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News today of potentially drastic cuts to science funding from medical research charities due to impact of #COVID19, inc £150m from @CR_UK. Short-term cuts would mean long-term damage to UK research base & patients that benefit. [1/12] about what's at risk & an idea to avoid this
. @CR_UK is part of @AMRC representing 150+ charities that fund over 50% of UK non-commercial medical research (£1.9b 2019). This could fall by £310m this year as fundraising charities are hit. But its not just about this £ figure, its the impact this will have...[2/12]
Patients: charities have been at the heart of progress in many diseases over decades. @CR_UK research has helped double survival in the UK - 1 in 2 patients now live long term after diagnosis. There's much more to do, but cuts would hold back pace of progress [3/12]
Patients: the sector funds hundreds of clinical trials testing new treatments for patients. We have seen these massively disrupted & are working hard to reopen them. But cuts may mean fewer NEW trials start - already @CR_UK is not able to fund new trials this year [4/12]
Unmet need: Important to note that medical research charities tend to fund in areas where others don't - for example in rare diseases and in more 'risky' early stage research projects, which lay the platform for industry investment [5/12]
Scientists: we're proud to support scientists in all career stages, particularly early on with PhD programmes & fellowships. @AMRC funds the salaries of over 17,000 scientists. @CR_UK we're worried that we could lose a generation of talent & their ideas to beat cancer [6/12]
Infrastructure: we've invested over decades in state-of-the-art facilities across the country, where world-leading discoveries have advanced our understanding & treatment of disease. @CR_UK we may have to close some of our research facilities [7/12]
Economy: as a sector our work also hugely benefits the economy. E.g. @CR_UK we have formed over 40 spin out companies which have leveraged over £1bn in inward investment in the UK. We are the 2nd largest licencor of new cancer drugs. This pipeline could be reduced. [8/12]
So what could help? We're working w @AMRC @TheBHF, @ParkinsonsUK & others to propose 'life science charity partnership fund' to @beisgovuk @DHSCgovuk @hmtreasury. A short term matched £ fund to help avoid cuts that would cause long term damage [9/12] https://www.amrc.org.uk/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=95406ac4-721e-4f52-bba2-2953b6dc36e4
For a great overview of the situation @CR_UK please read the opinion from @Michelle_CRUK [10/12] https://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2020/06/24/opinion-uk-cancer-research-could-be-set-back-years-by-covid-19-we-must-act-now/?utm_source=twitter_Michelle_CRUK&utm_medium=CEOsocialmedia&utm_campaign=owntwitter_tweet
To pick a couple of bits of other coverage - in @guardian [11/12] https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/jun/24/a-generation-of-uk-researchers-could-be-lost-in-funding-crisis
