 in human embryos.7 7.https:/www.mrc.ac.uk/news/browse/new-gene-editing-techniques-approved/20Performance report Public engagementThe MRC aims to bring the benefits of excellent research to all sections of society by enhancing engagement and commu
116、nication with our scientists and partners,policymakers and parliamentarians,and the public(including relevant populations in developing countries).The MRCs Communication and Engagement Strategy 2014-2019(www.mrc.ac.uk/publications/browse/communication-and-engagement-strategy-2014-19/)outlines our co
117、mmitments to effective partnerships such as working with universities to ensure researchers have access to relevant resources and training,supporting researchers to engage public and local audiences,sharing best-practice and pooling resources,and partnering with other research councils to improve ev
118、aluation.This will provide audiences with insight into science and its impact on health,show the human story behind scientific endeavour,and build public confidence in research.MRC Festival of Medical Research MRC researchers demonstrating a new diagnostic tool for oesophageal cancer,the cytosponge,
119、at the MRC Festival of Medical Research in Cambridge.A legacy of the MRC Centenary Open Week in 2013,the festival was launched in 2016 with the aims of engaging the MRC community,building trust in medical research,and increasing awareness of the benefits of medical research.The inaugural festival in
120、volved 35 MRC units,institutes and centres which delivered over 50 events for the public,staff or other non-scientific audiences.Festival activities covered the spectrum of the MRCs research with more than 6,000 individuals participating.Annual report and accounts 2016/1721Science policy and evaluat
121、ionUsing our expertise as funders of research and facilities,the MRC works with the sector to pioneer policies,incentives and performance measures for robust,efficient and ethical research sharing and utilisation of research assets.This includes leadership in increasing the quality and reliability o
122、f health research,working with NIHR through the jointly funded Methodology Research Programme to support the development and uptake of novel methods in health research,as well as promoting reproducibility through approaches such as verification of reagent,data sharing and a more open science approac
123、h.Initiatives/impacts Emphasis on reproducibility to reinforce the MRCs high expectations for rigour in research,the MRC published new guidance for applicants and fellows requesting detailed evidence of rigorous methodology in applications and directing reviewers to scrutinise experimental design an
124、d statistical analysis plans in the applications:the Statement for Expectations for Postgraduate Training has been revised to include a requirement for training in experimental design,statistics and the importance of robust and reproducible research.An MRC-funded methodology study,published in Augus
125、t 2016,looked at how the general public and biomedical researchers value different types of research impact8.The results have implications for the development of impact metrics.The authors developed a policy brief summarising the work9 and an opinion piece for Times Higher Education(THE)10.8.http:/
126、report Facts and figuresIn 2016/17 the MRCs gross research expenditure,funded by our BEIS budgetary allocation and contributions from other bodies,was 755.5m,compared to 927.8m in 2015/16.The support for world-class medical research to improve human health and enhance the economic competitiveness of
127、 the UK included:358.3m on grants to researchers in universities,medical schools and research institutes.159.1m on programmes within the MRCs own units and institutes including 4.9m on studentships.160.3m on programmes within university units,including transfer of property,plant and equipment with a
128、 net book value of 19.1m.60.7m on studentships and fellowships in universities,medical schools and research establishments.17.1m for international subscriptions.Key issues and risks A summary of the principle risks facing the MRC and details of how these are being managed can be found in the Governa
129、nce Statement on page 47.These risks cover a broad range of concerns and are those which would have the most impact on our ability to deliver our mission.Mitigation strategies are in place and risks are discussed regularly at a senior level.They are also fully shared with MRC Council and its Audit a
130、nd Risk Assurance Committee.Going concernThe financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis.For full disclosure please refer to Note u on page 96 of the accounts.Annual report and accounts 2016/1723Budget performance summaryThe MRCs key financial metric is performance against budge
131、t.The financial statements do not take into account the 581.3m budgetary allocation from BEIS due to differences in accounting treatment of our budget in international accounting standards.The reasons for this are fully described in the financial results in the performance analysis.Against the progr
132、amme budget,spend was 0.07m less than budget,well within allowable tolerance of 5.8m(one per cent).Our capital and administration budgets were 0.2 per cent underspent and 10.8 per cent underspent respectively also within forecast expectations.Table 1:2016/17 and 2015/16 budget performance summaries2
133、016/17Programme Near Cash000Admin Near Cash000 Capital000Total income(135,785)(94)(559)Total expenditure717,03520,51250,780Net income&expenditure581,25020,41850,221Less income from Dept.of Health00(8,700)Adjusted net income&expenditure581,25020,41841,521DEL Budget(581,316)(22,888)(41,600)(Underspend
134、)/overspend(66)(2,470)(79)2015/16Programme Near Cash Resource000Admin Near Cash Resource000 Capital000Total income(200,405)(98)(5,472)Total expenditure780,22722,020189,270Net income&expenditure579,82221,922183,798Less income from Dept.of Health00(141,300)Adjusted net income&expenditure579,82221,9224
135、2,498DEL Budget(580,307)(24,636)(42,900)(Underspend)/overspend(485)(2,714)(402)24Performance report Financial statements summaryOur statement of financial position,assets less liabilities and total equity reduced by some 154m largely as a result of the reduction in the pension asset of 121m and 21m
136、reduction in assets due to the transfer of business units to universities.Table 2Summary statement of consolidated net expenditure2016/170002015/16000Total income(136,368)(205,953)Total expenditure837,4931,072,785Other income(3,856)(1,801)Net expenditure for the year697,269865,031 Summary statement
137、of financial position2016/170002015/16000Non-current assets796,782956,493Current assets83,773115,282Current liabilities(237,703)(267,683)Non-current liabilities(11,946)(19,194)Assets less liabilities and total equity630,906784,898Annual report and accounts 2016/1725The MRC continues to develop world
138、-leading evaluation approaches,such as the Health Research Classification System(HRCS)and researchfish,to track trends in research subject area and to gather outputs and impact of research funding.Combined with grant funding data,these sources provide a detailed picture of the MRCs activities and ou
139、tcomes past and present.Research excellencePublications arising from MRC-funded research demonstrate global academic excellence,as measured by field-weighted impact factor11(FWCI)(Figure 1 and 2).The FWCI provides an indication of publication impact,and is derived from the number of times a publicat
140、ion is cited in the world literature compared to an average for publications in the same subject area.Analysis of the impact of MRC publications over the last decade(56,607 since 2006)reveals an average FWCI of 2.73,almost three times the world average of 1.In the last five years,the rate of publica
141、tion per award has shown a steady increase.In 2015,MRC researchers published 9,478 unique publications.Figure 1:International comparison of citation scores in five biomedical subject categories Average FWCI score0.80.911.11.21.31.41.51.61.7Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular BiologyImmunology and Mi
142、crobiologyMedicineNeurosciencePharmacology,Toxicology and PharmaceuticsAverage(all five biomedical categories)UKUSAGermanyFranceJapanChina11.The most recent citation information available to the MRC was provided by Elsevier.FWCI(field weighted citation impact)scores are based on relative number cita
