SOUTH AFRICANMEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

Building a Healthy Nation Through Research

Medical Research Council Budget and Strategic Plan 2007/2008

Presentation to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health

Prof A D MBewuPresident, MRC

15 May 2007

Agenda

1. Mandate of the MRC2. Vision, Mission and Values3. Strategic Objectives4. Corporate Governance5. Research, Development and Technology Transfer6. Strategic Research Initiatives7. Key Strategic Initiatives8. Implementation of Shared Values9. MRC Budget10. Health Research Priorities11. Strategic Health Research Priorities12. MRC Personnel and Productivity13. Research Translation 14. Transformation 15. Conclusion

Mandate of the MRC

The mandate of the South African Medical Research Council is legislated in terms of Act 58, 1991 :

‘the objects of the MRC are, through research, development and technology transfer, to promote the improvement of the health and quality of life of the population of the Republic, and to perform such functions as may be assigned to the MRC by or under this Act’.

Vision and Mission

The vision of the is MRC :

‘Building a healthy nation through research’

The mission of the MRC is :

‘to improve the nation’s health and quality of life through promoting and conducting relevant and responsive health research’

MRC Shared Values

‘Cared’

• Communication : transparency, and freedom to challenge

• Accountability : responsibility, teamwork, leadership and participation

• Respect : dignity, honesty, fairness and integrity

• Excellence and innovation

• Development : reward and recognition

MRC Strategic Objectives The MRC mission is implemented through the following 9 Strategic Objectives : Promoting and conducting researchPromoting and conducting research is the core business and primary strategic objective of the MRC as aKnowledge producing organisation. Without research, the vision of the MRC of ‘building a healthynation through research’ cannot be achieved :

1. Research Strategy and Business Plan

Professional support for researchResearch cannot take place, and staff cannot develop, unless supported by corporate professional services :

2. Financial Model Strategy and Plan 3. Opportunity and Risk Management

4. Capacity Development5. Transformation and Development Plan

Research TranslationResearch makes no difference to health and quality of life unless it is translated into interventions such aspolicy, practice, products, and health promotion which can have an impact on the health and quality of lifeof the nation :

6. Innovation Management and Technology Transfer7. Informatics and Knowledge Management8. Research Translation9. Stakeholder Management

Corporate Governance

BOARD

President

Board and Office Manager

Exec. Secretary

Committee Secretary

Legal Services

Exec Man. Corp. Affairs

Vice President Research

Exec Dir Innovation & Technology

Exec Dir Finance Exec Dir Operations

ManagerOperations

ManagerInformationTechnolo

gy

Strategic Research Committee

Exec ManHuman Capital

Developmt

Exec ManResearch Admin &

Management

Exec ManStrategic Research Initiatives

Exec ManInformatics &

Knowledge Management

18 Intramural Unit Directors

25 Division Managers

1. National Collaborative Research Programme

2. Collaborative Research Group

3. Research Unit

4. Research Project

- Self-Initiated

- Developmental

- Rapid Response

5. Research and Technology Entities

- Research and Technology Platforms

- Biotechnology Programmes

6. Commercialisation Entities

Research, Development and Technology Transfer

National Collaborative Research Programmes

• Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes

• CARISA

• IKS and African Traditional Medicines

• Tuberculosis

• Malaria

• Cross University Brain and Behaviour Research Initiative

• HIV and AIDS – NAPRA

Strategic Research Initiatives

• Italian HIV Vaccine Project - Phase II clinical trial - Health systems - HIV vaccine manufacture

• NIH Clinical Trial Unit – MTN, HIV vaccine, HPTN, ACTG, PACTG

• Nanotechnology – Mintek, WRC

• Gold-based pharmaceuticals – Mintek, Prof Chibale

• FIND Diagnostics – demonstration project of new diagnostic for MDR TB

• Telemedicine initiative in KZN – Dr Molefi, Prof Mars

• Proteomics – Prof Jonathan Blackburn

Research and Technology Entities - Research and Technology Platforms

* Primate unit* Traditional medicines manufacturing plant * Bioinformatics* High performance computing centre (Meraka)

- Biotechnology Programmes * SAAVI

Commercialisation Entities - Spinout companies and licensing agreements

* Gene Care : DNA-based cardiac diagnostic test* Stereotactic Neurosurgical Device

