UK medical and life sciences research and development under spotlight:

Executive Summary

The strategy and management of the UK's medical and life sciences research are the subject of the House of Commons' Science and Technology Committee's first oral hearing on the work of the research council institutes. The meeting, which is open to the public and takes place in Westminster on June 28 (full details at www.parliament.uk/s&tcom), will hear evidence from Professor Julia Goodfellow, chief executive of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, and Professor Colin Blakemore, chief executive of the Medical Research Council. The STC last week published its report on research council support for knowledge transfer, which highlights the importance of fully engaging industry and better observing the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).