143、tions received in comparison with all other publications in a given subject area in a given year averaged over all publications in an 11 year period(2006-15).An FWCI score of 1 is considered the world average.Performance analysis26Performance report Focusing on publications in the primary academic a
144、reas of MRC-funding,UK research publications demonstrated higher or comparable average impact to that of publications from the USA,Germany,France,Japan and China.The flagship MRC institutes represent a significant long-term MRC investment in discovery science for improving human health.The compariso
145、n of MRC institutes publication impact with that of comparable national and foreign research institutes(Figure 2)indicates that MRC institutes are internationally leading in their fields.Figure 2:Impact of publications from the MRC and comparator institutes12 Figure note:Bubble size is relative to t
146、otal number of publications produced;MRC(purple),UK(blue),Europe(light blue),and US(green).LMS=London Institute of Medical Sciences;LMB=Laboratory of Molecular Biology;NCI=National Cancer Institute;ICR=Institute of Cancer ResearchAverage FWCI ScorePublications per 1m expenditure1.62.833.22.62.42.221
147、.81.52.53.54.55.56.58.57.5LMBLMSNCIBabraham InstituteScripps InstituteSalk InstituteMax Planck InstituteRockefeller UniversityICR12.MRC and comparator institute citation scores against publications per 1m expenditure.Expenditure data collected via published annual reports for comparator institutes a
148、nd from latest QQR reports for MRC institutes.Annual report and accounts 2016/1727MRC-funded research builds on its strengths in supporting high quality fundamental discovery science and promoting excellence in research to improve the health and wellbeing of society.This balance is seen in the 2015/
149、16 HRCS classification of the MRC portfolio(Figure 3).Two-thirds(70 per cent)of the MRCs research expenditure contributes to studies on underlying biological processes and on the causal components of disease(coded as Underpinning and Aetiology in HRCS).The further third of expenditure focuses on tra
150、nslational activities(detection and diagnosis,treatment evaluation and treatment development).Changes in proportions of expenditure for a research area in a given year reflect the strategic funding shifts in response to research needs.The significant increase in detection and diagnosis research expe
151、nditure in 2015/16 marks the focused spend to enhance the equipment,facilities and capabilities for UK clinical research through the Clinical Research Capabilities and Technologies Initiative launched in 2014.Efficient implementation of this investment has brought these complex facilities on line by
152、 2016 to support research into major health challenges(as indicated in the Performance summary page 18).Research in the subject areas of management of disease and health and social care services are a small part of the MRC portfolio as they are heavily supported by NIHR and other patient-care focuse
153、d funders.Figure 3:MRC funding by HRCS research activity0%10%20%30%40%50%HRCS research activity2.Aetiology3.Prevention4.Detection and diagnosis6.Treatment evaluation5.Treatment development7.Management of diseases8.Health and social care services1.UnderpinningProportion of total expenditure5yr averag
154、e2015/1628Performance report Developing expertisePeopleThe MRC is about the people we nurture and support to become tomorrows leaders in biomedical research.The MRC has a variety of studentships and training programmes to support researchers at crucial career transition points.Those at the start or
155、at an early stage in their research careers are supported via the MRC capacity and skills programme.In 2016/17,this programme supported PhD studentships based in HEIs(doctoral training partnerships,59 per cent),in MRC centres(10 per cent)and in MRC units and institutes(intramural,24 per cent)(Figure
156、 4).Additionally,CASE studentships(7 per cent)train the researchers of tomorrow in partnership with industry.Figure 4:Distribution of studentships in 2016/17831(59%)Doctoral Training Partnerships135(10%)335(24%)97(7%)MRC Intramural StudentshipsMRC Centre StudentshipsIndustrial CASE StudentshipsAnnua
157、l report and accounts 2016/1729While about half of MRC doctoral students stay in academia after completing their studies,a quarter of students(27 per cent in 2014/15)moved to employment in the private sector.Over the past three years,there has been a slight increase in private employment post-qualif
158、ication,with a matching decrease in PhD students remaining in academia(Figure 5).Figure 5:Destination of MRC PhD students by sector of employment13 Approximately 98 per cent of MRC PhD students will submit a thesis and attain their PhD,the majority (85 per cent in the last five years)within their ex
159、pected submission period.Proportion of MRC PhD studentsAcademic year0%60%50%40%30%20%10%2011/122010/112012/132013/142014/15UniversityPrivateOther/unknownPublic SectorUnemployed13.These data were collected from survey responses.30Performance report Post-doctoral fellowships are awarded for clinically
160、-focused research and laboratory-based research supporting development of both translational and discovery science researchers.After consultation with the research community in 2014/15,the MRC has tailored new career guidance and fellowship opportunities to meet scientific career and community needs
161、.Additionally,2016/17 investment in fellowships has increased,returning to 2012/13 levels(Figure 6).The MRC awarded 80(45.7 in total commitment)new research fellowships in 2016/17:48 clinical fellowships,14 non-clinical fellowships and 18 skills development fellowships.The MRC plays an important rol
162、e in identifying gaps where capacity-building is required to address strategic skills needs in the UK research landscape.In response to a survey identifying vulnerable capabilities and skills within the UK bioscience and biomedical research base,the MRC launched the Skills Development Fellowship pro
163、gramme.Vulnerability of skills may be due to several reasons such as a small or decreasing number of individuals with expertise in a particular area,limited training opportunities,or the lack of career paths to preserve skills.Early career biomedical researchers who wish to develop quantitative and
164、interdisciplinary skills as well as researchers in quantitative fields who wish to apply their expertise to biomedical research are supported through this programme.Figure 6:MRC fellowship commitment Value(m)Year060m50m40m30m20m10m2012/132013/142014/152015/162016/17Specialist/Skills DevelopmentClini
165、calNon-clinicalAnnual report and accounts 2016/1731Integration into the global research environment14 CollaborationsCollaborations are central to addressing complex and multi-disciplinary research questions.Collaboration allows the necessary expertise,materials and facilities to be assembled,potenti
166、ally from participating partners across the world.Studies have indicated that collaboration is important for research productivity,progress and impact15,16.The UK has a strong background of international collaboration in research;2016 Leiden Ranking17 shows 54 per cent of biomedical and health scien
167、ces publications from UK HEIs(higher education institutions)included in the ranking have international co-authors versus 49 per cent of German or 32 per cent of US publications.Researchers report that 42 per cent of the collaborations resulting from MRC funding are with international partners.The mo
168、st common collaborators are within Europe(16 per cent)or the USA(14 per cent),see Figure 7.The remaining 12 per cent account for a further 1,882 reported new collaborations across 76 countries in the last 10 years.More than half of MRC researchers(55 per cent)report collaborations with new partners
169、occurring within five years of the award.The majority of follow-on collaborations over the last 10 years are with fellow academics(63 per cent)while a further 9 per cent form new collaborations with the private sector.Figure 7:International follow-on collaborations by country Figure note:Bubbles for