* Carotino * Diabetes : ZADEC * Telemedicine

* Genetic Ancestry * Traditional Medicines

Key Strategic Initiatives

Six Key Strategic Initiatives for 2007 were identified in Feb 2007:

• Corporate culture and implementation of shared values

• Improve performance management system • Improvement of quality of support directorates

• Grow funding of MRC • Review all policies of the MRC • Implement online management information system

Implementation of Shared Values

• Project office - electronic management system • Fraud prevention plan

• Whistle blowing

• Sexual harassment policy

• Communications

• Salary adjustments and promotions

• Organisational culture

MRC Budget

Source of income

2004/05

Rands thousands

2005/06 2006/07 2007/08

Baseline 154 388 157 284 180 000 190 710

Contract and Grant

162 853 176 000 236 000 244 000

Total

Year by year Increment

317 241

11%

333 284

5%

416 000

25%

434 710

5%

Changes in Budget Allocation

Divert more funds from the support services to research Operational funding for support reduced by 10% (R 3 124 000) in 2007 by 4% in 2006 to 2006 Operational funds and equipment for research increased by 16% (R 7 075 895) extramural – R4 970 000 intramural - R2 105 895

75% of research operating, capital, and capacity development funds are now apportioned to the extramural environment (R 39 212 070) and 25% to the intramural (R13 206 681).

* R1 050 000 extra for self-initiated research* R1.9 million for capital equipment in the 45 Units* R750 000 in seed funding for 3 new NCRPs* R3 455 895 extra for operating budgets of Units* R670 000 extra for capacity development

Health Research Priorities

Cause of Death

Research Units Mortality %

(Stats SA 2004)

Baseline Expenditure

Rands millions

Global Expenditure

Rands millions

(% of total)

HIV and AIDS

HIV Prevention Research

SAAVI

30? 6.2 94.8 (29)

Tuberculosis Clin and Biomedical

Epidemiol & Intervention

Cell Mol Biology

Mol Mycobacteriology

14 6.5 44 (14)

Heart and Stroke and Diabetes

Chronic Diseases

Cape Heart Group Exercise and Sports Diabetes Research

26 3.3 5.4 (2)

Health Research Priorities

Causes of Death

Research Units Mortality %

(Stats SA 2004)

Baseline Expenditure

Rands millions

Global Expenditure

Rands millions

(% of total)

Violence and Injury

Crime, Violence and Injury 9 2.7 2.7 (1)

Brain and Behaviour

Medical Imaging

Anxiety and Stress

1 2 2 (0.6)

Pneumonia and other infections

Respiratory and Meningeal Diarrhoeal Pathogens

Inflammation and Immunity Immunology of Infectious Disease

Genital Ulcer Disease

18 3 10 (10)

Cancer PROMEC

Oesophageal Cancer

Cancer Epidemiology

6 6.5 6.5 (2)

Health Research Priorities

Cause of Death

Research Units Mortality %

(Stats SA 2004)

Baseline Expenditure

Global Expenditure

(% of total)

Public Health

Research Burden of Disease Health Systems

Biostatistics

Cochrane Centre

Health Policy

Rural Health Transition Telemedicine

- 14.2 14.8 (4.5)

Nutrition Women, Maternal and

Child Health

Nutrition

Maternal and Infant Mineral and Metabolism Gender and Health

2

3

1

2.2

7.3 (2)

2.2 (1)

Environment and Health

Environment and Health 1 4.2 4.2 (2)

Health Research Priorities

Cause of Death

Research Units Mortality %

(Stats SA 2004)

Baseline Expenditure

Rands millions

Global Expenditure

(% of total)

Health Promotion

Health Promotion Alcohol and Drug Abuse

- 4.2 6.9 (2)

Malaria

African Traditional Medicines

Malaria Indigenous Knowledge SA Traditional Medicines

1

-

8

1.1

95 (29)

9.1 (2.8)

Genomics and Proteomics

Human Genetics

Human Genomic Diversity Bone Research

Bioinformatics Cap Dev Receptor Biology

Liver Centre

2 20 20 (6)

