Time for a new perspective in medical research: View of the European Medical Research Councils (EMRC)

EMRC work with Research Conferences, Forward Looks, scientific network and workshops. Our most important issue is strategic research policy advice on a European level for medical research.

U.S. is ahead of Europe in research and development. European funding is lower, than in U.S., it is un-coordinated and fragmented. The relative share of public research money to medicine and life sciences is 55 per cent in the U.S., only about 30 per cent in Europe. In U.S. they spend 2.6 per cent of the GDP for research, in EU it is only 1.93per cent and the US GDP is 30 per cent higher than in Europe. The publications per 100.000 inhabitants are 809 per year in the U.S. and only 639 per year in the European Union.

The research funding in Europe is 90 per cent from national funding agencies, like the Medical Research Council in London, the Deutsche Forschung Gemeinschaft in Germany, Inserm in France etc. and from charities and from industry. About 7-8per cent of the total sum to R&D in Europe is through the European Commission Frame Work Programme 7. They have 50 billion Euros for 2007-2013. From this amount 7.5 billion Euros is given to the European Research Council, which is a new landmark event for science policy in our continent. The European Research Council (ERC) is an outstanding research funding agency, which attracts the very best researchers, beginning in 2007. Researchers from Europe can apply for grants from the NIH, the National Institutes of Health in the U.S., which is a very generous attitude from America. From EMRC we would like to invite NIH for discussions about a bilateral “fair play” between Europe and U.S.

Our EMRC Member Organizations have large budgets taken together. Each country has their roadmaps and research strategies, each their priorities and traditions. In Europe we have different languages and different view on peer review. In the U.S. they have one common pot with a large budget; they have coordination and coherency, an overall strategic roadmap and strategy and fewer universities with higher R&D profile.

One of the important things in research strategy is that decision-makers and politicians look for data providing arguments for the societal benefit of medical research. EMRC is at present working with this concept. For instance, imaging and increased collaboration between imaging specialists and clinicians is important and it is very important, that we in Europe secure long time funding of large research projects, with collaboration between universities and major research centers. The initiative EIBIR, The European Institute for Biomedical Imaging Research with the mission of creating an environment and infrastructure that allows strengthening biomedical imaging research in Europe is highly welcomed and supported by EMRC. From ESFRI, the European Strategic Forum of Research Infrastructure, proposals for large re-search infrastructures in biobanks, translational research and clinical trial centers, are developed and at the moment on the roadmap for European Research. These proposals are in line with the recommendations from EMRC and also in line with the recommendations from NIH.

There is “a window of opportunity” for R&D in Europe at the moment. The European economy is showing a positive trend, the Barcelona goal of 3 per cent of GDP for research in 2010 will allow a larger share of this money for research. The 7 Seventh Framework Programme is very positive with the ERCl for excellence. If we team up and help each other in Europe, we will do better. EMRC is connecting with a high level group to make “a whitepaper” on European Medical Research focusing on the obstacles and possibilities and also focusing on strengthening non-commercial, clinical studies.