170、 Europe and USA are shown in green at 10 x scale of the blue bubbles indicating collaborators in other countries.The global bubble indicates collaborations with organisations classified as international,such as the United Nations or the WHO.Scale:10 CollaborationsGlobalScale:1 Collaboration14.Data f
171、rom researchfish.https:/www.mrc.ac.uk/funding/guidance-for-mrc-award-holders/researchfish/15.Katz and Martin(1997)What is research collaboration?Research Policy 26(1-18)16.The Implications of International Research Collaboration for UK Universities(Digital Science report,2016)https:/www.digital- fro
172、m CWTS Leiden Ranking on collaborations as indicated by co-authorship for the leading world Universities (http:/ report Further support for MRC-funded research outcomesResearch funded by the MRC benefits from support from all sectors.Approximately a quarter of MRC research is funded from the outset
173、in partnership with other funding organisations,including many charitable and private sector organisations.Contingent on excellent progress being made,researchers will subsequently obtain further funding to increase the scale and scope of work undertaken,and to translate it into products,processes a
174、nd ideas with economic and societal impact.This follow-on funding may be from the MRC or from other sources.Sixty per cent of MRC researchers report details of follow-on funding obtained from non-MRC sources within five years of commencing their MRC award.This follow-on funding totals an estimated 4
175、.3bn(blue bars below)expenditure over the last five years(Figure 8)with a year on year increase.This represents a significant set of independent investment decisions taken across public,charity and private funders internationally,to build on MRC supported research.Other sources of follow-on funding
176、include;income from intellectual property and,(as noted in the Performance summary(page 17)spin-out companies formed from MRC-funded research continue to attract substantial investment.Figure 8:Follow-on funding Figure 8 charts the value of follow-on funding(dark blue)against MRC budget allocation a
177、nd income18(light blue)by financial year.18.Allocation/income data from previous annual reports.Reported valueFinancial yearm1200m1000m800m600m400m200m2012/132011/122013/142014/152015/16Annual report and accounts 2016/1733Environmental policy/sustainabilityThis report sets out the MRCs UK environmen
178、tal performance against a common basket of metrics:greenhouse gas emissions,water usage,and waste disposal,and their corresponding financial data.In line with HMT sustainability reporting guidelines,the MRC facilities located overseas and MRC shareholdings in scientific facilities in the UK and over
179、seas are excluded from the data presented.The MRC recognises the limitations of the dataset and aims continuously to improve environmental reporting.Table 3Greenhouse gas emissionsNon-financial (000 tonnes CO2)2013/142014/152015/162016/17Total gross emissions35.5339.8637.4731.33Total net emissions35
180、.5339.8637.4731.33Gross emissions scope 1(direct)Gas&LPG8.287.677.426.68Owned transport0.010.010.010.01Gross emissions scopes 2&3(indirect)Electricity(1)27.2631.9629.8724.45Business travel0.120.220.180.19Related energy(million kWhr)Electricity56.3759.5059.754.39Renewable electricity0000Gas44.3040.60
181、40.236.27LPG0000Other0.50.60.50.3Finance(m)Expenditure on energy6.326.326.486.68CRC Costs0.40.50.50.5Business travel2.742.472.372.36Notes:(1)MRC science facilities account for the majority of the MRCs electricity usage.Animal facilities such as the Mary Lyon Centre(Harwell)and the ARES building(Camb
182、ridge)are required by Home Office regulations to have a large number of air changes per hour,and research carried out in other buildings involves use of power-hungry machinery.34Performance report Performance commentaryMRC greenhouse gas emissions are dominated by the use of electricity.All research
183、 activities are energy-hungry and specialised buildings like those that the MRC use,often including containment laboratories and animal houses,require many air changes per hour,24 hours a day,365 days per year.The MRC endeavours to conduct research in as economical and sustainable a way as possible.
184、The MRCs Estates Management Section(EMS)has created a utilities tracker to more closely monitor the monthly costs and usage of MRC utilities.Individual units are written to immediately upon significant changes in their usage of gas and electricity.A comparison has been carried out for the years 2015
185、 and 2016 to see how the MRCs energy consumption compared for these periods.From January to December 2016 the MRC used 22,562 MWh compared with 24,074 MWh for the same period in 2015,a reduction of 1,512 MWh.This equates to a reduction in greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions of 679 tCO2e,a reduction in elec
186、tricity costs of 123k,and a reduction in Carbon Reduction Commitment scheme costs of 11k19.In 2012 the MRCs EMS set up an energy management system in order to record more accurately our units power consumption,CO2 emissions,waste disposals and costs.EDF(electricity),Corona(gas),Butler Fuels and Tham
187、es and Cambridge water are now providing the usage information for the ARES building,the Laboratory of Molecular Biology,the Elsie Widdowson Laboratory,the Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit,and MRC Harwell.MRC establishments have introduced a range of activities aimed at reducing their environmental
188、 footprint.For example,the engineering and safety teams at the ARES building proceeded with a scheme to reduce air changes from 20 per hour to 15 in the holding rooms.This received Home Office approval and the establishment is now running at this reduced rate.There are plans to reduce this further t
189、o 12 air changes per hour and also to installing the Aircuity ductwork sampling system which the MRC installed previously in the Hutchison Building in Cambridge.19.During this period the size of the MRC estate reduced owing to university unit transfers.This reduction in size is reflected in the redu
190、ction in usage as well as the positive actions taken to enhance sustainability.Annual report and accounts 2016/1735Waste managementTable 4MRC waste management dataNon-financial(000 tonnes CO2)2013/142014/152015/162016/17Total waste922104412091400Hazardous waste(total)137177278315Non-hazardous wasteL
191、andfill168257220212Reused/recycled570485507635Composted47535646Incinerated with energy recovery072148192Incinerated without energy recovery0000Finance(m)2013/142014/152015/162016/17Total disposal cost0.550.720.470.45Total hazardous waste0.080.120.110.10Non-hazardousLandfill0.100.180.090.07Reused/rec
192、ycled0.340.330.200.20Composted0.030.040.020.02Incinerated with energy recovery0.000.050.050.06NOTE:Reliable waste data is not available prior to the 2013/14 financial yearPerformance commentaryThe MRC recycles as much material as possible.The nature of the research conducted means that a substantial
193、 amount of clinical waste is produced and this is disposed of properly in line with legislative requirements.The reliability of waste measurements across MRC sites is still being improved and we believe that the increases showing in 2015/16 are a sign of improved measurement rather than necessarily
194、indicating an increase in waste generated per se.Examples of waste initiatives at individual units include a recycling initiative introduced at the MRC Elsie Widdowson Laboratory in February 2014.The initiative has continued to be promoted with the result that the ratio of waste disposed of has been
195、 reversed from roughly 4:1 landfill/recycling to 1:3.36Performance report Finite resource consumptionTable 5WaterNon-financial(000 cubic metres)2013/142014/152015/162016/17Water consumption(Office Estate)Supplied45103Abstracted0000Water consumption(Non-Office Est.)Supplied198197277183Abstracted0000F
196、inance(m)Water supply costs(Office Estate)0.010.010.010.01Water supply costs(Non-Office Est.)0.360.380.330.33Performance commentaryWater consumption has been measured by the MRC for several years.While consumption can sometimes be high because of an individual buildings purposes for example animal h
