10 Year Evaluation of the MRC Translational Research

Tender description

**This is not a call for Competition** This is an award notice for a further competition through the BIS Research and Evaluation Framework agreement - Lot 3. This contract is to support an evaluation of MRCs translational research funded over the last ten years with the aim of delivering strategic recommendations for the future. MRC is undertaking this programme of work to evaluate its contribution to UK translational research. This includes a detailed assessment of the progress, productivity and quality of translationally relevant research and relevant strategic initiatives supported by the MRC between 2008/09 and 2018. The context beyond MRC funding is important - many projects are supported from multiple sources, and insights into whether this diversity of funding routes is useful for the UK would also be of interest. The impacts and outputs of this research portfolio need to be understood in order to inform MRC's strategy in translational research over the next 10 years. The MRC wishes to appoint a contractor that will help it design and conduct evidence gathering, analyse outputs, and report this evaluation. An expert group has been formed to provide independent advice to MRC's committees and Executive. The contractor will provide their independent report on the assessment of outcomes from MRC's strategy to date to this expert group, but will also work with the expert group as they formulate their advice to the MRC. The contractor will contribute significantly to the development of both detailed and strategic insights and advice for the MRC, actively engage in the design of analyses, collection of data and interpretation of results. In particular the MRC is seeking a partner that can i) quickly appreciate MRC's role in supporting translational research ii) review relevant literature and assess the current status of the field iii) bring both project management skills and scientifically literate expertise to bear, in order to design and collect substantial new data from the research community iv) identify non-MRC datasets that may be useful as benchmarks and to set results in context v) contribute mature analytical capability and synthesise recommendations based on the results gathered, the available literature in the field, external data, and present authoritative and independent assessments and advice to the MRC. vi) Contribute to writing sections of the final report and liasing with an expert advisory group