Gillett R, Harrow J
MRC Dental Research Unit, London Hospital Medical College.
BMJ. 1993 Jun 19;306(6893):1668-72. doi: 10.1136/bmj.306.6893.1668.
In their submission to the government in advance of the white paper on science policy in the United Kingdom the Medical Research Council commends the MRC's own approach to managing directly funded research. But a series of semi-structured interviews with the directors of some of the MRC's units suggests a gap between the MRC's model of managed research and the reality. Although such units are theoretically managed from MRC head office (and units are charged an overhead for this), in practice each unit runs its own affairs. Between major reviews average contact time with the head office contact person is seven hours a year. The first paper argues that a purchaser-provider split would recognise the benefits of decentralisation and allow units to bid for research funds from several sources, the successful ones guaranteeing their survival through a rolling series of research programmes. The second paper criticises the MRC's cumbersome peer review system. Reliance on outside experts atrophies the scientific skills of head office staff and builds delays into decision making. A purchaser-provider model would allow the head office scientific staff to act like commercial research and development managers, commissioning research, and using the outcome, rather than peer review, as a criterion for continued funding.
在向英国政府提交有关科学政策白皮书之前，医学研究理事会对其自身管理直接资助研究的方式表示赞许。但对医学研究理事会一些部门负责人进行的一系列半结构化访谈显示，该理事会管理研究的模式与实际情况之间存在差距。尽管这些部门理论上由医学研究理事会总部管理（并且各部门为此要支付管理费用），但实际上每个部门都自行运作。在两次重大评估之间，各部门与总部联系人的平均每年接触时间为7小时。第一篇论文认为，采购方与供应方分离将认识到权力下放的好处，并允许各部门从多个来源竞标研究资金，成功的部门通过一系列滚动的研究项目来确保自身的生存。第二篇论文批评了医学研究理事会繁琐的同行评审系统。依赖外部专家会削弱总部工作人员的科研技能，并导致决策延迟。采购方与供应方模式将使总部科研人员能够像商业研发经理一样行事，委托开展研究，并将研究成果而非同行评审作为持续资助的标准。