Strategic Health Research Priorities

Strategic Health Research Priorities

Scenario One : Address all Health Research Priorities

Rands millions

Scenario Two : Seize all Health Research Opportunities

Rands millions

Capacity Development 26 52

Cardiovascular Disease 25 50

Capital Expenditure 20 40

National Collaborative Research Programmes

60 100

Strategic Health Research Priorities

Strategic Health Research Priorities

Scenario One : Address all Health Research Priorities

Rands millions

Scenario Two : Seize all Health Research Opportunities

Refurbishment 40 60

Human Resource Development

40 60

Innovation and Technology Transfer

20 60

TOTAL R 231 million R 422 million

MRC Personnel

The MRC is a ‘Knowledge creating company’ and people are therefore its most important resource :

PERSONNEL

854 intramural personnel

458 Research Scientists in 45 units150 Scientists in self initiated research projects216 PhD students150 Master’s students223 SAAVI personnel

In total ~ 2000 employed by or associated with MRC

Productivity

1993 2002 2004 2005 2006 2007

Peer reviewed 425 572 580 568 618 664publications

Staff 453 642 750 800 840 854

Productivity

MRC total : 45 Units, 618 publications : - from 302 senior scientists; ratio 2.2

Intramural : 18 Units, 198 publications : - from 126 senior scientists; ratio 1.60

Extramural : 27 Units, 420 publications : - from 175 senior scientists; ratio 2.40

Self initiated : 120 projects, …..publications, - from 120 senior scientists

ProductivityINPUTS

R204 Million Government (20% of government health research expenditure) R240 Million External incomeR444 Million

OUTPUTS

4 NRF ‘A’ Rated scientists2 Orders of Mapungubwe668 Peer reviewed publications (40% of South Africa’s health research output) 20 Patents – current and pending 20 Technical reports 49 PhD graduates per annum 50 M graduates per annum

Research Translation

MRC vision : ‘building a healthy nation through research’

Research makes no difference to health unless it is translated

GRIPPPP : Getting research results into : PolicyPracticePromotion andProduct

Impact 664 publications (Research Report) produce over 1 000 units of knowledgewith implications for policy and practice in all top 10 causes of death and diseaseIn addition to the Annual Report and Research Report; there is the opportunity to provide a Research Translation Report that would list the items of new knowledge generated by MRC researchers every year, and their implications for policy, practice, product development and health promotion

Transformation

Occupational Level BlackMar 2007

FemaleMar 2007

ExecutiveManagement

80 % 20 %

Senior Management 65 % 57 %

Middle Management 51 % 63 %

Skilled 85 % 72 %

Semi-Skilled 96 % 67 %

Unskilled 95 % 52 %

Total 82 % 67 %

838 personnel : Black African 410 (49%) Coloured 155 (18%) White 153 (18%) SA Indian 120 (14%)

Employment Equity : Percentages of Black Staff at every Level in 1997 and in 2007

14%15%

42%

55%

95%

98%

80%

65%

51%

85%

96%

95%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1997 March 2007

Unskilled

Semi-Skilled

Skilled

Middle Management

Snr Management

ExecutiveManagement

ConclusionThe MRC Strategic Plan and Budget for 2007 will ensure that :

• The MRC continues to grow and develop its portfolio of research, development and technology transfer activities • There has been a consistent year on year increase in the quantity (7%) and quality of MRC

research publications, accounting for 40% of South Africa’s health research output

• The growth in the external income of the organisation continues at a more reasonable pace (5%); whilst the baseline grant keeps track with inflation (6%)

• Within the MRC there are increasing numbers of black and female scientists at doctoral and postdoctoral level

• Translation of research results into policy, practice, products and health promotion continues

• The MRC moves into the future confident that it can deliver on its mandate of using research, development and technology transfer to provide new health solutions for improving the health and quality of life of all South Africans

Conclusion

However : there is a need for additional funds to :

1. More adequately fund existing research efforts2. Train more scientists – especially black african scientists; and provide career

paths for researchers in general 3. Refurbish the ageing capital equipment in MRC research units4. Exploit new opportunities in research such as stem cell research, genomics and

proteomics, computational bioinformatics, behavioural science, and health economics

5. Provide more inputs for South Africa’s biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry

6. Exploit the biodiversity of South Africa in order to develop natural medicines and novel pharmaceuticals

7. Respond to health crises as they arise in terms of rapidly developing research and evidence-based solutions

8. Reduce the tendency to become ‘donor-driven’ in the MRC’s research portfolio 9. Improve the process of translation of research results into policy, practice,

product and health promotion

The MRC 2012 Dream

Building a healthy nation through research

http://www.mrc.ac.za