197、ouses measurement itself can help to identify previously unknown leaks and similar issues which reduce wastage and expense.The proactive approach taken by the MRC to monitor usage and billing has led to two instances of water leakages being identified,one which resulted in the unit getting a 3,620 r
198、efund.Annual report and accounts 2016/1737Financial results Each year we receive a budgetary allocation from BEIS in the form of a Departmental Expenditure Limit(DEL).The DEL is the primary control mechanism set by HM Treasury in resource accounting and budgeting,limits are set in the Spending Revie
199、w.The MRC is required to control budgets within DEL under the Resource Accounting and Budgeting regime and may not exceed the limits that they have been set.There is no flexibility allowed in practice to carry forward previous years underspends.The MRC has separate budgets for:Programme which includ
200、es Near-Cash current expenditure such as pay or procurement and Non-Cash including depreciation,which is the current cost associated with the ownership of assets.This budget includes a ring-fenced allocation for administration.Capital for new investment and renewal.Within the programme budget some t
201、ransactions will have an immediate or near-immediate impact on the fiscal position,for example pay,procurement and depreciation.Other transactions will only have an effect in future periods,for example the take-up of provisions,or revaluation of assets.Both types of transaction fall within the progr
202、amme budget.Administration budgets are controlled to ensure that as much money as practicable is available for science programmes.A summary of the MRCs financial results for 2016/17 is shown in table 6 and for the preceding year in table 7.Tables 6 and 7 show results using the accounting conventions
203、 required for reporting to central government.This form of accounting differs in a number of ways from that required for our formal audited accounts.A reconciliation between the two sets of accounts is shown at table 8.The Programme Near-Cash outturn of 581,250k was 66k lower than budget.Capital exp
204、enditure at 41,521k was 79k lower than budget.Administration expenditure was 2,470k less than budget of 22,888k.These results were within the parameters expected by the organisation.38Performance report Table 6:Summary of Financial Return for 2016/17 2016/17ProgrammeAdminCapitalTotalNear CashNon Cas
205、hTotalNear CashNon CashTotal000000000000000000000000Total Income(135,785)0(135,785)(94)0(94)(559)(136,438)Pay and Operating Costs(1)195,000(1,968)193,03220,512020,5120213,544Depreciation and impairment charges028,21528,215000028,215Provision movement1,31801,31800001,318Research funding520,6190520,61
206、900065,255585,874Other operating expenditure75075000075Finance expenditure(1)232042270(1)(1)0226Direct Capital000000(14,475)(14,475)Total Expenditure717,03526,451743,48620,512(1)20,51150,780814,777Net Income&Expenditure581,25026,451607,70120,418(1)20,41750,221678,339Less Income from Dept of Health(2
207、)000000(8,700)(8,700)Adjusted Net Income&Expenditure581,25026,451607,70120,418(1)20,41741,521669,639DEL Budget(581,316)(32,249)(613,565)(22,888)0(22,888)(41,600)(678,053)(Underspend)/overspend(66)(5,798)(5,864)(2,470)(1)(2,471)(79)(8,414)(1)Non cash relates to exchange rate(gains)/losses (2)Capital
208、contribution re:Clinical Research InfrastructureAnnual report and accounts 2016/1739Table 7:Summary of Financial Return for 2015/16 2015/16 RestatedProgrammeAdminCapitalTotalNear CashNon CashTotalNear CashNon CashTotal000000000000000000000000Total Income(200,405)0(200,405)(98)0(98)(5,472)(205,975)Pa
209、y and Operating Costs(1)236,536(1,233)235,30322,019022,0190257,322Depreciation and impairment charges052,55652,556000052,556Provision movement56605660000566Research funding542,9230542,923000202,936745,859Other operating expenditure18401840000184Finance expenditure(1)18(1,117)(1,099)1(0)10(1,098)Dire
210、ct Capital000000(13,666)(13,666)Total Expenditure780,22750,206830,43322,020(0)22,020189,2701,041,723Net Income&Expenditure579,82250,206630,02821,922(0)21,922183,798835,748Less Income from Dept of Health(2)000000(141,300)(141,300)Adjusted Net Income&Expenditure579,82250,206630,02821,922(0)21,92242,49
211、8694,448DEL Budget(580,307)(52,748)(633,055)(24,636)0(24,636)(42,900)(700,591)(Underspend)/overspend(485)(2,542)(3,027)(2,714)(0)(2,714)(402)(6,143)(1)Non cash relates to exchange rate(gains)/losses (2)Capital contribution re:Clinical Research Infrastructure40Performance report Table 8:Reconciliatio
212、n of finance tables to Annual Accounts2016/172015/16RestatedAccountNoteProgramme000Admin000Capital000Total000Total000IncomeIncome from Sale of Goods and Services(7,480)(1)0(7,481)(9,507)Other Operating Income4(128,235)(93)(559)(128,887)(196,446)Finance Income(4,241)(0)0(4,241)(731)Less:IAS 19 pensio
213、n income adjustments10e4,171004,171709Income per Finance Table(135,785)(94)(559)(136,438)(205,975)Pay and Operating CostsStaff Costs596,43312,7090109,142128,014Less:IAS 19 current service costs(1,914)00(1,914)(9,855)Purchase of Goods and Services6.198,5137,8030106,316139,163Pay and operating costs p
214、er Finance Table193,03220,5120213,544257,322Provision MovementProvision expense6.3(180)00(180)(175)Amount provided in year (not chargeable to DEL budget)18000180175Less Amount expended in year(DEL Charge)1,318001,318565Provision movement per Finance Table1,318001,318565Other operating expenditureOth
215、er operating expenditure6.51,899001,8991,506Share of(profits)/losses of joint venture (not chargeable to DEL budget)(1,824)00(1,824)(1,322)Other operating expenditure per Finance Table750075184Finance expenditureFinance expenditure386(1)0385(1,070)Unwinding of Discount (not chargeable to DEL budget)
216、(159)00(159)(28Finance expenditure per Finance Table227(1)0226(1,098)Direct CapitalProperty,plant&equipment additions7006,3046,30413,614Intangible asset addition-software licences80023230Plus investment in Joint Ventures addition9.100001,278Less net book value of disposed property,plant&equipment700
217、(20,802)(20,802)(27,147)Less net book value of disposed software licences800000Less disposal of assets held for sale0000(1,411)Direct Capital per Finance Table00(14,475)(14,475)(13,666)Notional Service Charge not included in DEL budget1l6,2275,862Annual report and accounts 2016/1741Sir John SavillAc
218、counting Officer/Chief Executive OfficerMedical Research CouncilDate:27 June 2017Accountability reportHuman HeLa cellsThe immortalised HeLa cell line was derived from a cervical cancer in 1951,and is one of the most commonly used human cell lines in research laboratories to study various aspects of
219、cell and molecular biology.Here,the cells microtubule cytoskeleton is examined in great details,using Structured Illumination Microscopy;in purple/orange are the cells microtubules and in white is the DNA.Cell shape is determined by the cytoskeleton and better understanding how it is regulated remai
220、ns an important challenge in molecular cell biology.Studying the properties of the microtubule cytoskeleton in HeLa and how it can be remodeled contributes to our understanding of cell shape regulation during development and although adulthood.Franck Pichaud MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology
221、Accountability report44Accountability report The Directors reportCouncil and Management Board members The membership of the MRCs Council and its committees is listed on page 50 in the Governance Statement.Council members remuneration is listed in the Remuneration Report(page 68).The Chairman of the
222、MRCs Council is Mr Donald Brydon and the Chief Executive Officer is Professor Sir John Savill.Management Board membership is as follows:NameJob titleSir John SavillChief ExecutiveProfessor David Lomas20 Deputy Chief ExecutiveMr Bruce MintyChief Operating OfficerDr Declan Mulkeen21Chief of StrategyDr
223、 Rob Buckle22Chief Science OfficerDr Tony PeatfieldDirector of Corporate AffairsMr Hugh DunlopDirector of Finance and Information TechnologyMr Sandy BulgerMajor Projects DirectorMs Sally-Louise SmithHR DirectorMs Sharmilla Nebhrajani23Director of External AffairsDr Chris Watkins24Director of Innovat
224、ionSir Jim Smith25Deputy Chief Executive and Chief of StrategyConflicts of interest During 2016/17 all Management Board member were circularised for details of conflicts of interests.Identified conflicts are included in the Remuneration and Staff Report on page 69.Council members are asked to comple
