Email charityadmin@mlsrf.co.uk Charity number:1139383 President: Sir Paul Nurse

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)

Supporting carefully selected research projects in Warwickshire universities, hospitals and Wellesbourne Crop Centre