Strategy Board advises the Executive Chair and Council on areas requiring scientific strategic input and holds a strategic budget to enable timely funding for new strategic initiatives.
Chaired by the MRC Executive Chair, it brings together the chairs of MRC’s research boards and overview groups (or their appropriate representatives, such as Deputy Chairs) and senior MRC executives.
A further purpose is to link the research boards and overview groups into overall MRC strategic planning to ensure cohesion between corporate strategy and research board-level decision-making.
Strategy Board will:
- advise the Executive Chair and Council on scientific priorities and the development of overall MRC strategy
- advise on strategic initiatives and performance, including:
- planning and implementation of programmatic strategic initiatives and review of their progress
- allocation of funding from the strategic budget, normally for new strategic initiatives or cross-cutting or partnership investments
- consider reports from research boards and overview groups, and provide guidance on science trends, opportunities, priorities and pressures to inform longer-term financial planning and commitment budgets
- horizon scan future scientific opportunities to inform MRC’s long-term research agenda
- provide guidance on the most effective involvement of partners and stakeholders in MRC activities and ensure appropriate 2-way dialogue with stakeholders in the strategic processes
Membership
- Professor John Iredale, Interim Executive Chair, MRC (Chair)
- Dr Robin Buckle, Chief Science Officer, MRC
- Dr Jonathan Pearce, Director of Strategy and Planning, MRC
- Professor Patrick Chinnery, MRC Clinical Director, University of Cambridge
- Professor Wendy Barclay, Infections and Immunity Board Chair, Imperial College London
- Professor Perdita Barran, Infrastructure and Capital Strategic Advisory Group Deputy Chair, The University of Manchester
- Professor David Ford, Data Science Strategic Advisory Group Deputy Chair, Swansea University
- Professor Graham Hart, Applied Global Health Research Board Chair, University College London
- Professor Simon Hollingsworth, translation representative, AstraZeneca
- Professor Paul Matthews, Neurosciences and Mental Health Board Chair, Imperial College London
- Professor Maddy Parsons, Molecular and Cellular Medicine Board Chair, King’s College London
- Professor Rosalind Smyth, Training and Careers Group Chair, University College London
- Professor Brian Walker, Population and Systems Medicine Board Chair, Newcastle University
- Professor Nick Wareham, Population Health Sciences Group Chair, University of Cambridge
See the strategy board conflicts of interest register.
Meeting dates 2023
- 17 March
- 12 to 13 July
- 9 October
- 4 to 5 December
Strategy board questions
Email: strategyboard@mrc.ukri.org
Last updated: 20 April 2023