About Us
The Medical and Life Sciences Research Fund charity has been for over 20 years a dynamic and innovative force in its support of medical research in Warwickshire and the West Midlands.
We support numerous Research and Training Fellows allowing collaborative biomedical research of international quality in our local area.
Originally as the Medical Research Institute (MRI) Appeal launched in late 1994, this successful appeal attracted over £6 million funds to build and equip a state-of- the-art biomedical research facility at the University of Warwick. Following this and with further fund raising from individuals, local businesses and trusts the first medical research professor and the first endowed chair – in neurobiology – were introduced at Warwick University. The environment encouraged innovative collaboration between clinical and research colleagues and was undoubtedly a key factor in the successful bid to establish a graduate school of medicine at Warwick.
As the Medical Research Fund (MRF) from 2004, the charity supported numerous Research and Training Fellows from its fund raising and allowed for collaborative biomedical research of international quality in our local area.
In 2011 the Medical and Life Sciences Research Fund was registered as an independent charity with the Charity Commission, and continues to support researchers in the areas of medical, biomedical and also plant and agricultural research through the continued generosity of local supporters.
Administrative expenses
We are quite unusual as a functioning charity in that we have no overheads as Micropathology Ltd, (www.micropathology.com) a molecular diagnostic and research company cover all these costs. So all donations go into supporting university and teaching hospital research projects.
Funded Project selection
At present (2015) the charity advertises within the University or local teaching hospitals for project applications for ‘pump priming ‘ of new projects which are all scrutinised by our scientific committee. The idea behind this is to allow a pilot of a project which if successful will allow an application to a national grant award body (MRC, BBSRC, Welcome etc) with results of an initial research undertaking which will greatly increase the possibility of a major grant award.
Some monies have been donated to the charity for specific projects ( eg Anti microbial discovery) and these projects are also scrutinised by the scientific committee before monies are released.
Ethical Standards Policy
We follow Association of Medical Research Charities( AMRC) principles of peer review to ensure that we work to the same high standards.
We recognise the need to be seen and to make impartial decisions and we have a Scientific Scrutiny Panel so that all funding decisions are impartial.
Chairman’s message
This charity supports research and education to enhance human health in its widest sense both in our area of Coventry, Warwickshire and the West Midlands, U.K. and by influencing developments, in the wider world. The research interests of the charity cover unanswered medical questions relating to human disease and also extends to the problems of safe, economic and nutritious food production and how these endeavours impinge on human society.
The charity encourages research and development that will attract high calibre researchers to carry out collaborative projects in our universities and hospitals.
As the Medical Research Fund, our successful appeals raised £6 million of funds locally to build and equip the BioMedical Research Institute at the University of Warwick
In its previous guise as the Medical Research Fund, a charity within the University of Warwick, our successful appeals raised £6 million of funds locally to build and equip the BioMedical Research Institute based at the University of Warwick. Here clinicians and academics work together along side the Medical School, the University Hospital, Walsgrave in Coventry as well as the hospitals in surrounding areas.
The Medical and Life Sciences Research Fund, now a separate charity ( no 1139383) with a wider remit, is a very special opportunity to provide funding to help new ideas see the light of day.
Professor Colin G Fink
Chairman
Trustees of the Medical & Life Sciences Research Fund
Chairman:
Professor Colin G Fink B.Sc MB PhD FRC Path
Committee lists
Patron
The Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire Mr Tim Cox
The Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands Mr John Crabtree, OBE
President
Sir Paul Nurse, Nobel Laureate
Vice Presidents
The Marquess of Hertford
Mr Robert Waley-Cohen
Chairman
Professor C G Fink B.Sc MB, ChB, PhD, FRC Path
Trustees
Professor C G Fink B.Sc MB ChB PhD FRC Path
Professor C Dowson BSc PhD
Dr A Shehu MBE DL MD FRCP
Dr M Atkins BSc (Hons) MSc MBBS FRCPath
Fund Director
Mrs E A Robinson BSc (Hons)