225、te a declaration of interests form when they are appointed and to inform the MRC of changes in their circumstances as they arise.To ensure this happens,the Chairman asks members to state if there are any changes to their declared interests at each Council meeting.Members are also sent a copy of thei
226、r current form and biography annually and asked to update it or state if there are no changes.Completed forms are published on the MRC website at the following link:https:/www.mrc.ac.uk/about/our-structure/council/members-declarations-of-interest/Corporate governance report20.Professor Lomas was app
227、ointed Deputy Chief Executive with effect from 1 January 201721.Dr Mulkeen was appointed Chief of Strategy with effect from December 2016.He was previously Chief Science Officer.22.Dr Buckle was appointed Chief Science Officer with effect from December 201623.Ms Nebhrajani was appointed to Managemen
228、t Board with effect from 1 January 201724.Dr Watkins was appointed to Management Board with effect from 1 January 201725.Sir Jim Smith stepped down on 1 December 2016Annual report and accounts 2016/1745Pension liabilities The accounting treatment of pension liabilities and details of the MRCs pensio
229、n scheme are fully disclosed in accounting policy note 1(o)(page 93)and note 10 to the accounts(page 107).Information assurance and security Information assurance and security is covered in the Governance Statement on page 52.Freedom of information Forty-six FOIA requests were handled during calenda
230、r year 2016,all within the statutory time limit26.There were no requests submitted under the Environmental Information Regulations.A breakdown of FOIA requests by requestor and type is provided in tables 9 and 10 below.Table 9:2016 FOIA requests by requestor Requestor typeNo.(%)Academic/HEI/RO4(8.7%
231、)Charities and interested parties3(6.5%)Media2(4.3%)Private Sector10(21.7%)Public26(56.5%)Public Sector1(2.2%)Total46Table 10:2016 FOIA requests by typeRequest typeNo.(%)Contracts and IT10(21.7%)Corporate Strategy,Policy and Governance13(28.3%)Finance/Accounts/HR9(19.6%)Research Strategy and Funding
232、9(19.6%)Other5(10.9%)Total46 26.20 working days,or 40 working days where exemptions requiring a Public Interest Test are required46Accountability report The Statement of Accounting Officers responsibilitiesThe financial statements presented on page 84 are the accounts of the Medical Research Council
233、.Under paragraph 3 of Schedule 1 of the Science and Technology Act 1965 the Council is required to prepare a statement of accounts for each financial year in the form and on the basis directed by the Secretary of State for Business,Energy and Industrial Strategy,with approval of HM Treasury.The acco
234、unts are prepared on an accruals basis and must give a true and fair view of the Councils state of affairs at the year-end of its income and expenditure,changes in taxpayers equity and cash flows for the financial year.In preparing the accounts,the Accounting Officer is required to comply with the r
235、equirements of the Government Financial Reporting Manual and in particular to:Observe the Accounts direction issued by the Secretary of State for Business,Energy and Industrial Strategy,including the relevant accounting and disclosure requirements,and apply suitable accounting policies on a consiste
236、nt basis;Make judgements and estimates on a reasonable basis;State whether applicable accounting standards as set out in the Government Financial Reporting Manual have been followed and disclosure and explain any material departures in the financial statements;Prepare the financial statements on a g
237、oing concern basis.The Department for Business,Energy and Industrial Strategy has appointed the Chief Executive as Accounting Officer of the MRC.The responsibilities of an Accounting Officer,including responsibility for the propriety and regularity of the public finances for which the Accounting Off
238、icer is answerable,for keeping proper records and for safeguarding the MRCs assets,are set out in the Accounting Officers Memorandum,issued by HM Treasury and published in Managing Public Money(The Stationery Office).The Accounting Officer has taken all reasonable steps to ensure that he is aware of
239、 any relevant audit information and to ensure that the Councils auditors are aware of that information.As far as the Accounting Officer is aware,there is no relevant audit information of which the MRCs auditors are unaware.The Accounting Officer confirms that this annual report and accounts as a who
240、le is fair,balanced and understandable and that he takes personal responsibility for the annual report and accounts and the judgments required for determining that it is fair,balanced and understandable.Annual report and accounts 2016/1747MRC Governance Statement for 2016/17 This Governance Statemen
241、t sets out my assessment of the MRCs potential vulnerabilities and capability to deal with the challenges facing us in our operating environment.1.Scope of responsibilityAs Accounting Officer,I have personal responsibility for maintaining a sound system of governance and internal control that suppor
242、ts the achievement of MRCs policies,strategic aims and objectives whilst safeguarding the public funds in accordance with the responsibilities assigned to me and disclosed in“Managing Public Money”.The MRC is an independent non-departmental public body of the Department for Business,Energy and Indus
243、trial Strategy(BEIS).The MRC lines of accountability with BEIS are defined through a management statement,code of practice and financial memorandum.The MRC together with other research councils is reliant on the UK Shared Business Services Ltd(UK SBS Ltd)for the provision of administration systems a
244、nd this statement explains the oversight and assurance process and results for the service supplied.2.The purpose of the Governance Statement This Governance Statement for 2016/17 sets out the dynamics of the MRC and its control structure.It explains the review processes which enable me to have conf
245、idence in the effectiveness of the controls and provides a sense of the MRCs performance during the year and how successfully it has coped with the challenges it faced.This statement explains how the MRC has complied with the principles of good governance,reviews the effectiveness of these arrangeme
246、nts,and complies fully with the Corporate Governance Code.3.The governance framework/structure The MRC governance framework includes Council,the Council Audit and Risk Assurance Committee(CARAC),Management Board,Strategy Board,Operations Board and other fora,senior management,officials and staff.The
247、 MRCs decision-making and advisory bodies are described below.The MRCs Council meets five times a year.Council is the MRCs top level decision-making body directing and overseeing corporate policy and science strategy.It decides all issues of major importance including issues of corporate strategy,se
248、ts key strategic objectives and targets,makes major decisions involving the use of financial and other resources,and ensures the organisation is effectively managed.Council members have a corporate responsibility for ensuring that the Councils decisions are well-founded and comply with any statutory
249、 or administrative requirements for the use of public funds.Between 1 October and 30 November,the Council was not legally constituted as its membership had fallen below the 12 members stipulated in the Royal Charter.This was the consequence of delays in appointing new Council members.This meant that
250、 the meeting on 5 October was not a formal Council meeting,and no decisions could be taken.Steps were taken to ensure business continuity.48Accountability report Council appointments:Council is led by the Chairman,with the MRC Chief Executive as Deputy Chairman and 12 other members,at least half of
251、whom are appointed on account of their scientific qualifications.Council members are appointed by and are accountable to the Secretary of State for Business,Energy and Industrial Strategy in accordance with the Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies.In addition there is a BEI
