ICU Management & Practice, ICU Volume 7 - Issue 4 - Winter 2007/2008
A New Manifesto for
Medical Research in Europe
Public spending on medical research in Europe should be doubled over the next ten years to ensure the health and welfare of Europe’s citizens and to nurture a thriving medical research industry, according to an influential panel of distinguished scientists. In addition there should be greater collaboration between European institutions in medical research and improved career paths for medical scientists.
The European Medical Research Councils (EMRC) White Paper, ‘Present Status and Future Strategy for Medical Research in Europe’, makes several key recommendations aimed at strengthening and improving medical research in Europe. These include:
• Implementation of best practice for funding and performing medical research – with distribution of funding in competition based on excellence and evaluated by peer review
• Strengthened collaboration and coordination of medical research in Europe through the EMRC and its membership organisations, via the European Commission, the European Research Council and the learned medical societies
• Revision of EC directives related to medical research
• Implementation of equal opportunities for all researchers
• A doubling of public funding of medical research in Europe within the next ten years – to a minimum of 0.25% of gross domestic product (GDP)
The EMRC White Paper recognises that the newer countries of the European Union require extra investment in research infrastructure to bring their facilities to the level of the older countries within the union.
