A forum is to be established to enable organisations involved in health research in Ireland to work better together in order to improve the quality of studies, support careers in the sector and promote the involvement of patients.
The new Irish Health Research Forum was a key recommendation of a report on the health research landscape, commissioned by the umbrella body for medical research charities, which was published today.
'Health Research Landscape in Ireland: What Researchers Say' found gaps in the key infrastructure needed for health researchers. It also identified particularly important areas of research that are not prioritised and that the financial sustainability of medical research is a cause of concern.
The study, commissioned by the Medical Research Charities Group and carried out by Professor Bernie Hannigan of University of Ulster, also concluded that support is focused on the earliest stages of research training and on well-established researchers, rather than young aspiring scientists.
It also found that the involvement of patients and lay people in research is now properly developed and there is limited engagement with those who potentially will use the findings of research.
MRCG will now move to establish the forum recommended by the report, which will be a partnership of organisations that influence health research in Ireland.
In particular, the MRCG says the forum will focus on ensuring greater emphasis on the patient's perspective in research, and contribute to creating a world class health research environment here in Ireland.