252、S observer on Council.Main activities for 2016/1727:Reviewing delivery of commitments in the MRC strategic plan and other items of strategic importance;Reviewing and approving decisions on MRC intramural investments including progress and future plans for the university unit programme;Reviewing and
253、approving plans for establishing the UK Dementia Research Institute;Reviewing and approving plans for establishing the UK Institute for Health and Biomedical Informatics Research(UKIHBIR),subsequently named“Health Data Research UK”;Discussing and advising on MRC policies around data access and the p
254、rinciples and guidance for working with industry;Monitoring progress with major initiatives including the Francis Crick Institute;Reviewing and approving financial plans and performance;Reviewing and approving operational activities;Receiving reports from subcommittees including the Council Audit an
255、d Risk Assurance Committee,the Ethics,Regulation and Public Involvement Committee,the Nominations Committee and the Remuneration Committee.Review of effectiveness During 2016/17,the Council Chairman reviewed the performance of individual Council members.No issues were identified.Boards and subcommit
256、teesCouncil is supported in its role by a number of boards and subcommittees28.There are four subcommittees made up of Council members and supplemented,where appropriate,with other members bringing specialised expertise and knowledge.Subcommittees have responsibility for specific areas of Councils r
257、emit;in some cases authority is delegated to them to act on behalf of Council,and in other cases they are acting in an advisory capacity either to Council(Ethics,Regulation and Public Involvement Committee(ERPIC)or to the Chairman(Nominations Committee).Council is also advised by an Employee Represe
258、ntation Forum.The Council Audit and Risk Assurance Committee(CARAC)met six times in 2016/17.It supports and advises Council and the Chief Executive on matters of governance,risk and control.Meetings are attended by representatives from the National Audit Office(NAO)and the Government Internal Audit
259、Agency(GIAA).27.Agendas and redacted minutes are available on the MRC website.28.The terms of reference and membership of the committees are available on the MRC website http:/www.mrc.ac.uk/About/Structure/Council/CouncilCommittees/index.htmAnnual report and accounts 2016/1749CARAC main activities f
260、or 2016/17:Reviewing audit reports and tracking implementation of recommendations;Detailed scrutiny of annual accounts;Oversight of risk management with particular emphasis on the management of corporate and fraud risks;Review of information assurance and cyber security;Review of assurance process a
261、nd findings;Monitoring of major programmes.Review of effectiveness CARAC carried out a review of effectiveness in April 2016.No significant issues were identified.The Remuneration Committee(RemCom)reports to Council and met twice during the year.It is chaired by the MRC Chairman and there are four a
262、dditional members,who are all Council members.The MRC Chief Executive,the Chief Operating Officer and the HR Director are also invited to attend and advise RemCom.RemCom reviews the HR Strategy,in particular the pay,grading and bonus arrangements for the most senior staff.The Ethics,Regulation and P
263、ublic Involvement Committee(ERPIC).It is chaired by Baroness ONeill of Bengarve(a Council member)and currently has eight other members.It is an advisory committee which meets twice a year and reports to Council.The Nominations Committee(NomCom)reports to Council.It is chaired by the MRC Chairman and
264、 there are three to four additional members.NomCom advises the Chairman on senior key appointments and meets as and when required.NomCom met three times in 2016/17 to advise the Chairman and CEO on Council member recruitment,succession planning and appointments to Management Board.Strategy Board met
265、 eight times in 2016/17.It is chaired by the CEO and is responsible for developing,coordinating,and overseeing the implementation of and evaluation of the MRCs strategic plan.Membership includes the Chair of each of the Research Boards and Strategic Overview Groups plus an MRC institute or unit dire
266、ctor and a representative of the extramural programme.Strategy Board reports to Council and has a budget delegated by Council for strategic awards.The four Research Boards each meet three times a year and are each responsible for one of the four major areas of medical science that together make up t
267、he MRC portfolio.They,together with expert funding committees with more focused remits(e.g.Fellowship awards,translational research),are responsible for assessing applications for research funding and have delegated budgets for new awards.There are four strategic overview groups(Training and Careers
268、,Global Health,Translational Research,and Population Health Sciences)which are responsible for ensuring that the MRCs activities in these key areas are well coordinated and strategically positioned.50Accountability report Council and Committee attendance,1 April 2016 31 March 2017AttendanceName of M
269、emberCouncilRemComCARACERPICNomComDr John Brown29 5/52/23/4Mr Donald Brydon305/52/22/63/3Prof Doreen Cantrell4/53/3Prof Dame Sally Davies4/5Prof Chris Day4/52/23/3Prof Dame Janet Finch5/56/6Prof Patrick Johnston3/52/21/2Prof John Iredale311/2Prof Dame Sally Macintyre322/21/1Mr Richard Murley330/1Bar
270、oness Onora ONeill5/52/2Dr Menelas Pangalos4/51/2Dr Ruth McKerna342/2Prof Michael Schneider352/21/3Prof Irene Tracey362/2Dr Pauline Williams371/1Prof Sir John Savill385/52/23/6Ms Anna Anderson5/6Mr Roger Dunshea5/6Mr Andrew Murphy391/1Ms Charlotte Moar5/6 Ms Kathryn Packer6/6Key Council member Indep
271、endent CARAC members Management Management Board is the MRCs principal executive decision-making body.It meets eleven times a year and is accountable to Council through the Chief Executive.Operations Board is the MRCs principal body for operational decisions.It meets alternate months and is chaired
272、by the Chief Operating Officer.It includes representatives from each Corporate Directorate and Senior Unit Administrators representing the units and institutes.29.Dr Brown became a member of CARAC on 30th September 201630.Mr Brydon also chairs RemCom and NomCom31.Professor Iredale was appointed to C
273、ouncil on 1 December 201632.Prof Macintyre completed her term on Council on 30th September 201633.Mr Richard Murley was appointed to Council on 1 March 201734.Dr McKernan completed her term on Council on 30th September 201635.Prof Schneider completed his term on Council and CARAC on 30th September 2
274、01636.Professor Tracey was appointed to Council on 1 December 201637.Dr Williams was appointed to Council on 1 March 201738.Prof Sir John Savill is the Chief Executive and Deputy Chair of Council39.Mr Andrew Murphy complete his term on CARAC on 30th May 2017Annual report and accounts 2016/1751Partne
275、r organisations The MRC is a key funder in a variety of partnerships.The MRCs interests in each of these partnerships are governed via a Joint Venture Agreement or by contracts.In some instances separate companies have been established and the MRC has a nominated Director on each board.Whilst the de
276、tail for each partnership differs,the MRC has appropriate agreements in place and actively engages through representation at senior level.The partnerships are:UK Biobank Imanova The Francis Crick Institute(the Crick)The new UK Dementia Research Institute(DRI)will also be established through a joint
277、venture agreement.Our risk and assurance frameworks ensure that matters emanating from these partnerships activities are reported and that issues are responded to in an appropriate manner.The governance arrangements for these partnerships are subject to audit by the GIAA on a rolling programme.MRC u
278、niversity units are governed by strategic alliance agreements and have specific assurance arrangements.These arrangements are subject to audit by GIAA.4.The risk and internal control framework The MRC believes that identifying and managing risks and opportunities plays a critical part in the effecti
