UKRI budget allocation confirmed - details in pdf: https://www.ukri.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/UKRI-Budget-Allocations-2022-25_FINAL2.pdf figures given in Table 3 for Medical Research Council (MRC) core funding: 21/22 = £563mn, 22/23 =£548mn, 23/24 = £587mn, 24/25 = £615mn These figures are substantially lower than pre 2020 MRC reported totals but are difficult to compare because of changes in how the MRC sits with the newly created UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_Research_and_Innovation. A 9.2% rise from 21/22 to 24/25 only matches current inflation and it's difficult to see this as anything but a standstill budget allowing that the government hopefully will annually adjust these sums by an inflation figure. Otherwise we are looking at net reductions. Either way, on these figure competition for medical research funding in the UK isn't going to be any less challenging. Edit: Just to note for clarity the MRC funding is wholly separate from the NHS National Institute for Health (NIHR) budget see thread: https://www.s4me.info/threads/funding-of-me-cfs-research-in-the-uk.2533/
How can Javid's commitment to more funding for ME be met when the overall figure for research is decreasing if inflation is taken into account? eta:"Funding for high-quality research into ME is available through existing commitments of HM Government to research and development." from Javid's statement.
For a start the money going to money for old rope in other areas, normally into the same hands (AKA 'the gravy train'), needs to be reassigned.
I have edited the first post to note the distinction between the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the National Institute for Heath Research (NIHR) - MRC's funds come under the UKRI umbrella, the NIHR is part of the NHS. UKRI announcement from earlier this year Government announces plans for largest ever R&D budget Unlike the NIHR, the MRC has not committed substantial sums to BPS focused research since PACE over a decade ago - if that is the "money for old rope" that was in mind then the MRC is not in the legitimate firing line. Both MRC and NIHR are funding DecodeME. I haven't looked at recent MRC spending but I doubt that there is any substantial institutional gravy train - competition for grants is intense and any chumocracy would likely be called out. But @Binkie4's question is pertinent - in a reducing resource/increased competition how can allocation to a particular sector be assured ? - answer = "it can't". However the situation at the NIHR maybe different. The NIHR has a larger annual budget than the MRC - currently in the region of £1billion a year How we fund research , as against the £563million of the MRC. It is the NIHR budget that is under Sayed Javid's Health and Social Care Department. Given the pressures on the NHS it's unlikely that we will see major funding increases for the NIHR in the budget later this year but if Javid is serious, if his civil servants take up his initiative and if the NHS management accept the new direction, then there should be continued redirection of NIHR funding from psychological approaches to something more substantial (old rope to new rope ?). In £ terms we are talking low millions over several years but importantly it could support Decode ME follow up.
side note as I look up to see where the grants for certain researchers have been from. There is currently: Esther Crawley: Sanofi: Exploring the prevalence of Pompe’s disease in patients diagnosed with CFS/ME: £550,000 Listed here: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/academic-child-health/grants/ Looking up Pompe's disease that seems an interesting new concept in relation to ME: What is Pompe disease? Pompe disease is a genetic disorder in which complex sugar called glycogen builds up in the body's cells. The disease results from the deficiency of an enzyme called acid alfa glucosidase (GAA), which breaks downs complex sugars in the body. Although of course I do caveat in wondering what angle the researcher will be taking on this. Has it been discussed/noted before in any way being relevant to those with ME ?
Interesting to get that confirmed. And agreed on the focus re: biggest issue area of last few years being NIHR vs MRC. Yes, I've done a very cursory scout and the only MRC ones seems to be Chalder moving into functional neurological disorder type areas (often with Anthony David it seems) e.g.: https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en...er(409f2487-5595-446f-a8eb-7e11278e195a).html Crawley on the other hand seems to not be getting it from MRC but NIHR (sometimes teamed with funding from her institution) and a range of trusts, commercial (e.g. Sanofi example) and some applications for individual patient benefit The NIHR funding seems huge in some areas, I'd love more detail on how this funding works through the NHS/if it can be changed, and any caveats or safeguards etc., how much and why it has to 'play with', does it have to really be scientific etc?
