1.  The Wellcome Trust is pleased to submit this written evidence to the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee for the Cooksey Review Evidence Session.

  2.  The Wellcome Trust is the largest charity in the UK and the second largest medical research charity in the world. It funds innovative biomedical research, in the UK and internationally, spending around £500 million each year to support the brightest scientists with the best ideas. The Wellcome Trust supports public debate about biomedical research and its impact on health and wellbeing.

  3.  The Trust submitted its response to the Cooksey Review consultation in July 2006, outlining its views on the high level principles and organisational arrangements for the new single fund for health research[2].

  4.  We welcome the Cooksey Review Team's proposal to create an overarching body, the Office for Strategic Coordination of Health Research (OSCHR), to provide strategic oversight and a shared platform for the translation of UK health research into benefits for patients. We hope that this new arrangement will provide opportunities for enhanced partnership and engagement with other research funders, including the biomedical research charities. It would be helpful to know what mechanisms are currently under consideration to take forward such opportunities.

  5.  We also welcome the proposal to establish the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) as an Executive Agency of the Department of Health by April 2009. It is vital that NIHR has a transparent and robust governance structure in place and we look forward to seeing further details as they are developed.

  6.  Many of the proposals contained in the Cooksey Review report require developments over the medium- to long-term. An implementation plan with clear processes and timetable should be developed to ensure that the proposals are taken forward.

January 2007