279、ve and efficient delivery of the MRCs long-term organisational objectives,creating confidence and trust within the scientific community and the general public and enabling better planning for the future.The system of internal control is designed to manage risk to a reasonable level rather than elimi
280、nate all risk of failure to achieve policies,aims and objectives.The MRC has a robust risk management system designed to identify and prioritise the risks to the achievement of MRCs policies,aims and objectives,to evaluate the likelihood of those risks being realised and the impact should they be re
281、alised,and to manage them efficiently and effectively.The system of control has been in place in MRC for the year ended 31 March 2017 and up to the date of approval of the annual report and accounts,and accords with HM Treasury guidance.The MRC has reviewed its risk management arrangements against t
282、he new“Managing of Risk in Government framework”and is able to confirm that no weaknesses have been identified.The task of overseeing the risk management strategy is delegated to the Head of Risk Management and Assurance.The Risk and Assurance Team provides challenge and support.The team co-ordinate
283、s the documenting and updating of corporate and fraud risks,these are reviewed regularly by Management Board and then reported to CARAC and Council.All MRC directors and managers share the responsibility to ensure the effective implementation of risk management and internal controls.52Accountability
284、 report There is a system for escalating all risks that exceed the MRC risk appetite to Operations Board and/or Management Board for discussion.The risk management framework includes:setting out a risk management policy and strategy and defining the risk appetite for the MRC;signing up to overall as
285、surance statements by directors;(DASIC see 13)updating and reviewing the corporate and fraud risk registers at least quarterly by senior management and reviewing at CARAC;underpinning the corporate risk register with directorate,unit and project level risk registers;requiring all risks to have a sen
286、ior manager/director as“risk owner”;a formal project management approach with embedded risk management for major activities,including the business critical programmes;all decision papers to Council,Management Board and Strategy Board require a statement on the risks relevant to the decision;the use
287、of risk management software“EasyRisk”to record and track all risks and audit recommendations.5.Fraud and error risk management The MRC is committed to standards of regularity and propriety and does not tolerate any form of fraud,bribery and/or corruption.The MRC has a detailed fraud and error risk r
288、egister that is reviewed regularly by Management Board,CARAC and Council.There is a mandatory e-learning programme on fraud and bribery for all senior staff and those working in high risk areas.The Head of Risk Management and Assurance attends the BEIS Counter Fraud Working Group and the Cabinet Off
289、ice Counter Fraud network where best practice is shared and current fraud issues discussed.There were two low value frauds reported during the year.In both cases action was taken and the results of the investigation were reported to CARAC.6.Information assurance and information security The manageme
290、nt of information risks is fully integrated within the risk management process and the Finance Director is the MRCs Senior Information Risk Owner.Every MRC unit and institute undergoes an annual review of their information security management systems.In 2016,this process looked to assess the MRCs co
291、mpliance against the Governments security standard called Cyber Essentials.This standard sets the basic requirements for cyber security for any organisation to help protect them against the most commons attacks from the internet.This standard aligns itself with the Annual report and accounts 2016/17
292、53mandatory requirements in the Cabinet Office Security Policy Framework.Also in 2016,the GIAA carried out an assessment of cyber security in Head Office,LMS,LMB and the Harwell Institute.The MRC is committed to work towards gaining the Cyber Essentials Plus certification during 2017,addressing any
293、improvements that are required.MRC Head Office receives IT Infrastructure services from an external IT supplier and all MRC establishments receive key business services from UK SBS Ltd.These are subject to robust governance arrangements and regular audits.These arrangements allow us to continuously
294、assess and challenge performance including the review of cyber security threats and management of security incidents.These are reported separately in the annual report.The MRC submits an annual security health check return to BEIS.The security health check confirms compliance with the mandatory secu
295、rity outcomes described in the HMG Security Policy Framework.The return reflects an assessment of specific information assurance risk areas that are consistent with the risks recorded in the Councils risk register together with any areas of concern.The MRC has adopted the Cabinet Office policy on Go
296、vernment Security Classifications.The MRC has produced its own guidance to support the policy.Information security incidents For the year ending 31 March 2017,the MRC IT Security team logged thirty-four security incidents,none of which required reporting to BEIS or the Information Commissioner.Howev
297、er,a data loss incident was reported to CARAC due to its nature.Transparency In line with the Governments commitment to greater transparency of public information,the MRC publishes information on how we spend the public funding we receive.Information on senior staff pay,management and staffing struc
298、tures,spending over 25,000 and transactions on Government Procurement Cards over 500 is routinely published on our website and is also accessible on www.data.gov.uk.All new contractor and consultancy appointments are vetted to ensure that they are not deliberately avoiding paying appropriate tax and
299、 NI.All contract renewals have to provide the MRC with the same assurances.Data are presented for the MRCs intramural research units and institutes,head office,regional administrative centres and research facilities.The MRC,jointly with the other research councils,has participated in the Gateway to
300、Research project.This project provides a website with information about the research that the councils have funded,together with the associated outputs and outcomes.54Accountability report 7.MacPherson Review The review of quality assurance of Government analytical models undertaken by Sir Nicholas
301、Macpherson and published by HM Treasury in March 2013 made a number of recommendations for government departments and their arms length bodies.To comply with this review and the BEIS requirements,the MRC has reviewed its use of analytical modelling in 2016/17 and has not identified any that were con
302、sidered to be business critical.8.Tax assuranceThe Alexander Review was published in May 2012 making a number of recommendations to ensure that the highest standards of integrity could be demonstrated in the tax arrangements of senior public appointees.I can confirm that the MRCs senior staff are al
303、l paid through the payroll and that arrangements are in place through retained HR to provide assurance that appropriate tax arrangements are in place to cover any other appointees covered by the report.In 2016/17 MRC identified eight contractors who fell within the Alexander Review criteria.The MRC
304、has sought and gained assurance that the appropriate tax arrangements are in place for the contractors identified.Council members are office holders as defined within HMRC guidance and their remuneration is subject to income tax and National Insurance contributions under PAYE where applicable and ma
305、naged through the payroll.As such,the MRC is in compliance with the recommendations in the HM Treasury Review of the tax arrangements of public sector appointees published in May 2012.9.Efficiency programmeFrom 2011 to 2016 the research councils implemented an efficiency programme to drive down the
306、costs and overheads associated with research.The efficiency savings derived from this programme were re-invested in research.In the spring of 2011 RCUK published Efficiency 2011-15:Ensuring Excellence with Impact describing how the research councils would implement the recommendations in Sir William
307、 Wakehams report Financial Sustainability and Efficiency in Full Economic Costing of Research in UK Higher Education Institutions.The efficiency savings are being applied to both research grants and fellowships awarded via competitive routes to research organisations and also to research council ins
308、titutes.The efficiency programme ended in March 2016 and during its five years achieved savings of 545m,exceeding the planned target.This figure will rise to over 610m over the next few years as the ongoing contributions from the efficiency savings deducted at source from grants awarded during this
309、period are included.Annual report and accounts 2016/1755Further details of the efficiency programme can be found at can be found at:www.rcuk.ac.uk/research/efficiency/efficiency2011/and www.rcuk.ac.uk/Publications/policy/Efficiency2011/Alongside these measures the research councils also introduced c
310、hanges to the requests for equipment on grants,including asking applicants to demonstrate how the usage of the equipment will be maximised.RCUK has worked with university partners to develop options to promote and assist equipment sharing,including exploring the issues around asset registers.There i
311、s good anecdotal evidence of significant progress by universities to promote sharing,and of very efficient usage of large pieces of experimental equipment.UK Research and Innovation(UKRI)Transition ProgrammeOn the 27 April 2017,the Higher Education and Research Bill received Royal Assent and became
312、an Act which will result in the creation of UKRI.In February 2017 Sir Mark Walport was appointed as Chief Executive Designate of UKRI.BEIS have been leading the UKRI Implementation Programme with the research councils working directly on the following work streams:People and HR;Finance,governance an
313、d assurance;Legal;and Procurement.Following the BEIS decision in October 2016 to revise their business case on common technology the research councils elected to restart the RCUK Business Digital and Technology Project focusing on the next 18 months requirements.In December 2016 BEIS took the decisi
314、on to put their remaining digital programmes on hold(grants and HR/finance system replacement),and to maintain UK SBS as a shared service provider through to 2019/20.The research councils therefore agreed in February 2017 to start the requirements phase for the HR and finance service and for a grant
315、s service working closely with the UKRI Transition Programme and with work to secure and upgrade current UK SBS systems.Also,2016/17 saw the moves into Polaris House of Innovate UK and UK SBS as part of the office estates change project led by the cross-council Campus Oversight Board.A Change Assura
316、nce Board was established in April 2016 with membership drawn from the chairs of the audit committees of the research councils.This board has provided challenge and advice throughout the changes described above.56Accountability report 10.Regularity and proprietyI can confirm that for 2016/17 neither
317、 I nor my staff authorised a course of action,the financial impact of which would have been that transactions would have infringed the requirements of regularity as set out in Managing Public Money;and that Treasury approval has been obtained for all novel,contentious or repercussive transactions re
318、lating to 2016/17.11.Whistle-blowing The MRC has a whistle-blowing policy which sets out ways to report concerns,include a dedicated confidential email address and options to contact the Chair of CARAC.The policy has not been invoked during 2016/17.12.Research integrity MRC Council receives an annua
319、l report on research integrity,including information on any cases of misconduct relevant to MRC-funded work.A summary report for 2015/1640 has been published on the MRC website in line with responsibilities agreed under the Concordat to support research integrity.13.Review of effectiveness As the MR
320、C Accounting Officer I have responsibility for reviewing the effectiveness of the system of governance,risk management and internal control.My review is informed by the work of the executive managers within the MRC who have responsibility for the development and maintenance of the internal control f
321、ramework,as well as by internal auditors and by comments made by the external auditors in their management letter and other reports.I have been advised on the implications of the result of my review of the effectiveness of the system of internal control by Management Board and CARAC and have develop
322、ed plans to address weaknesses and ensure that continuous improvement of the system is in place.This Governance Statement represents the end product of the review of the effectiveness of the governance framework,risk management and internal control.Directors Annual Statement of Internal Control(DASI
323、C)All MRC directors(intramural institutes/units,overseas offices and head office)provide an annual assurance statement(DASIC)on their areas of responsibility.These returns provided an overall positive assessment on the compliance with policies and systems of internal control.All units now embedded i
324、n universities have provided a University Unit Assurance Statement,similar to the DASIC statement.All returns are reviewed and validated by corporate leads for each area of responsibility before being considered by Operations Board and CARAC.No significant weaknesses were identified.40.https:/www.mr
325、c.ac.uk/research/policies-and-guidance-for-researchers/Annual report and accounts 2016/1757Funding assurance activities Across the RCUK community research funding totals 2.9bn of which 596.4m relates to MRC.The funding landscape has two major funding streams:1.Grants administered through the Siebel
326、system 341.6m and awarded to eligible Research Organisations(ROs);2.Funding distributed outside the Siebel system 254.7m including Strategic partnerships.During the year a Funding Assurance Working Group(FAWG)was set up to review the framework and a revised Integrated Funding Assurance(IFA)framework
327、 has been implemented that draws assurance from a range of sources(see purple in Figure 9)for key stakeholders(see blue in Figure 9).Figure 9:IFA FrameworkScopeControl environment(CE)GovernanceResearch integrityFinancial controlAccountabilityRegularity(Tx)TRACStaffConsumablesFESSources of AssuranceU
328、sers of Assurance(Stakeholders)RORC oversightHE Reg Board(HERB)FAPUKSBSGIAARCsNAOBEISOOBAuditCtteeStrategic Oversight&ReportingIFA Champion(SRO)58Accountability report Siebel grantsThe assurance provided through this framework indicates a very low level of current and historic errors for all council
329、s.In particular,in his report,the Head of Funding Assurance provided moderate assurance based upon the programme of work undertaken.Going forward,through ODA,GCRF and Newton Fund grants to overseas organisations will increase and they have the potential to become a significant part of the research c
330、ouncils expenditure.A FAWG sub-group is reviewing all aspects of international funding and sub-contracting.In addition in December 2016,the Cabinet Office officially launched a set of minimum grant standards to promote effective grant-making,with 2017 being viewed as a pilot year for embedding these
331、.The research councils have mapped the Cabinet Office standards against current policies and procedures and have demonstrated through this assurance framework that we can clearly evidence our compliance.Non-Siebel awards/funding Strategic partnerships represent the major part of MRC non-Siebel fundi
332、ng to third parties.Major components include:International subscriptions,17.1m University units,103.4m Joint ventures(e.g.the Crick),57.8mFunding for these activities invariably represents MRC or UK contributions to organisational resources for international and other collaborations and may not be t
333、racked to a specific deliverable.I take assurance on these activities primarily through the governance frameworks in place,including:memorandum of understandings,concordats etc.setting out the rules and relationships for our engagement;representative roles within the key organisations e.g.Board Members,seats on governing bodies Committees etc;linked to the above,we take assurance from externally a